Alumni

Author Charles Yu '97: 'Interior Chinatown' is about roles and how we play them

August 24, 2022
Anne Brice

Charles Yu, discusses his 2020 book, Interior Chinatown, which goes inside the mind of a young Asian American man trying to make it in Hollywood. Incoming UC Berkeley students read the book over the summer as part of On The Same Page, a program from the College of Letters & Science, so that they’d have something in common to talk about throughout the year — socially, in classes and at events designed to explore the book’s themes.

https://news.berkeley.edu/2022/08/24/on-the-same-page-interior-chinatown/

Office of Development and College Relations

The L&S Development and College Relations Office is responsible for raising private support for all L&S departments from alumni and friends, corporations, and foundations, and provides leadership and assistance to the campus community.

The College of Letters & Science is made up of five academic divisions, each with their own funding opportunities, priorities, and development directors. Scroll down to learn more about each division, the different funds you can donate to, and for contact information of L&S development directors.

Arts & Humanities...

Meet Charles Huang ‘93

June 16, 2022
Tell us about a professor who inspired you.

Professor Wen-hsin Yeh taught the first Chinese history class I ever took. I was so moved that before I even completed her class, I changed my major to Asian studies. More importantly, she encouraged me to expand my horizons beyond just books, and to study abroad for a year at Beijing University. That experience transformed my personal and professional life.

Years later, I made my first major gift to Berkeley to establish the Huang Scholars Program, which matched students from any major with language study and internship or...

https://light.berkeley.edu/o/chat-with-charles-vol-2/

Interview with alumni Tina and David Walton, Honorary Chairs of the Charter Hill Society

Tina (‘91, East Asian Languages and Economics) and David Walton (‘86, JD in Law) both graduated from UC Berkeley, though they only first met after their graduation, when they were both living in Seattle. Their marriage led them first to Hong Kong, and eventually to their permanent home in Singapore. There, David is the Deputy Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer for BOC Aviation and Tina is a published author. Her young adult novel Last Days of the Morning Calm and her short story in the Anthology A Book of Hugs, Stories to Keep you Company, are available through...

Varsha Sarveshwar, UC Berkeley graduate, selected as a 2022 Rhodes Scholar

December 15, 2021
Chauncey Walker
Varsha Sarveshwar, 2022 Rhodes ScholarVarsha Sarveshwar '20, a UC Berkeley College of Letters & Science alumna, has received one of the world's most prestigious honors for academic excellence—the Rhodes Scholarship. The Scholarship is awarded “on the basis not only of intellect, but also of character, leadership and commitment to service,” and Sarveshwar was among 32 American students...

‘Day of Rage,’ film coproduced by Berkeley alumna, on Oscar shortlist

January 27, 2022
Gretchen Kell
Haley Willis, a 2019 graduate of UC Berkeley, is on the visual investigations team at the New York Times and a co-producer of Day of Rage, a documentary about the 2021 U.S. Capitol attack.

For the first time, a New York Times documentary made in-house, Day of Rage: How Trump Supporters Took the U.S. Capitol, is shortlisted for an...

https://news.berkeley.edu/2022/01/26/day-of-rage-film-coproduced-by-berkeley-alu…

Historical confirmation: Berkeley Economics alumna Lisa Cook becomes first Black woman to serve on the Federal Reserve Board

May 23, 2022
Michelle Phillips

Economist Lisa Cook smiling at camera in front of a whiteboard, and leaning next to booksOn May 10, 2022, Dr. Lisa DeNell Cook, UC Berkeley alumna, was confirmed to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. She is the first Black woman to serve on the Fed in its 108-year history. As governor, Cook will take part in setting U.S. monetary policy and stabilizing the national financial system...

Learning at the Intersection of Business and the Arts: Jeena Chong, Founder of Cityface, and the Inspiration of the Big Ideas Course “Collaborative Innovation”

The UC Berkeley community spans countless disciplines and provides a unique environment for creation and innovation. “Collaborative Innovation,” one of the College of Letters & Science’s Big Idea Courses, seeks to foster that culture by bringing together the disciplines of business, theater,...

A New Program is Launched in Cognitive Science Thanks to a Generous Gift

March 14, 2022
Hagit Caspi

“People have been discussing the idea of a graduate program in Cognitive Science at Berkeley since at least the early 90s,” says Terry Regier, a Professor of Linguistics and a previous director of the Cognitive Science program. This long-hoped-for goal will finally come true, in the form of a PhD designated emphasis (DE), thanks to support from the Social Science Division, the Institute of Cognitive and Brain Sciences (ICBS), the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, and a generous gift from Metta Murdaya ‘97 (Architecture and Cognitive Science).

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UC Berkeley commencement for class of 2021 speaks on preservation

December 20, 2021
Luis Saldana

The graduating class of 2021 shared a single emotion: preservation. Being able to survive the most recent years strengthened the class and created a sense of connection and family between its members.

During Saturday’s commencement, the host, campus Associate Dean of Students Alfred Day, recognized the original settlers of the Berkeley area, the Huchiun. He acknowledged everyone benefits from the land in the Berkeley area and that it is the responsibility of the UC Berkeley community to acknowledge these original residents and their current prosperity.

“Consistent with our...

https://www.dailycal.org/2021/12/20/uc-berkeley-commencement-for-class-of-2021-s…