Awards & Honors

Six UC Berkeley alumni named 2025 Pulitzer Prize winners

May 12, 2025

This week, the 2025 Pulitzer Prize winners announced by Columbia University included six UC Berkeley alumni, and additional members of the campus community were finalists for the prestigious award.

Announced each May, the prizes are considered the country’s most sought-after awards in journalism, arts and letters and have been awarded since 1917. Newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer, who died in 1911, left money to Columbia University to launch a journalism school and establish the Pulitzer Prize. An...

Political Science administrative director honored with Social Sciences Distinguished Service Award

May 27, 2025

Political Science Administrative Director Serena Groen received Berkeley Social Science’s Distinguished Service Award for her outstanding work in her department.

Leading a team of 12 staffers, Groen’s efforts help achieve political science’s goals and create a more inclusive and supportive environment for faculty, staff and students.

Groen, who comes from a proud family of Cal employees, has been working at UC Berkeley for 17 years. In addition to Social Sciences, where political science is housed, she has worked for the Lawrence Hall of...

UC Berkeley alums named 2025 Knight-Hennessy Scholars

May 15, 2025

Two distinguished UC Berkeley graduates have been selected as Knight-Hennessy Scholars at Stanford University, joining a distinguished cohort of 84 new scholars representing 25 countries. This prestigious fellowship awards students with "up to three years of financial support to pursue graduate studies at Stanford while engaging in experiences...

In turbulent times, 2025 University Medal finalists excelled through idealism, hard work

May 12, 2025

One is a rising star in space research. One is a structural engineer, inspired by the experience of a devastating earthquake. One is a musician and opera composer, and another already has worked at the highest levels of U.S. politics. All share a common commitment: idealism and uncompromising hard work to make a positive impact in the world.

These traits unite the 2025 finalists for the University Medal — Corina Dunn, Owen Klein, Carlos Quezada and Miya Rosenthal — along with this year’s...

The key to success for this year’s University Medalist? Curiosity and collaboration

May 12, 2025

From using smartphone data to predict mental health relapses to leading French Club, Asher Cohen found community — and opportunities to serve others — in a myriad of corners of campus.

In the room that Asher Cohen will soon pack up, there’s a corkboard with mementos from his senior year at UC Berkeley: birthday cards, show programs for Carmen and Hamilton and an “I Voted” sticker. In the cabinet next to it is a math calendar a professor gifted him, tiny notebooks with Eiffel Towers that French Club distributed at Cal Day, a medical Spanish textbook, a...

Two UC Berkeley Social Sciences alumni win 2025 Pulitzer Prizes

May 7, 2025

Two UC Berkeley Social Sciences alumni received 2025 Pulitzer Prizes — one for shedding light on the dangers of train crossings in Houston, and the other for revealing the history of Soviet dissent.

Anthropology alumna Sharon Steinmann, an opinion video journalist for the Houston Chronicle, was part of a four-person team, including UC Berkeley History of Art alumna...

L&S senior and recent alum named 2025-2027 Yenching Scholars

May 8, 2025

Masha Vtorushina, a graduating senior studying Chinese Language and Global Studies in the College of Letters & Science, and Justin Hurley, a 2021 Political Economy graduate, have been named 2025-2027 Yenching Scholars. As Yenching Scholars, these outstanding L&S community members will enroll in the interdisciplinary China Studies Master's program this September at Peking University in Beijing,...

37th Annual Excellence in Management Awards Celebrate L&S Staff Members

May 2, 2025

The Berkeley Staff Assembly recently announced the recipients of the 37th annual Excellence in Management Award, who are recognized for leading their teams and team members to meaningful accomplishments this past year. This year’s award theme, “A Culture of Excellence: Inspiring Performance and Growth," highlights leaders who foster an environment where innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement thrive, empowering their teams to achieve their full potential and drive organizational success.

The award recipients were honored at a ceremony on April 30, where Chancellor...

National Academy of Sciences adds eight from UC Berkeley to its ranks

May 2, 2025

The National Academy of Sciences has added eight UC Berkeley faculty members to its esteemed ranks of scholars and experts who advise governments and other organizations on subjects in academic fields ranging from chemistry and physics to psychology and economic policy.

This year’s election of 120 members and 30 international members recognizes scholars’ distinguished and continuing achievements in original research, the National Academy of Sciences announced Tuesday. Those elected this week bring the...

L&S Staff Honored with 2025 Chancellor's Outstanding Staff Awards

May 1, 2025

event image for Chancellor's Outstanding Staff Awards with a bear statue against a graphic blue background

Five individual staff members from the College of Letters & Science are recipients of the 2025 Chancellor's Outstanding Staff Awards (COSA). One of the highest honors bestowed upon staff by the Chancellor, the COSA awards are presented to individuals who, in addition to performing their normal job duties with excellence, "...