Social Impact

After the billionaire tax fails, economists are asking ‘What’s next?’

November 6, 2026
By: Miles Kofman

California’s attempt to impose a 5% tax on billionaires’ wealth was the most expensive ballot measure in the nation this year, with both campaigns raising more than $360 million in cash and in-kind contributions, most of it in opposition. The outlook for the tax is grim: Proposition 40 had 45% support with most of the votes counted, with 55% voting against it.

Some proponents, including UC Berkeley Economics Professor Emmanuel Saez, whose research helped inspire Proposition 40, have described the tax as a symbol of “the fight between democracy...

Latino voters shape California politics. What’s influencing their vote?

November 2, 2026
By Miles Kofman

Democrat Xavier Becerra is ahead of Republican Steve Hilton in the California governor’s race, according to the latest UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies’ (IGS) poll. If he wins, Becerra will become the state’s first Latino governor since 1875.

Becerra, California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Senate President pro tempore Monique Limón would form the strongest concentration of Latino leadership in the California Legislature’s...

SEED Scholars showcase their research in annual symposium

October 29, 2026
by Alexander Rony

While some of her peers were relaxing over the summer, Megha Ramachandran was conducting statistical research at Seattle’s Institute for Systems Biology. Her lab’s principal investigator was very supportive and even let her come up with her own research project.

“That was a new experience,” said Ramachandran, a second-year undergraduate at UC Berkeley majoring in data science and molecular and cell biology. “It was...

Are California elections safe? Here's what the experts say.

October 28, 2026
By Miles Kofman

With Election Day less than a week away, California’s elections have already attracted controversy. They’ve drawn scrutiny from the federal government over slow ballot counts, mail-in voting and more.

The Department of Justice sued California earlier this month over what it says could be as many as 20,000 people committing voter fraud, and it charged 28 people in California with illegally registering or voting in federal elections.

This has led to mistrust in election systems. A UC Berkeley Institute of...

State Workforce Board Invests $1 Million in UC Berkeley-led Northern California Quantum Training Pipeline

October 28, 2026
by Alexander Rony

The California Workforce Development Board awarded $5.7 million last week to five projects that will help Californians access quality jobs in the state’s booming quantum and fusion sectors. UC Berkeley will receive $1 million in funding to develop and pilot a regional quantum workforce pipeline that connects...

Economics and cognitive science student discusses AI startup to solve global blackouts with UC Regents

January 20, 2026
By Jessica Ballardo

For millions of people, reliable electricity is not a guarantee. In many communities powered by solar mini-grids, evening demand surges routinely trigger blackouts, pushing operators to fall back on costly, polluting diesel generators.

Evardi Energy, a startup co-founded by economics and cognitive science student Diva Bhartesh Shah, aims to transform this broken system into one with reliable power that is resistant to blackouts. Their solution involves using AI to predict demand surges before they occur, allowing operators to adjust usage as needed.

Shah co-founded Evardi in...

New UC Berkeley summer camp trains pre-collegiate students how to start their own social enterprises

August 13, 2026
by Alexander Rony

Forming a startup is nothing new at UC Berkeley — the campus trains more alumni founders than any other university. Now, a new program brings that entrepreneurial spirit to high school students.

This summer, UC Berkeley’s Global Studies Program hosted an immersive...

Bridging Art and Science: How Philanthropy and Passion Built UC Berkeley’s Music Therapy Pipeline

July 28, 2026
by Alexander Rony

UC Berkeley lecturer Melanie Acosta remembers when everything changed for her. She was working as a professional singer in New York City at the time of the September 11, 2001, attacks. At the time, Acosta felt the only people doing meaningful work were the first responders.

Not long after, Acosta got a job on the “Broadway Celebrates America” tour. The cast would travel to different towns, perform a concert about...

UC Berkeley Letters & Science announces 2026 L&S Faculty Award recipients

May 21, 2026

UC Berkeley's College of Letters & Science is proud to announce the recipients of the 2026 L&S Faculty Awards. This distinguished award recognizes each awardee's exceptional scholarship, service to the College and community, and transformational teaching. These extraordinary individuals not only embody the excellence of the College of Letters & Science, but they also serve as an inspiration to the entire campus community. The recipients were...

"Put Yourself Out There": Brandon '18 on Finding Your Career and Community at UC Berkeley

October 29, 2025
Michelle Phillips
L&S Alum Spotlight:
Brandon Weiss '18 (he/him) Major: Integrative Biology: Ecology, Evolution & Organismal Biology

"College is just as much about figuring out who you are as a person as it is learning in the classroom," shares Brandon Weiss '18. From discovering a passion for veterinary medicine in the Pre-Vet Club at Berkeley, to meeting and proposing to his fiancé on campus, and now thriving in a meaningful career in emergency and critical care medicine for animals, Brandon has built a life full of joyful community and enduring connections.