News

Each year, Cal’s community of faculty, staff, and students offer the incoming first-year and transfer classes a few suggestions of compelling readings centered around a shared theme. This year’s theme: Illuminating Communities

The Phi Beta Kappa Society has chosen Alexis Stanley, PhD candidate in French at University of California, Berkeley, as the winner of the 2022 Walter J. Jensen Fellowship in recognition of her exceptional work as a scholar and teacher of French language, literature, and culture. Established in 2001 by Professor Walter J. Jensen (ΦΒΚ, UCLA), this award provides this year’s winner with a stipend of $17,000 and round-trip travel to France for six months of continuous study.

Julia Bryan-Wilson, Professor of Modern and Contemporary Art and Director of the UC Berkeley Arts Research Center has curated an official collateral exhibition for the upcoming Venice Biennale, entitled Louise Nevelson: Persistence.The Biennale is one of the most prestigious art exhibitions in the world; there are only 30 official collateral events, and to be chosen is a huge honor and career highlight.

Inspired by her time in “Collaborative Innovation,” Jeena—who graduates in May 2022 with a Business Administration major and a Theater minor—went on to found Cityface(link is external), a city-inspired Korean skincare brand that provides affordable and accessible skincare for Gen-Z, by Gen-Z. 

The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures is pleased to announce that Olivia Kirschman ’23  has been selected as the third Griffin Sean Madden Scholar.  This scholarship was established in memory of Griffin Sean Madden ’15, a double major in Slavic Languages and Philosophy.

The Berkeley Dance Project 2022 film, which includes two performances — In Search of an Outcome, directed by Wymore and Mills College adjunct professor Sheldon Smith, who lead the dance and theater company, Smith/Wymore Disappearing Acts; and Detour, directed by Daiane Lopes da Silva and Weidong Yang of Kinetech Arts — will make its big screen debut at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) on April 1.

Earlier this month, Andrew Stewart (Classics, History of Art) was selected the recipient of the 2023 Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Archaeological Achievement – the highest award the Archaeological Institute of America bestows.

In observance of Black History Month, Berkeley Diversity has created a curated a new page with stories, resources, and event information. We celebrate our campus's Black community this month and every month and encourage everyone to take the time to visit the site.

"Earlier this month at the virtual Luncheon in the Library, an annual event for Library supporters, Ledesma guided 150-plus attendees through a series of stirring vignettes from his life, with insights that stretched beyond the pages of his book.

Yale professor and Berkeley alum Jing Tsu (BA Comparative Literature; MA Rhetoric) is featured on this week's Book Review podcast discussing her new book "Kingdom of Characters: The Language Revolution That Made China Modern."

UC Berkeley undergraduate Jonathan Kuo was recently named as a 2022 recipient of the Marshall Scholarship. Created after World War II by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, this prestigious scholarship selects and finances distinguished American students to pursue graduate studies and careers at any university in the U.K.. On track to graduate with a B.A. in Rhetoric & Molecular and Cell Biology this Spring (Class of 2022), Jonathan exemplifies what it means to be a Golden Bear, as well as  the incredible diversity of Letters and Science and the University as a whole.

"To help you engage with these meaningful recognitions throughout January and February, we’ve compiled virtual events at all UC campuses relating to contemporary and historic Black culture, as well as social justice. All events included below are free and accessible to students, faculty and staff at all locations."

Being launched in phases, the Berkeley Discovery Initiative aims to quickly draw students eager for a discovery experience into a rich ecosystem of campus resources and support.