Alumni

Heather Breaux (English and French '20)

Heather Breaux graduated from UC Berkeley in 2020 with a double major in English Literature and French Literature. She has worked in communications in various capacities after graduation, most recently as a professional sailor and maritime journalist before landing her dream job as the creative copywriter for CrunchLabs where she is diving deeper into the world of content design and product marketing in the STEM toy space.

Jenna Ingalls (German '10)

A Fresno, California native and first-gen college student, Jenna graduated from UC Berkeley in 2010 with a BA in German. She continued at Berkeley, completing an MA (2011) and PhD (2017) in German, with a focus on German-Jewish studies and Yiddish. After completing her PhD, Jenna diverted from academia and started a career in higher education development, and currently works at UCSF. Working at UCSF, she enjoys working for a mission-driven institution and is personally driven by a desire to make higher education more accessible to all Californians. She lives in Oakland with her family,...

Patricia Cariño Valdez (History of Art '10)

Patricia Cariño Valdez is an arts professional, curator, and consultant who fosters meaningful connections between collectors, artists, and institutions. She is the Founder of PCV Art Consulting, where she helps first-time collectors and professionals build sophisticated art collections, manage acquisitions, and oversee collection stewardship. She also advises and manages artist studios, supporting large-scale projects and ambitious creative endeavors. Currently, Valdez leads and manages the collections and exhibitions for the Olivia Collection and Foundation in Los Angeles and Mexico City...

Steve Starkey ('75)

Academy Award-winning producer Steve Starkey is a longtime collaborator with legendary filmmaker Robert Zemeckis. After producing Death Becomes Her, his first film with Zemeckis, Starkey went on to produce and win the Academy Award for Best Picture for the film Forrest Gump. Following their film Contact, Zemeckis and Starkey formed the company ImageMovers with agent Jack Rapke and produced a diverse slate of films, including What Lies Beneath, Cast Away, The Polar Express, and Flight. Starkey is also the author of Breaking and Entering: The Education of a Film...

Tina Kremzner-Hsing (History of Art '20)

Tina Kremzner-Hsing is the Database & Digital Asset Manager at the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life. She grew up in Albany and Berkeley, CA, and went to UC Berkeley for her bachelor's degree (2016-2020). She majored in art history and minored in Chinese and Turkish languages. While at Berkeley, she was on the BAMPFA Student Committee for 3 years and did work-study at the Lawrence Hall of Science. From 2021 to 2023, she completed a master's in library and information science at San José State University, focusing on digital asset management and digital curation in special...

Eric Kaplan (Philosophy)

A native of Flatbush, New York, Eric Kaplan began writing for Spy magazine and the Harvard Lampoon before getting his first television-writing job on The Late Show with David Letterman. His writing credits include Young Sheldon, THE BIG BANG THEORY, Futurama (for which he won an Emmy), Flight of the Conchords, Malcolm in the Middle, and Andy Richter Controls the Universe. Kaplan created "Zombie College" for Icebox and co-created "The Drinky Crow Show" and "Mongo Wrestling Alliance" for Adult Swim through his company, Mirari Films. Kaplan holds a PhD in philosophy from UC Berkeley, focusing...

Alum Clara Olivares (Music Ph.D. '21) to premiere new opera in France

November 5, 2024
Grant Kerber

Clara Olivares, who received her PhD in Music Composition from UC Berkeley in May 2021, will debut her second opera, Les Sentinelles, at the Opéra National de Bordeaux in November 2024, followed by performances at the Opéra de Limoges in January 2025 and the Opéra-Comique in Paris in April 2025. This opera is a joint commission from the three co-producing opera houses and has received support from the French Ministry of Culture's grant for original musical works, as well as the Beaumarchais - SACD Lyric Award.

https://music.berkeley.edu/news/berkeley-music-phd-premiere-new-opera-france

Chat with UC Berkeley Foundation Chair Bettina Duval (Rhetoric '82). vol. 8

December 3, 2024
Amy Cranch
As a student in 1978, Bettina Duval '82 recalls seeing an "earth mobile" — an old El Camino filled with plants — and Jane Fonda speaking at an environmental rally on Sproul Plaza. Whether she was in the classroom or walking around campus, Duval, chair of the UC Berkeley Foundation, always "had the opportunity to listen to new and different ideas." While that remains a hallmark of the Cal experience, a lot has changed since then. What changes have you observed in undergraduate education?

When I was a student, the majors were much more structured. There wasn't as much cross–pollination as...

https://inspire.berkeley.edu/o/chat-with-the-chair-vol-8/

Viet Thanh Nguyen (English '92 & '97)

Viet Thanh Nguyen is a University Professor, Aerol Arnold Chair of English, and Professor of English, American Studies and Ethnicity, and Comparative Literature at the University of Southern California. He is the author of Race and Resistance: Literature and Politics in Asian America (Oxford University Press, 2002) and the novel The Sympathizer, from Grove/Atlantic (2015). The Sympathizer won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, an Edgar Award for Best First Novel from the Mystery Writers of America.

Viet Thanh Nguyen...

Doug Freeman (English '85)

Doug Freeman was the Chief Operating Officer at Patagonia, Inc. (through 2021 until he retired), where he provides strategic leadership and operational expertise across key areas such as product development, sourcing, and social and environmental responsibility. With over 24 years of experience, including six years as Patagonia’s Vice President of Production, Freeman has a deep understanding of the brand and its commitment to innovation and sustainability. Prior to joining Patagonia, Freeman held leadership roles at Polo Ralph Lauren, The North Face, and Sport Obermeyer. A graduate of UC...