At town hall on campus response to budget crisis, students raise concerns and questions
More than 300 students turned out Thursday evening for a town hall meeting with Chancellor Robert Birgeneau and other senior administrators. Their common concern: the state budget emergency and the campus's response to draconian budget cuts that the crisis has brought.
(06 November)

Berkeley scholars' adventures in the blogosphere
A growing number of campus scholars are using Web 2.0 blogging tools to reach a larger audience, create intellectual community, and be more proactive in relation to the media.
(28 October)

Picture Yourself at Berkeley reaches out to to connect with prospective students
A new online service offered by the campus's Office of Undergraduate Admissions helps prospective students envision themselves as a member of the UC Berkeley community.
(28 September)

Pollan's public-interest prediction
This semester's On the Same Page program, aimed at focusing the attention of incoming L&S undergrads on a single work or creator, is built around Professor of Journalism Michael Pollan's game-changing take on industrial agriculture and America's food systems, The Omnivore's Dilemma.
(10 September)

New faces on Dwinelle Plaza
Portraits of students who are benefiting from privately funded scholarships and fellowships smile out at passersby, as the now-familiar "Thanks to Berkeley…" billboard gets a one-year facelift.
(10 September)

Foreign scholars say 'yes' to American English pronunciation course
In a popular class organized by the Visiting Scholar and Postdoc Affairs program, international scholars at Berkeley hone their ability to hear and create sounds not found in their native languages. The goal is help them prepare for their professional careers and the job market.
(04 September)

Fourth member of "Old Blue" family to live in the same residence hall room
Perhaps it's time to call Norton Hall's Room 414 at UC Berkeley, "The Eidelson Room." This Sunday (Aug. 23), 18-year-old Aaron Eidelson of Santa Barbara will move into the very same residence hall room that his father Jon and brothers Michael and Joel ate, slept, studied and occasionally partied in during their undergraduate years at UC Berkeley. Room 414 is a double room in Unit 3 that overlooks Durant Street and has a corner view of the landmark Campanile.
(19 August)

McNair Scholars, 300 strong, converge at Berkeley to showcase their research
Last weekend 300 undergrads from around the country converged on the Berkeley campus for the four-day McNair Scholars symposium, where they shared research findings in a wide range of fields, from sociology to bioscience, and celebrated their completion of the program and their ambitions for grad school and the future.
(12 August)

Money rocks (and raps) in economics grad students' music videos
A group of graduate students in the Berkeley economics department, calling themselves the Metrics Gang, relate the trials and tribulations of their doctoral quest in four popular online singles.
(13 July)

Berkeley civil-engineering students take title in concrete-canoe competition
A team of Berkeley civil-engineering students won the 22nd annual National Concrete Canoe Competition at the contest's June 11-13 finals in Tuscaloosa, Ala. June 11-13. It was the campus's fifth title in the remarkable battle of the boats, sometimes called the America's Cup of civil engineering.
(19 June)

A sunny day for graduates — and the many who helped them
Under sunny skies at the Greek Theatre, graduates from the class of 2009 take a clear-eyed look at an uncertain future.
(26 May)

Sights and speeches from Commencement Convocation 2009
A sunny afternoon and inspiring speakers drew thousands of graduates and their families to the Greek Theatre to celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2009.
(22 May)

University Medal finalists make discoveries at Berkeley about themselves and the world
This year, five students — Jordan Anaya, Sonia Fleury, Lara Palanjian, Zoe Sima Silverman, and William Vega — were finalists for the University Medal, given to Berkeley's top graduating senior. These five stellar students take time out to answer questions about their time at Cal and their plans for life beyond Berkeley.
(14 May)

Campus helps graduating students cope with bleak job market
With the Class of 2009 understandably worried about employment prospects after graduation next month, UC Berkeley is helping seniors prepare for a job market riddled with layoffs and hiring freezes.
(15 April)

American Cultures: Discussing differences, building bridges
"Tough conversations" about race and ethnicity occur almost daily at Berkeley, many of them in classes designed to meet a campus requirement dating to the late 1980s.
(09 April)

Almost 13,000 high school students offered admission to UC Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley, announced today (Tuesday, April 7) that it has offered freshman admission for the 2009-2010 school year to almost 13,000 high school students, including several nationally-ranked debaters, a world-champion figure skater, and a set of triplets.
(07 April)

A new garden grows at Berkeley
A group of students has been tilling and planting a conspicuous space in the heart of campus . . . to grow their own food, and to show others how it’s done.
(19 March)

How are Berkeley students faring in hard times?
Many UC Berkeley students currently find themselves looking for cheaper housing, worrying about debt, or (especially if they're about to graduate) stressing about their job prospects. Eleven undergrads discuss how the economic downturn is affecting them. (With audio.)
(16 March)

What's Berkeley's hottest minor?
The global poverty and practice minor introduced two years ago appeals to the activist impulses of today’s Berkeley student. As one of them says, “Programs like this have given us a chance to get out there and actually do something.”
(12 March)

Newspaper on a mission
Daily Cal editor Bryan Thomas is working hard to keep the campus’s student paper alive in the present while positioning it for the future.
(11 March)

Fighting global poverty is fastest-growing minor
Students majoring in everything from engineering to English are signing up at the UC Berkeley, for the campus's fastest-growing minor - "Global Poverty & Practice" - a veritable magnet for a "Yes We Can" generation eager to get out of the virtual world and into the real one.
(10 March)

Musical video, 'The Nano Song,' a megahit on YouTube
When the American Chemical Society put out the call for short videos explaining nanotechnology to the non-scientist, a group from Berkeley pulled together an orchestrated score, a classically trained singer, and a gaggle of dancing puppets. Public response to their contest entry has been anything but small — with attention from science, technology, and social-networking websites, and nearly 300,000 hits on YouTube.
(06 March)

Paint, video, Etch A Sketch — this artist's media are varied and many
Grad-student artist Miguel Arzabe explores his complicated appreciation of nature using a wide assortment of media — paint, video, laser etchings, online social-networking tools, public enactments and installations, and the Etch A Sketch.
(03 March)

'Pockets of intimacy' for undergrads
"Teaching freshmen taught me," says a faculty member who has organized more than 20 seminars for lower-division students since 1997. He's part of a program that offers 'meaningful intellectual contact' to the campus's youngest scholars.
(26 February)

Student photos of foreclosed home win Lange Fellowship
Photographs of possessions left in a Vallejo, Calif., home following foreclosure, an all-too-familiar contemporary event across the nation, have earned journalism student Rhyen Coombs the University of California, Berkeley's 2009 Dorothea Lange Fellowship.
(25 February)

Two Berkeley seniors earn prestigious Armed Forces med-school scholarships
A pair of students in Berkeley's Navy ROTC program — along with just 10 other students nationwide — have been chosen to receive a military scholarship that provides tuition and living expenses for the medical school of one's choice, in return for service as a U.S. military doctor upon completion of one's M.D. (With audio)
(25 February)

Record number of students apply to UC Berkeley, but growth in applications slows
More than 48,600 high school students have applied for admission to UC Berkeley's fall 2009 freshman class, reflecting another record year for the number of applications filed, campus officials announced today (Friday, Jan. 23). However, administrators at Berkeley and across the University of California system noted a slowdown in the volume of applications submitted for this fall when compared to fall 2008 applications.
(23 January)

Where future doctors learn the rudiments of aging from elders
In a course on aging at Berkeley, UC premed and medical students collaborate with seniors to present literary works on growing old — and to become more sensitive health practitioners down the line. (With video.)
(12 January)

Student tinkerers test-drive their interactive inventions
A semester-long design studio at the School of Information culminated last week in a showcase of students' interactive devices designed to teach, solve problems, provoke thought, or create fun.
(16 December)

Two lawyers with cameras help reform Mexican 'justice'
While studying for their PhDs in public policy, lawyers Layda Negrete and Roberto Hernández made a film about one man's encounter with Mexico's deeply flawed criminal-justice system. Their new doc, "Presumed Guilty," debuted recently at the 21st International Documentary Film Festival, in Amsterdam, where audiences rated it among their 10 favorite entries.
(01 December)

Final fall enrollment data shows increase in students
More than 35,400 undergraduate and graduate students are currently enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley, a few hundred more students than were enrolled a year ago.
(13 November)

UC Berkeley students weigh in on the 2008 election
Interest in the 'presidential election is running high at UC Berkeley, where more than 9,000 new voters registered this year. In the final days of the campaign, nine undergraduates share their views — on the issues, indecision, political disagreement, citizenship, making history, and more.
(31 October)

Research finds cross-race friendships can lower stress
Conventional wisdom holds that diversity pays off in higher education. Now researchers at UC Berkeley have found scientific evidence that multiculturalism can lower stress and improve students' experiences on college campuses.
(30 October)

Police arrest two suspects in Sept. 30 Clark Kerr Campus robbery
UC Berkeley police have arrested two UC Berkeley students on suspicion of armed robbery and attempted robbery in the Sept. 30 robbery of two students at the campus's Clark Kerr residential complex.
(21 October)

Morrison Library revives Graphic Arts Loan program
UC Berkeley's Morrison Library is reviving a Graphic Arts Loan Collection program that 50 years ago began placing Picassos, Miros and the works of other renowned and emerging artists into the hands of students, faculty, and staff.
(28 August)

Class of '08 grads share advice with incoming students
'Meet lots of people.' 'Don't procrastinate.' 'Volunteer.' 'It's OK if you get a B.' Fourteen recent graduates offer their words of wisdom on succeeding at UC Berkeley while staying sane.
(27 August)

New alerting and warning system launches today
A new campus alerting and warning service, called WarnMe, launched today (Aug. 25,2008) to proactively contact students, faculty and staff when there's a threat to campus safety.
(25 August)

Heading back to campus
Fall classes begin at UC Berkeley this Wednesday (Aug. 27) for more than 35,000 students. Semester highlights include a new program for students who are Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, a linguistics course on a never-before-studied African language, and the debut of a new alerting and warning system to help keep the campus community safe in an immediate crisis.
(25 August)

Cal freshman, an Obama youth leader, takes a seat at the Democratic National Convention
After spending more than a year as a lead strategist for Barack Obama's youth campaign, Molly Kawahata, 18, will get to vote in her first election this November. But before that event — and her first day at UC Berkeley — she's taking a detour to Denver, as a delegate representing California's 14th Congressional District.
(25 August)

Students find roommates through profiling software
Neat freak or slob? Early riser or night owl? Social butterfly or hermit? Even the best of friends can feud over such differences when rooming in tight quarters. That's why hundreds of students moving into UC Berkeley residence halls this coming weekend (Aug. 23-24) have used profiling software - along the lines of eHarmony and Match.com - to track down compatible roommates.
(21 August)

Screening for diabetes in an emergency setting
In the U.S. about 5.7 million people are unaware that they have diabetes. In an ambitious clinical study at Highland Hospital, a UC student is testing the ER's potential to help address one of the "big" diseases of the developed world and its epidemic proportions among the poor.
(31 July)

Campus rolls out red carpet for veterans
With a new GI bill set to double college benefits for post-9/11 veterans, UC Berkeley, is taking up the charge to make the state's higher education system more welcoming to those returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. A new campus program offers veterans customized outreach and orientation programs, guidance with financial aid and a new class that addresses their concerns.
(23 June)

Beijing or bust
Dozens of top Cal athletes hope to compete in the Summer 2008 Olympics. Some have already qualified for the Beijing Games; others are competing in trials between now and mid July.
(19 June)

'My fellow graduates'
At UC Berkeley graduation ceremonies in May, outstanding new graduates were among those who spoke from the podium. Hear an audio sampling from six of their addresses.
(29 May)

Grad student leaves a 'Jeopardy' record in her wake
Larissa Kelly, a fourth-year Ph.D. student at UC Berkeley, lost game #7 of her 'Jeopardy' career on the May 28 show — but not before taking more than $220,000 in winnings, a record for female contestants.
(29 May)

Cal team preps for AIDS/Life Cycle, June 1-7
A 25-member Cal team is gearing up for the 2008 AIDS/LifeCycle, which kicks off Sunday, June 1 in San Francisco. Students and staff on the team will send updates, in an online journal, as they pedal their way to Los Angeles.
(29 May)

Berkeley grad student wins big on 'Jeopardy'
By the end of her sixth evening on "Jeopardy!", May 27, Larissa Kelly, a UC Berkeley history Ph.D. candidate, had racked up more than $200,000 in winnings. Her seventh game airs Wednesday night.
(28 May)

Job outlook for graduates sunnier than expected
As the season of caps, gowns and "Pomp and Circumstance" winds down this week at the UC Berkeley, many new graduates are uneasy about their job prospects, given reports of an economic slowdown. But career counselors and analysts on campus say they have seen no sign of employers putting the brakes on recruitment efforts.
(22 May)

Point of view: Campus opinions on same-sex marriage
Following the State Supreme Court's May 15 affirmation of same-sex marriage rights, members of the UC Berkeley campus community offer their reactions.
(16 May)

Grads urged to take a global view, make global change
The Class of 2008, gathered under sunny skies to celebrate the end of their beginning and the beginning of their new lives, left commencement ceremonies at the Greek Theatre on Tuesday with a clear message ringing in their ears: "Go out and change the world."
(14 May)

Journalism student wins Lange Fellowship for "California's Main Street"
After several months of weekends photographing life along Highway 99 in the state's Central Valley, Adithya Sambamurthy said he realized he was barely scratching the surface of what travelers during the Depression-era exodus to the West called "California's Main Street." Now that he has won the 2008 Dorothea Lange Fellowship, the 28-year-old student pursuing master's degrees at the University of California, Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism as well as in international and area studies, will take next year to finish his photographic expedition along the blacktop road that stretches from Bakersfield to Redding.
(13 May)

University Medal finalists find inspiration and life lessons at Berkeley
This year, five students — Matthew Johnson, Julia Malkina, Samuel Pittman, Anitha Sivasankaran, and Angelica Zen — were finalists for the University Medal. While they were finishing their semesters and anticipating commencement, they agreed to submit to a questionnaire to give the campus a look at what makes them tick.
(12 May)

Top graduating senior an infectious disease detective
If there were an award for the world's most timid child, Leslie Chung-Lei Sheu would have won it as a youngster for her deep discomfort with the unknown. Today, after myriad challenges, the plucky, gregarious UC Berkeley senior is the winner of a much more fitting prize. Sheu's dogged scientific curiosity, academic success and empathy for the downtrodden have earned her the University Medal, the campus's top honor for a graduating senior.
(08 May)

MySpace to hiphop: A view into the world of 'digital youth'
From Facebook friends to anime fan subbers, Harry Potter podcasters to online communities of teenage bulimics, kids are using Web 2.0 tools to reinvent themselves and the world. In the first public report on a nationwide study of networked youth, Berkeley researchers bring news from beyond the generational divide.
(28 April)

Campus's Sustainability Summit turns five
In a half-day meeting, more than 500 participants take stock of progress and challenges, small and large, in the student-fueled movement to green the UC Berkeley campus
(22 April)

A snapshot of student reading habits over two decades
What do UC Berkeley students read? From Why do Men Have Nipples? to the novels of J.K. Rowling and Jane Austen, three large surveys of freshman reading habits, each conducted a decade apart, identify ephemeral — and enduring — undergraduate reading choices.
(21 April)

Point of view: Seniors on what's ahead
Thirteen UC Berkeley seniors, most of them set to graduate in mid May, share their post-graduation plans — and the final hurdles they face before commencement.
(18 April)

Chancellor, student leaders sign new plan for multicultural center
UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert J. Birgeneau and student leaders today (Wednesday, April 16) signed an agreement that is expected to improve the look and operation of the campus's multicultural center.
(16 April)

Campus releases freshman admission data
Campus officials today (Monday, April 14) announced that they have offered admission to 12,616 high school students for the 2008-2009 school year, following an exceptionally competitive admissions cycle propelled by a marked increase in applications.
(14 April)

Student viewpoints on China, the Olympics, and the protests
Six UC Berkeley undergraduates share their thoughts on China's hosting of the 2008 Summer Games and the protests accompanying the journey of the Olympic torch to Beijing.
(10 April)

Cal Day annual open house
Cal Day, UC Berkeley's annual open house, offers visitors the chance to become a UC Berkeley student for the day on Saturday, April 12.
(02 April)

Students' plans for spring break
From catching up on sleep to motorcycle lessons and desert-wildflower gazing, 13 UC Berkeley undergraduates share what they're planning for spring break.
(21 March)

Greek houses, co-ops gain access to emergency supply caches, disaster training
UC Berkeley students and campus and city officials have launched a first-in-the-nation student disaster-preparedness program, under which the more than 2,500 Berkeley students who live in fraternities, sororities and cooperative housing will receive six caches of emergency supplies as well as training to help them respond to major earthquakes or other natural catastrophes.
(20 March)

Art student portrays fallen U.S. troops as Iraq War approaches five-year mark
For graduate student Emily Prince, who's been drawing portraits of U.S. troop fatalities for more than three years, the Iraq War's fifth anniversary is a deeply felt milestone.
(17 March)

Cal student fashions then and now
Editors of BARE magazine scope out student fashion 'statements' on Sproul Plaza and comment on the trends.
(04 March)

Ang Lee’s films to be focus of ‘On the Same Page’ program
Freshmen and transfer students entering the College of Letters and Science next fall will be asked to watch two of celebrated film director Ang Lee’s productions— Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Ice Storm — as part of L&S's signature program, "On the Same Page." Lee and his longtime collaborator and screenwriter, Berkeley alumnus James Schamus, will be the program’s featured speakers and will visit the campus in October.
(20 February)

Student viewpoints on the '08 presidential contest
Sixteen UC Berkeley undergrads weigh in on the election — the issues that concern them and their decision (or indecision) on the candidates.
(30 January)

New fund to help recruit top graduate students in the humanities
A $6 million grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation that will help the University of California, Berkeley, recruit top graduate students in the humanities was announced today (Monday, Jan. 28) by Janet Broughton, UC Berkeley's dean of arts and humanities.
(28 January)

What it's like to be new on campus
UC surveys shine a light on the freshman and transfer-student experience at Berkeley
(28 January)

Students' political, religious, and social convictions, by the numbers
Recent UC surveys shed light political engagement, religious identification, and social opinions of Berkeley undergrads — in this fourth of a five-part series.
(25 January)

Youngest student to publish ADHD memoir
Freshman Blake Taylor can add "self-help author" to his resume as he enters his second semester this week at UC Berkeley. After two years of writing his life story during vacations, his memoir "ADHD & me: what I learned from lighting fires at the dinner table is available in bookstores. Taylor is being considered the youngest American to publish a personal account of his life with ADHD.
(24 January)

Unpacking 'diversity': Students describe personal encounters at UC Berkeley
Undergrads offer first-person accounts of interactions with people 'different' from themselves — in this third of a five-part series on recent student-survey findings.
(24 January)

How students grade UC Berkeley and spend their time
In the UC Undergraduate Experience Survey, thousands of undergrads evaluate their academic experience at Berkeley and reveal how they divide their hours. This is part two of a five-part report on student-survey findings.
(23 January)

Survey results offer birds'-eye view of Berkeley student body
Nearly 12,000 Berkeley students took UC's most recent survey on the undergraduate experience — and their responses tell a lot about who they are. This story, the first in a five-part series, focuses on their family roots and campus personas.
(22 January)