Berkeley

UC Berkeley Students Tackle Climate Change in Richmond

Published

13 years ago

November 24, 2013

By Kathleen McClay, UC Berkeley News

Residents of Richmond on the northeastern edge of San Francisco Bay expect climate change to present their city with major challenges –- from rising sea levels to higher temperatures, flood risks and increased energy and water consumption –- in coming years.

For help meeting these challenges, the city is turning to planning students at UC Berkeley.

Jason Corburn, an associate professor with the Department of City and Regional Planning, in the College of Environmental Design, and at the School of Public Health, is leading the campus effort, which expands on the Richmond Health Equity Partnership, a city initiative to improve the health of Richmond residents.

“We have more than 30 students, divided into five teams, working collaboratively with community-based organizations and the city to analyze local greenhouse gas emissions and develop mitigation and adaptation strategies,” says Corburn. “We are especially focused on Richmond’s vulnerable, low-income communities, which make up a majority of the city’s population.”

The goal, he says, is primarily to help Richmond develop a Climate Action Plan to mitigate or adapt to climate change in a manner that fairly distributes climate adaptation and mitigation responsibilities across all segments of the community.

There is another goal, too: “We’re teaching our students to be in the world, not just of it,” says Corburn, adding that the world’s ever-growing cities are making city planning “the issue of the 21st century.”

Richmond City Manager Bill Lindsay is thrilled about the collaboration. “This symbiotic relationship will provide Professor Corburn’s students hands-on experience working in public policy, while Richmond accesses the leading minds of one of the nation’s premier academic institutions,” he said in a recent city announcement about the project.

Students from Corburn’s “Environmental Policy and Regulation” class formally moved into action on Wednesday with introductions by Richmond city staff to community residents and leaders.

The students outlined the key areas they will be exploring –- transportation and neighborhood health patterns, city waste and water usage, flooding projections and potential energy conservation measures –- and start collecting citizen input.

In late December, the students will present draft recommendations to city officials, and will help refine the plan before Richmond finalizes it in 2014.

“What I really enjoy about the class is that it allows me to bring together my interests in a variety of often-separated fields, from community development and land use to health equity,” said Stefani Cox, a second-year graduate student in city planning. “I hope that the research we are gathering will help the city of Richmond develop a comprehensive climate action plan, as well as useful community engagement strategies for the process.”

A state mandate requires cities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020. In 2009, Richmond completed its first-ever inventory of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2010, UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy offered the city recommendations for developing its Climate Action Plan. Now, City Manager Lindsay is asking Corburn and his students for a hand.

Environmental protection is not a new issue for Richmond, which is home to heavy industry and a busy shipping port, and crisscrossed by freeways and railroad tracks.

Today, the city is developing a reputation for environmental leadership. It became one of the first cities in the country to include an energy and climate change element in the Richmond General Plan, providing baseline greenhouse gas emission levels by which to measure its progress.

Likewise, it was one of the first cities in the United States to adopt a health and wellness element in its general plan to examine social, economic, physical and environmental links to health inequalities and poor health.

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Activism

Black Repertory Group Needs Volunteers to Help Shape the Next Generation of Artists and Leaders

Legendary performers such as Whoopi Goldberg and Danny Glover worked with and were inspired by BRG’s founders. More recently, Grammy award-winning artist Kehlani attended the Black Repertory Group Summer Day Camp for several years.

Published

2 weeks ago

June 26, 2026

Oakland Post

Courtesy image.

By Sean Vaughn Scott, Special to The Post

For more than 60 years, the Black Repertory Group (BRG) has changed lives through the arts.

Founded in 1964 by educators and visionaries Birel L. Vaughn and Nora Vaughn, BRG has become one of America’s oldest continuously operating Black theater institutions. For generations, it has preserved culture, developed talent, and provided opportunities for young people to discover their voices and their potential.

The results speak for themselves.

Long before international recognition, Kehlani performed on the BRG stage. During a summer day camp production of “Princess and da Frog,” she portrayed Ray, the lovable firefly whose light guided others through the darkness. Her journey is proof that today’s camper may become tomorrow’s artist, entrepreneur, educator, or leader.

Located at 3201 Adeline St. in Berkeley, BRG continues that mission through its Youth Summer Day Camp of the Arts.

BRG is currently accepting applications and maintains an open enrollment program. Students may enroll throughout the summer as space permits and immediately become part of the BRG family.

We are also proud to be a multicultural opportunity program, welcoming children and families from all backgrounds, cultures, and communities. Through theater, music, dance, public speaking, visual arts, technical theater, and leadership development, students gain confidence, discipline, creativity, and lifelong skills.

As our programs grow, so does our need for volunteers.

We are seeking community members to assist with youth mentoring, registration, costumes, set construction, painting, props, ushering, photography, social media, marketing, technical theater, and fundraising activities. Whether you volunteer for a few hours or throughout the season, your support directly impacts the lives of young people.

BRG also partners with churches, civic organizations, alumni associations, fraternities, sororities, and community groups through theater party fundraisers, group sales, and buy-out performances. These partnerships have helped organizations raise funds while supporting arts and cultural programming.

The theater also serves as the home of the Berkeley NAACP Chapter, which meets every second Saturday of the month from 1 to 3 p.m.

For more than six decades, the Black Repertory Group has remained committed to one belief: every child deserves an opportunity to shine.

The next great artist may already be among us.

The next Kehlani may already be walking through our doors.

We invite you to volunteer, enroll, participate, and become part of the legacy.

For more information please go to www.blackrepertorygroup.com, call (510) 652-2120, or email info@blackrepertorygroup.com

Sean Vaughn Scott is the director of the Black Repertory Group.

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Bay Area

UC Berkeley Named Top Public University in the U.S. and No. 7 in the World by ‘U.S. News’

Berkeley has been consistently awarded the distinction of the U.S.’s top public university since the Best Global Universities list was first published in 2014. “A strong position in the Best Global Universities rankings recognizes a school’s profound commitment to world-class research and cross-border academic excellence,” said LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News.

Published

2 weeks ago

June 24, 2026

Oakland Post

Photo by Keegan Houser/UC Berkeley.

The 2026 Best Global Universities rankings evaluated 2,250 research institutions from more than 100 countries

By Lila Thulin

U.S. News & World Report has ranked UC Berkeley No. 7 in its 2026 list of the best global universities, which assesses more than 2,250 research institutions worldwide.

Berkeley also claimed the honor of top public university in the U.S.

Released on Monday, the list evaluates universities from more than 100 countries on 13 metrics such as global and research reputation (as reported by academics and peers) and number of highly cited scholarly papers.

Berkeley has been consistently awarded the distinction of the U.S.’s top public university since the Best Global Universities list was first published in 2014.

“A strong position in the Best Global Universities rankings recognizes a school’s profound commitment to world-class research and cross-border academic excellence,” said LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News.

The rankings also assess a university’s strength in various subject areas; these assessments are separate from U.S. News’ 2026 Best Graduate Programs rankings released in April.

This year, Berkeley was named in the top three nationally in seven subject areas – environment/ecology, ecology, water resources, physics, computer science, chemistry, and engineering – and in the top five for a total of 17 subjects. Subject rankings are based heavily on scholarly publications and citations as well as reputation.

In September, U.S. News also released its 2026 Best Colleges list, in which Berkeley was also named the No. 1 public institution among American universities.

That honor joins other accolades judging campus to be the best public university in the country, such as those from Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education.

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Arts and Culture

Farwest Region Deltas Celebrate Centennial With “September Breakfast” Honoring Vivian Osborne Marsh

The region was established in 1925 under the leadership of Vivian Osborne Marsh, who became its first Regional Director. Marsh was a pioneering scholar and civic leader, earning recognition as the first Black woman to receive both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in anthropology from UC Berkeley.

Published

10 months ago

September 14, 2025

Oakland Post

Farwest Regional Director, Kimberly Usher, Mayor Barbara Lee, US Representative Lateefah Simon, and Farwest Regional Representative, Radiya Ajibade. Photo courtesy of Farwest Regional Photographer Vicki P. Love.

By Antoinette Porter

Hundreds of members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and their guests gathered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union at the University of California, Berkeley, to mark the 100th anniversary of the sorority’s Farwest Region.

Marsh went on to serve as Delta Sigma Theta’s 7th National President, where she launched the sorority’s National Library Project to expand access to books in underserved Black communities in the South. During her presidency, the organization also became a prominent voice in the civil rights movement, lobbying Congress to pass anti-lynching legislation.

Bak in the Bay Area, Marsh devoted her career to advancing educational opportunities, mentoring young people, and strengthening community life. That commitment continues to shape the region, which supports initiatives in education, social justice, and economic development. Current projects include raising scholarship funds for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, voter education campaigns, and health and wellness programs.

A century after its founding, the Farwest Region of Delta Sigma Theta remains active across California and other western states, carrying forward Marsh’s vision of service and advocacy.