Berkeley

Visiting Sacramento, Grad Students Put a Human Face on Research

Published

7 years ago

April 1, 2019

As UC Berkeley graduate students Nancy Freitas and Jake Duncan made their way recently toward the vaunted halls of the California State Capitol in Sacramento, they weren’t quite sure what to expect.

After all, the students’ fields of study are far and apart from the world of diplomacy, policy-making and political jousting.

Yet, there they were, part of a small Berkeley caravan participating in Graduate Research and Education Advocacy Day, which is designed to boost appreciation among state lawmakers for the quality, variety and impact of graduate research and education within the UC system. Representatives from each of the 10 campuses participated, and the visit to Sacramento marked 10 years since the program’s inception.

The students, who traveled to the capitol along with Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ and Fiona Doyle, dean of the Graduate Division, participated in 12 meetings, seven of which were with members of the Legislature, including state Sen. Steve Glazer (D-Orinda), state Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks (D-Berkeley), Assemblyman Tim Grayson (D-Orinda); Sen. Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont), Assemblyman Bill Quirk (D-Hayward) and Assemblywoman Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda).

Duncan, whose work focuses on seismic performance of corrosion-damaged bridge columns, and Freitas, whose research includes impacts of temperature increase (due to climate change) on Arctic lakes, put a human face on UC graduate education, reminding legislators of UC’s role as an engine of innovation, knowledge creation and economic growth.

“I was honored to have the opportunity to discuss my research to help inform our state legislators about some of the issues facing our aging infrastructure in California,” Duncan said. “It was inspiring to see the hard work that goes into research and deliberation on the part of assembly members, senators and their staffers. I hope that our dialogue was not only informative, but also that it served to remind them of the resources available to them through the cutting-edge research done at UC Berkeley and throughout the University of California system.”

Freitas concurred: “(Graduate Research Day) gave me insight into the fast-paced atmosphere of the legislative branch of our government and the sheer quantity of information that legislators make decisions about every day. I also realized that our policymakers truly want their bills to be underpinned by scientific thought and that this is a gap that we, as scientists, can better fill.”

Several legislators said they had seen the impact of UC’s research on state policymaking, and that they recognized the potential for future impact. They all expressed appreciation for having access to the UC system’s scientific expertise. Others said they were willing to help students make professional connections and offer career advice about how Berkeley’s graduate students could work within the policy sphere.

“I found the experience extremely informative on the legislative process,” Duncan said. “It is very easy to forget about the important work that we send elected officials to do on our behalf, and even easier to not participate in shaping legislation.”

Public Affairs, UC Berkeley

Posts by Public Affairs, UC Berkeley

Related Topics:Graduate Research and Education Advocacy Day UC Berkeley

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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

3 days 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.

Oakland Post

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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.

Oakland Post

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Arts and Culture

Cal Performances Presents Angélique Kidjo & Yo-Yo Ma in Sarabande Africaine at UC Berkeley Greek Theatre on Aug. 30

On Saturday, Aug. 30, the pair will debut the Bay Area premiere of Sarabande Africaine, joined by pianist Thierry Vaton, percussionist David Donatien, and special guest Sinkane. The program illuminates centuries of musical interplay between African traditions and Western classical forms, using the Baroque sarabande dance, and its African ancestor, the Congolese spirit dance Zarabanda, as a gateway to exploring the deep, interconnected roots of global music.

Published

10 months ago

August 25, 2025

Oakland Post

Angelique Kidjo and Yo-Yo Ma. Wikimedia photos.

By Carla Thomas

On Labor Day weekend two of the world’s most celebrated musicians and cultural ambassadors, Grammy Award–winning vocalist Angélique Kidjo and legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma join forces for an evening of music, history, and cultural dialogue at UC Berkeley’s historic Hearst Greek Theatre.

Both Kidjo and Ma have built careers not only as great performers but as passionate advocates for cultural understanding. Sarabande Africaine is as much a conversation about shared heritage as it is a musical performance, blending genres, geographies, and histories.

“Every day there are moments when all of us can feel we are on the inside of something and also when we feel we are on the outside of something,” said Yo-Yo Ma. “To be able to understand both at the same time and oscillate between the two gives us a larger perspective on the world.”

“If your mind is open, and there is no fear, it’s easier to listen, and to question yourself,” said Kidjo.

The upcoming performance is presented within Cal Performances’ Illuminations: “Exile & Sanctuary” series for the 2025–26 season. The production explores exile as more than just physical displacement, but a disruption in identity and belonging, while sanctuary represents both refuge and the creative space where new connections and communities can take shape.

Cal Performances’ Illuminations bridges performances with UC Berkeley’s academic research, pairing the arts with conversations about urgent global issues.

Kidjo’s continued partnership with Cal Performances includes her 2021–22 artist-in-residence, premiering her music-theater work Yemandja, set in 19th-century West Africa during the transatlantic slave trade.

She also participated in the Bias in Our Algorithms and Society panel alongside campus leaders like Jennifer Chayes, and joined the Black Studies Collaboratory for a dialogue on music, diaspora, and the world.

She has since returned to Berkeley for multiple performances, most recently in 2024 at Zellerbach Hall.

Yo-Yo Ma’s history with Cal Performances spans decades, beginning in 1997. One notable project includes the 2018 performance of Bach’s complete cello suites at the Greek Theatre, a testament to his devotion to creating “transformative concert experiences in iconic spaces.”

For tickets and more information, visit calperformances.org.