By Date

Equipad wins Collider Cup Alumni Expo Award

Department of Bioengineering - Thu, 05/22/2025 - 15:24
BioE-founded startup Equipad is on a mission to provide free, eco-friendly, accessible menstrual care in innovative roll format in restrooms everywhere. Recent BioE graduates Sanjana Gurram and Bryan Wong, with Master of Development Practice alumna Pooja Patel, have developed the materials and dispenser voted best alumni project at the Collider Cup.
Categories: Science News

Rosalie Fanshel recognized with leadership in graduate diversity award

College of Natural Resources - Thu, 05/22/2025 - 13:25
A headshot of Rosalie Fanshel May 22, 2025

Fanshel, a 2025 ESPM PhD graduate, received the Graduate Division's Cynthia Ladd-Viti Award for integrating justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion within their teaching, mentoring, advising, and research.

Professor Patrick Shih honored by the American Society of Plant Biologists

College of Natural Resources - Wed, 05/21/2025 - 13:12
Image of a Patrick Shih in blue shirt standing in a hallway May 21, 2025

Shih, an assistant professor in PMB, is the Society’s 2025 recipient of the Charles Albert Shull Award.

(Not) The End of Chocolate

College of Natural Resources - Tue, 05/20/2025 - 15:06
Researcher Abigail Stevens, Brian Staskawicz, Myeong-Je Cho, and researcher Maxwell Vetterli examine a cacao plant in growth medium at the Plant Genomics and Transformation Facility. May 20, 2025

PMB professor emerit Brian Staskawicz and IGI researchers are working to safeguard the planet’s supply of cacao from disease.

The Spring 2025 Transcript newsletter is here!

Department of Molecular and Cell Biology - Tue, 05/20/2025 - 12:25

Lung organoids (Ahmad Nabhan Lab)Learn about MCB's exciting research, master of biotech cohort, new faculty, youth STEM conference, alumni and more!

Read the Spring 2025 MCB Transcript.

Berman wins Strauss Scholarship

Department of Bioengineering - Mon, 05/19/2025 - 16:27
BioE junior Emma Berman has been awarded the Strauss Scholarship, an honor which supports a current Berkeley student pursue a self-initiated public service project. Emma is leading a student-driven community initiative to destigmatize the current social narrative surrounding hearing loss to create a new image for wearable hearing technology. Congratulations!
Categories: Science News

Irrigation boosts groundwater resilience in northern Italy

College of Natural Resources - Mon, 05/19/2025 - 07:00
An aerial photo of a agricultural region, with various farmed plots of land distinctly visible. May 19, 2025

Despite a decline in the groundwater stores of northern Italy’s Po Plain, a new study led by ESPM researchers found that irrigation practices make aquifers more resilient to drought.

Four seniors named 2025 Babcock Prize recipients

College of Natural Resources - Fri, 05/16/2025 - 13:59
Composite of 2025 Babcock award winners Charlie, Nikita, Neel, and Alex May 16, 2025

Endowed as a tribute to longtime soil chemistry professor Kenneth Babcock, the prize recognizes high-achieving ESPM undergraduates.

Monica Kapil named SJSU Mechanical Engineering Alumna of the Year

Department of Bioengineering - Thu, 05/15/2025 - 22:46
Congratulations to BioE PhD alumna Monica Kapil, the first woman ever named Alumna of the Year by the SJSU Mechanical Engineering Department!
Categories: Science News

Outstanding faculty awards

Department of Molecular and Cell Biology - Thu, 05/15/2025 - 13:55

 Outstanding Teaching Awards

Congratulations to our faculty who received the departmental 2025 MCB Outstanding Faculty Awards!

Associate Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology Gloria Brar Outstanding Contribution to Teaching

Assistant Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology Meng-meng Fu – Outstanding Contribution to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

Professor of Molecular Therapeutics Michael RapéOutstanding Contribution to Service

Student Spotlight: Nikita Bahadur

College of Natural Resources - Thu, 05/15/2025 - 13:32
Thumbnail graduation image of Nikita Bahadur May 15, 2025

The graduating molecular environmental biology major spoke to Rausser College about her time at UC Berkeley and plans for the future.

How to Decipher a Forest

College of Natural Resources - Wed, 05/14/2025 - 14:50
Portrait of Nancy Peluso May 14, 2025

ESPM professor emerit Nancy Peluso has spent her career analyzing entanglements between human and natural worlds.

Flamingo Biomechanics Behind Prey-Catching Tornadoes

Department of Integrative Biology - Tue, 05/13/2025 - 10:59
Flamingos feed by dragging their flattened beaks forward along the bottom of shallow lakes. To increase the efficiency of feeding, they stomp dance to churn the bottom, create an upwelling vortex with their heads and clap their beaks constantly to draw food, like brine shrimp, into their mouths. Aztli Ortega

IB Assistant Professor Victor Ortega Jiménez and a team of researchers have documented how flamingos use their feet, heads and beaks to create a storm of swirling tornados in the water to efficiently trap and then eat their prey. Read more in the Berkeley News article here
 

Categories: Science News

Trump is laying the groundwork to privatize America’s national parks, write Jon Jarvis and Gary Machlis

College of Natural Resources - Tue, 05/13/2025 - 10:33
The sunset in Yosemite National Park, California May 13, 2025

Former Director of the UC Berkeley Institute for Parks, People, and Biodiversity Jon Jarvis co-authored an Op-Ed published in The Guardian May 12th.

Empowering Global Scholars

College of Natural Resources - Mon, 05/12/2025 - 15:14
Image of Sheherazade. May 12, 2025

Donor-funded fellowships are supporting global scholars and solutions.

ERG alum Malini Ranganathan wins Anthony Leeds Book Prize

College of Natural Resources - Fri, 05/09/2025 - 16:54
A photo composite that shows a woman's headshot and cover of a book. May 09, 2025

Ranganathan, PhD '15 Energy and Resources, was recognized by the Critical Urban Anthropology Association for the innovative methodological and theoretical contributions to urban anthropology of her latest book, Corruption Plots.

LA’s communities of color bear a disproportionate burden of air pollution

College of Natural Resources - Thu, 05/08/2025 - 14:48
A photo that shows an aerial view of the buildings in downtown Los Angeles along with a partial view of a plane wing. May 08, 2025

A recent study led by ESPM researchers found that disadvantaged communities in Los Angeles experience significantly higher concentrations and emissions of hazardous air pollutants than non-disadvantaged communities.

A World of Climate Data

College of Natural Resources - Wed, 05/07/2025 - 14:40
 Fluxnet researchers Kyle Delwiche, Margaret Torn, Robert Shortt and Irene Alorda-Montiel, Dennis Baldocchi and former undergraduate student Jose Sanchez. Illustration by Valerie Chiang May 07, 2025

Rausser College researchers are helping lead a collaborative network of scientists measuring the breathing of the biosphere around the globe.

Lareau named MTI Innovator

Department of Bioengineering - Tue, 05/06/2025 - 15:55
Professor Liana Lareau is recognized for her revolutionary approach to treat retinitis pigmentosa and other dominant genetic diseases by combining CRISPR prime editing with machine learning.
Categories: Science News

Gustinvil named Outstanding GSI

Department of Bioengineering - Tue, 05/06/2025 - 15:44
Bioengineering PhD student Lordean Gustinvil will receive a 2024-25 Outstanding GSI Award from the UC Berkeley campus. Awards are given to the best GSIs of the year, nominated by the course instructor.
Categories: Science News