By Date
Alum makes Forbes’ 30 under 30 list for healthcare

Yue Clare Lou, who earned both a BS and PhD in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, was recognized for her work toward the creation of next-gen immune boosters.
Welcome new MCB faculty Phillip Cleves
Welcome to MCB's newest faculty member, Phillip Cleves, who will join us as an assistant professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development (GGED) on January 1, 2026. The Cleves Lab researches the molecular, cellular, and developmental basis of how intracellular beneficial microbes invade and persist in animal cells to form symbiosis. They use ecologically critical cnidarian-algal symbioses as model systems to discover fundamental mechanisms of how beneficial microbes can manipulate animal cell biology and to gain key molecular insights into the ongoing destruction of coral reef ecosystems due to ocean warming.
Margaret Torn elected to National Academy of Engineering

The honor recognizes Torn’s contributions to the understanding of soil carbon dynamics and her sustained leadership of the long-term monitoring of climate change.
David Schaffer Elected to NAE
ESPM staff member contributes art to Parks Stewardship Forum

Kelly Redfearn Kinder’s digitally illustrated photograph graced the cover of the journal’s recent issue on Indigenous co-stewardship of public lands.
Lynn Huntsinger honored by the California Cattlemen's Association

The ESPM professor was awarded the 2025 Gordon K. Van Vleck Memorial Award at the California Cattlemen's Convention.
BlotSeq single cell sequencing – animated!
MTM + NASA = Success
After the LA wildfires, stories emerge of great loss, support and strength

The devastating Palisades and Eaton fires, which ignited a month ago, affected many at UC Berkeley, including the family of ESPM professor Christopher Schell.
Dan Kammen on USAID, Clean Energy, and the Future of Global Development

The Energy and Resources Group professor was interviewed about the consequences of dismantling USAID, what it means for clean energy and economic development worldwide, and how the U.S. might navigate global leadership in sustainability without its flagship development agency.
Student Spotlight: Michael Brand

The second-year Environment Economics & Policy student was recently interviewed about his experience studying transoceanic internet cables through UC Berkeley's Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program.
Alum Zac Unger serving on the Oakland City Council

A graduate of the Range and Wildlife Management program, Unger was elected as Oakland’s District 1 Councilmember last November.
Book Talk: Most Delicious Poison by Noah Whiteman
Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution and Development Noah Whiteman will be speaking about his new book, Most Delicious Poison: The Story of Nature’s Toxins—From Spices to Vices, on March 5th at 5:00 pm in the Berkeley Morrison library. Learn more about the event here.
Balancing action and acceptance amidst rapid environmental change

A new study led by ESPM graduate student Abby Keller may help ecosystem managers and decision-makers determine when it is best to accept rapid, irreversible ecological changes.
Life cycles of some insects adapt well to a changing climate. Others, not so much.
Postdoctoral fellow César Nufio and his colleagues (IB Professor Caroline Williams, Dr. Lauren Buckley, and Dr. Monica Sheffer) have shared a new study of Colorado grasshoppers that shows grasshoppers that overwinter as juveniles have a head start on those that emerge in the spring. Read more via this UC Berkeley News link here: https://news.berkeley.edu/2025/01/31/life-cycles-of-some-insects-adapt-well-to-a-changing-climate-others-not-so-much/.
Coordinating interests is key to achieving clean energy goals

A government is far likelier to achieve clean energy goals when its policies resolve conflicting interests between different stakeholders, according to new research led by ESPM professor Jonas Meckling.
2025 MCB Lisa Eshun-Wilson Community Award
We are excited to announce the recipients of the 2025 MCB Lisa Eshun-Wilson Community Award. This award was established to recognize the outstanding contributions of our MCB graduate students and postdocs who have demonstrated exemplary commitment to fostering a welcoming and equitable community.
Community and forest health intertwine in pinyon-juniper woodlands

ESPM professor Miranda Redmond and researchers in her lab are collaborating with Stanford University, tribal nations, and California government agencies on an interdisciplinary project aimed at improving the resilience of pinyon-juniper woodlands.
California’s most elusive mammal photographed for the first time

A team led by alum Vishal Subramanyan, released the first images of the Mount Lyell shrew more than 100 years after it was discovered.
Can California Afford Carbon Pricing?

Professor Meredith Fowlie writes about the future of California’s cap-and-trade program in a recent Energy Institute blog post