Students

Meet Cathy: L&S SURF Student Spotlight

June 20, 2025

This interview originally appeared on the OURS website.

OURS Student Spotlight: Cathy Kenderski (Fall ’25) | Molecular and Cell Biology

Cathy (she/her) is a 2025 SURF L&S researcher majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology. For her SURF project this summer, she will be researching the interaction of lentiviral capsids with host factor CPSF6.

How did you get interested in the topic of your project?

My approach to research is heavily...

The Department of Molecular & Cell Biology welcomes its newest graduate students

September 5, 2025

MCB is pleased to welcome our newest graduate students to the department! Learn fun facts about their favorite model organisms, childhood career aspirations, and more.

UC Berkeley ranked No. 1 public school in the U.S. by the Wall Street Journal

September 30, 2025

In new rankings released today (Monday, Sept. 29) by the Wall Street Journal and College Pulse, UC Berkeley was named the No. 1 public college in the country — the second year in a row it received the distinction.

Monday’s ranking comes one week after the release of U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Colleges list, which ...

Carolyn Nguyen Named UC Berkeley’s First Churchill Scholar Since 2016

February 5, 2026

UC Berkeley senior Carolyn Nguyen (’26) has been selected as a 2026–27 Winston Churchill Scholar, making her Berkeley’s first recipient in a decade. Awarded by the Winston Churchill Foundation of the United States, the Churchill Scholarship supports a year of master’s study at Churchill College, Cambridge, for students pursuing advanced work in science, mathematics, and engineering.

A double major in Molecular and Cell Biology and Business Administration (Haas), Nguyen is passionate about advancing next-generation therapeutics. At Berkeley, she conducts research in Dr. James Nuñez’s...

From front desk to lab bench: Julia Chac’s journey through Bakar Bio Labs

March 26, 2026

When Julia Chac first applied for a front desk position at Bakar Bio Labs three years ago, biotech wasn’t even on her radar.

An Integrative Biology and Psychology double major at UC Berkeley, Julia knew she was premed. She also knew she needed to work. Coming from South Fresno, where her parents are farmers, and most of her community is economically underserved, she had always understood the importance of supporting herself financially while pursuing an education.

“I wanted to place myself...