The Berkeley Astronomy Department is committed to increasing the diversity and improving the climate in our Department and the broader astronomy community. To this end, Berkeley Astronomy students, postdocs, staff, and faculty engage in the following initiatives:
Astronomy Climate Advisors
Astronomy Climate Advisors help devise and implement solutions to climate problems not necessarily involving formal investigations, and to serve as pointers to campus resources for conflict resolution and emotional and mental health. More information and a list of the current climate advisors is given here
Respect Is Part of Research
Respect is Part of Research is a peer-led sexual violence / sexual harassment (SVSH) prevention workshop for incoming graduate students at UC Berkeley. RPR is based on the idea that peer-led training is the most effective way to communicate social norms. By setting expectations about department culture and community early, we hope to mitigate potential climate problems before they rise to the level of SVSH complaints. We also aim to give everyone the tools to communicate about difficult issues and have productive discussions about department climate. Our goal is to create a respectful, positive working environment where everyone can do their best science.
RPR coordinator contact email: info@respectispartofresearch.com
Society of Women in the Physical Sciences (SWPS)
SWPS is a student group run by female graduate students in Physics, Astronomy, Earth and Planetary Sciences and Biophysics at the University of California, Berkeley. Their goals are to encourage women and minorities to study the physical sciences and to create a friendly and supportive environment in these departments for all students.
Contact: swpsberkeley@gmail.com
IGenSpectrum (joint with UC Berkeley Physics)
IGenSpectrum is a student group that aims to provide a welcoming place for queer physicists at all levels within the UC Berkeley physics department. We host a variety of events ranging from low-key coffee meetups and movie nights with the goal of fostering community and friendship to more serious events which offer opportunities for thought and reflection. More broadly, our organization seeks to make the UC Berkeley physics department a more welcoming and supportive place for LGBTQ+ people by advocating with the department, performing outreach, and creating opportunities for professional development.
Contact: officers@igenspectrum.berkeley.edu
AstroTech
AstroTech is a national summer school on astronomical instrumentation hosted at UC Berkeley for upper-level undergraduates and early graduate students in astronomy, engineering, and physics. AstroTech aims to establish an inclusive and equitable community that supports the advancement of people from groups currently underrepresented in the field of astronomical instrumentation. AstroTech is developed by a combination of the Institute for Science and Engineering Educators (ISEE) and the Keck All-Sky Precision Adaptive Optics (KAPA) with Jessica Lu as the Project Scientist. Undergraduates and early grad students are welcome to apply. Senior graduate students and postdocs are welcome to participate as instructors and facilitators.
Contact email: astrotech@ucsc.edu, jlu.astro@berkeley.edu
POWER - Bay Area
POWER – Bay Area is a mentoring program and workshop series for Bay Area community college students interested in the physical sciences. POWER supports students from marginalized genders, and we welcome participation from anyone who feels they would benefit. The goal of the POWER program is to increase the retention of students in groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM, including but not limited to women and nonbinary students, Black, Latinx, and Indigenous students, first-generation and low-income students, LGBTQ+ students, and students with disabilities. To do this, our goals are to expand students’ support networks, and to ensure that they have role models with whom they can identify.
Contact: powerbayarea@berkeley.edu
Cal-Bridge
Cal-Bridge is a CSU-UC Physics and Astronomy Bridge Program. The mission of Cal-Bridge is to advance undergraduate astronomy research and education among traditionally underrepresented groups in order to promote their participation and advancement and increase their numbers in PhD programs in astronomy and related fields. Cal-Bridge aims to accomplish this by increasing the number of California State University (CSU) students completing their bachelor’s degree and successfully entering a PhD program to study physics, astronomy, or a closely related field. Berkeley graduate students and faculty members serve as mentors, tutors, committee members, and help organize workshops for the Cal-Bridge program.
Berkeley Astronomy contact email: dressing@berkeley.edu
Berkeley Physics contact email: ganor@berkeley.edu
CAMPARE/CHAMP
CAMPARE, including the CAMPARE-HERA Astronomy Minority Partnership (CHAMP), is a summer research program for undergraduate students from the California State Universities and California community colleges. Berkeley offers CAMPARE/CHAMP research opportunities, as advertised annually on the CAMPARE web pages.
Contact: campare@cpp.edu
Berkeley Astronomy contact email for CHAMP: aparsons@berkeley.edu
Cal-NERDS
Cal-NERDS is a UC Berkeley program for undergraduates from non-dominant backgrounds. The program consists of a suite of programs and initiatives that provide faculty mentored research opportunities, specialized tech training, graduate school preparation, career coaching, community building, and professional development to high achieving STEM undergraduates and graduate students. The community is made up of diverse NERDS that come from many non-dominant backgrounds including LGBTQ+, low-income, first-generation, underrepresented, student parents, transfer, re-entry, disabled, foster, undocumented, system-impacted, and women. Berkeley Astronomy faculty advise Cal NERDS in research and postdocs/grads can co-advise. Undergraduates are encouraged to apply to these opportunities. Faculty are encouraged to serve as advisors.
Contact: https://calnerds.berkeley.edu/contact
Berkeley Astronomy contact email: jlu.astro@berkeley.edu
MPS Scholars for Undergraduate Students
Mathematical & Physical Sciences (MPS) Scholars is designed to achieve equitable outcomes for all undergraduates who are interested in Astronomy, Earth and Planetary Science, Physics, and Mathematics.
MPS Scholars supports undergraduate students' aspirations to become math and physical sciences majors, advance to degree completion, and go on to enjoy rewarding science careers.
All undergraduate students who are intended and declared majors in MPS have access to the MPS Scholars community!