• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Departments
    • Bioengineering
    • Civil and Environmental Engineering
    • Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences
    • Industrial Engineering and Operations Research
    • Materials Science and Engineering
    • Mechanical Engineering
    • Nuclear Engineering
    • Aerospace program
    • Engineering Science program
  • News
    • Berkeley Engineer magazine
    • Social media
    • News videos
    • News digest (email)
    • Press kit
  • Events
    • Events calendar
    • Commencement
    • Homecoming
    • Cal Day
    • Space reservations
    • View from the Top
    • Kuh Lecture Series
    • Minner Lecture
  • College directory
  • For staff & faculty
Berkeley Engineering

Educating leaders. Creating knowledge. Serving society.

  • About
    • Facts & figures
    • Rankings
    • Mission & values
    • Equity & inclusion
    • Voices of Berkeley Engineering
    • Leadership team
    • Milestones
    • Buildings & facilities
    • Maps
  • Admissions
    • Undergraduate admissions
    • Graduate admissions
    • New students
    • Visit
    • Maps
    • Admissions events
    • K-12 outreach
  • Academics
    • Undergraduate programs
    • Majors & minors
    • Undergraduate Guide
    • Graduate programs
    • Graduate Guide
    • Innovation & entrepreneurship
    • Kresge Engineering Library
    • International programs
    • Executive education
  • Students
    • New students
    • Advising & counseling
    • ESS programs
    • CAEE academic support
    • Student life
    • Wellness & inclusion
    • Undergraduate Guide
    • > Degree requirements
    • > Policies & procedures
    • Forms & petitions
    • Resources
  • Research & faculty
    • Centers & institutes
    • Undergrad research
    • Faculty
    • Sustainability and resiliency
  • Connect
    • Alumni
    • Industry
    • Give
    • Stay in touch
Home > News > With flexibility comes possibility

With flexibility comes possibility

Berkeley Engineer magazine Spring 2023
May 17, 2023
This article appeared in Berkeley Engineer magazine, Spring 2023
  • In this issue
    Illustration of blood cells

    Forever young

    Scott Moura holding an electric car charger

    Smart and in charge

    Prepping the Eureka-1 rocket for launch

    A Eureka-1 moment

    Students watching model airplane in wind tunnel

    Engineering new frontiers

    Upfront

    • Raising the stakes
    • Life isn't fair ... yet
    • Working like a dog
    • In training
    • As tough as they come
    • Speak and spell
    • Keep it cool
    • Stopping traffic

    New & noteworthy

    • Distinguished Teaching Awards
    • On the grid
    • With flexibility comes possibility
    • Farewell
  • Past issues

Berkeley Engineering is known for expanding the bounds of knowledge and possibility. We’re a research university that is synonymous with discovery — a feat made possible thanks to the boundless curiosity of our faculty.

That’s why we’ve made it our mission to attract the top talent. To make that happen, our newest faculty receive competitive startup packages that enable them to grow in their fields.

Take Michael Gollner, associate professor of mechanical engineering and a Deb Faculty Fellow, who leads the Berkeley Fire Research Lab. His fellowship gave him the “freedom and flexibility” to buy the equipment and build the team that investigates how fires spread. “Having the fellowship gives you that buffer to try new things, to experiment, to expand, even to take on a different area,” he said. “That kind of security allows you to take some risks with research and try new things that you can’t do otherwise.”

Funding for these faculty fellowships is the spark that will ignite the most important discoveries of the future. Your contribution will have a profound impact on our newest faculty members and their innovations.

To learn more, visit: engineering.berkeley.edu/give

Berkeley Engineering
Wildfire burning trees on a distant hill
Plane dropping fire retardant on wildfire
flame
Man watching flames through window in lab
“Fire has been a field that everywhere you turn your head and look, you think, ‘Let’s look and see if we can make a solution to a real-world problem.’”
— Michael Gollner
 Associate professor of mechanical engineering
Men conducting experiment in fire lab
Topics: College news, Faculty, Research
  • Contact
  • Give
  • Privacy
  • UC Berkeley
  • Accessibility
  • Nondiscrimination
  • instagram
  • X logo
  • linkedin
  • facebook
  • youtube
  • bluesky
© 2025 UC Regents