ESS podcasts archive

06/02/25 — This week our guests, Mayra Rivera and Jean Nguyen, join us from Engineering Student Services (ESS) to introduce you to ESS advising. Topics they cover are Golden Bear Advising, which takes place this month (June), what types of advising are available in the College of Engineering and across campus, tips for planning your first semester and more. For a transcript, please visit the

08/19/24 — In our final podcast of the summer, we speak with Luis Castillo, associate director of student development in ESS, and returning engineering students Andrea Limon, Gabriel Sianez and Rosalind Martinez. They will introduce us to the Center for Access to Engineering Excellence (CAEE), a program in ESS that includes academic support, a computer loan program, professional and leadership workshops and more. For a transcript, please visit the episode page on the ESS podcast hub.

08/12/24 — Students transferring to the College of Engineering face many changes. Among them, they must learn to navigate an entirely new college environment. To support these students, we asked Heidi Maqueos, program manager for transfer success initiatives in ESS, to tell us about two resources that are for transfer students, by transfer students: the Engineering Transfer Center and Transfer Ambassadors. Mechanical engineering student Vic May tells us how these mentoring programs set them up for success as an engineering student. For a transcript, please visit the episode page on the ESS podcast hub.

08/05/24 — Are you interested in someday making the leap from student to entrepreneur? This week, we are learning about the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology and its Student Innovation Fellows program. Engineering students Rachel Eizner and Claire Holland will give us pointers on signing up to be a fellow and ways you can engage with this program to grow your entrepreneurial mindset. For a transcript, please visit the episode page on the ESS podcast hub.

07/29/24 — We don’t expect students to always know their post-graduation plans.You will spend the next two to four years learning about the many opportunities that await you after graduation. This week, we are delighted to have Kate Zuby, from Berkeley’s counseling & psychological services, here to introduce the Career Library — a resource that will help you explore majors, careers, graduate programs and more! For a transcript, please visit the episode page on the ESS podcast hub.

07/22/24 — Berkeley Engineering students can study abroad! This week, ESS advisor Kendra Van Nyhuis and engineering student Simon Gonzalez share with us the amazing experience that awaits you studying abroad. You’ll learn when to start planning, some of the basic guidelines, and how students can fit a study abroad program into their degree timeline. Plus, Simon just returned from his semester abroad and shares what made his time in Rome such an amazing experience. For a transcript, please visit the episode page on the ESS podcast hub.

07/15/24 — You’ve come to Berkeley Engineering, so you can gain the knowledge needed to tackle the world’s most complex problems. This week I’m excited to introduce the Big Ideas @ Berkeley contest. Guests Phillip Dennny, Big Ideas director, and last year’s grand prize winner, Ashmita Kumar, will tell us more about the program, which provides training, networks, recognition and funding to interdisciplinary teams of UC Berkeley students trying to solve real-world problems. Plus, aerospace engineering student Madeleine Bardy talks about some opportunities worth exploring outside the classroom. For a transcript, please visit the episode page on the ESS podcast hub.

07/08/24 — Mark Asta, executive associate dean at the College of Engineering, joins us this week to discuss what students can do if they don’t feel like they are in the right major. You’ll learn where to find more information about each major, what opportunities are available once you graduate, and whom you can reach out to for support and encouragement. You’ll also hear from civil engineering student Emanuel Arevalo, who will talk about his experiences with study groups. For a transcript, please visit the episode page on the ESS podcast hub.

07/01/24 — Registration is right around the corner and we are sure you have questions about planning, the day of and what happens after. Mayra Rivera, associate director of advising and policy in Engineering Student Services joins us this week to give tips on the registration process and what to keep in mind once you’ve registered. For a transcript, please visit the episode page on the ESS podcast hub.