Graduate Student Services & advisers
The Graduate Student Services team is dedicated to providing programs, events, and resources that support the academic and professional development of graduate students. Graduate advisers are here to support you throughout your graduate school experience. They can provide guidance on topics such as academic progress, departmental policies, funding opportunities, and academic appointments. To meet with a graduate adviser, you can reach out by email or schedule an appointment through their booking page.
Meet the graduate student services team
Meltem Erol
Director of Graduate Student Services
Graduate Student Services leadership and oversight of graduate programs and policies; liaison with department graduate advisers and managers; fellowship and graduate student funding; COE graduate student policies; recruitment & engagement
Tracy Siira
Graduate Program Manager
Pre-graduate adviser, grad school events, grad student support
Chelsea Chan
Administrative Assistant
Administrative operations, purchasing, reimbursements, event planning and coordination, frontline student support
Alysiana Halter
Policy Analyst
Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) Fellows & Trainees appointments, UAW contract compliance, Fellowships, Policy Analysis, CoE Departments Liaison
Meet the graduate student advisers
Julia Shefcik
Student Services Adviser
juliashefcik@berkeley.edu
Applied Science & Technology (AS&T) & Materials Science & Engineering (MSE)
Rocío Sanchez
Graduate Program Adviser, UC Berkeley-UCSF joint BioE PhD program contact
rocio_s@berkeley.edu
Bioengineering (BioE)
Sara McCarthy
PhD Adviser
cee-phd-advisor@berkeley.edu
Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE)
Jessica Zhang
MS & MEng Adviser
jesszhang@berkeley.edu
Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE)
Michael Sun
Master’s Degrees Adviser (5th-year MS/MS-Only/MEng)
MEng: grads-meng@berkeley.edu
5th-Year MS: grads-fifthyrms@berkeley.edu
Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences (EECS)
Judy Smithson
EE PhD Adviser
grads-ee@berkeley.edu
Electrical Engineering (EE)
Carissa Caloud
CS PhD Adviser
grads-cs@berkeley.edu
Computer Sciences (CS)
Tiffany Sun
Master’s Degrees Adviser (5th-year MS/MS-Only/MEng)
tiffanysun1@berkeley.edu
MEng: grads-meng@berkeley.edu
5th-Year MS: grads-fifthyrms@berkeley.edu
Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences (EECS)
Heather Iwata
Graduate Adviser (MS/PhD/MEng/MAnalytics)
gradstudentservices-ieor@berkeley.edu
Industrial Engineering & Operations Research (IEOR)
Erica Diffenderfer
Graduate Adviser, 5th-Year Adviser (MS/PhD/MEng/MAnalytics)
gradstudentservices-ieor@berkeley.edu
Industrial Engineering & Operations Research (IEOR)
Jenny Huang
Student Services Adviser & Event Coordinator
jrhuang@berkeley.edu
Industrial Engineering & Operations Research (IEOR)
Yawo Dagbevi Akpawu
PhD Adviser
yawo@me.berkeley.edu
Mechanical Engineering (ME)
William Orta
Director of Operations (Interim), Director of Student Services, 5th-Year Adviser
worta@berkeley.edu
Mechanical Engineering (ME)
Joann Pyon
Student Services Adviser
jpyon1@berkeley.edu
Nuclear Engineering (NE)
Isabel Blanco
MEng Adviser
miblanco@berkeley.edu
Mechanical Engineering (ME)
Meet the professional master’s program advisers
Erica Diffenderfer
Graduate Adviser
gradstudentservices-ieor@berkeley.edu
Master of Analytics (MAnalytics)
Master of Engineering (MEng) – Industrial Engineering & Operations Research (IEOR)
Heather Iwata
Graduate Adviser
gradstudentservices-ieor@berkeley.edu
Master of Analytics (MAnalytics)
Master of Engineering (MEng) – Industrial Engineering & Operations Research (IEOR)
Valerie Moss
Student Adviser
vmoss@berkeley.edu
Master of Development Engineering (MDevEng)
Joy Ahn
Master’s Program Manager
bioe-meng@berkeley.edu
Master of Engineering (MEng) – Bioengineering
Master of Translational Medicine (MTM)
Isabel Blanco
MEng Adviser
miblanco@berkeley.edu
Master of Engineering (MEng) – Mechanical Engineering
Jessica Zhang
Master’s Student Adviser (MS/MEng)
jesszhang@berkeley.edu
Master of Engineering (MEng) – Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE)
Michael Sun
Master’s Degrees Adviser
grads-meng@berkeley.edu
Master of Engineering (MEng) – Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences (EECS)
Tiffany Sun
Master’s Degrees Adviser
grads-meng@berkeley.edu
Master of Engineering (MEng) – Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences (EECS)
Verna Rodriguez
Executive Director
vmrodriguez@berkeley.edu
Master of Translational Medicine (MTM)
For these programs, there is no assigned adviser. Please refer to the websites linked below for each program:
- Master of Advanced Study in Engineering (MAS-E)
- Master of Business Administration/Master of Engineering (MBA/MEng)
- Master of Design (MDes)
- Master of Engineering (MEng) – Materials Science & Engineering
- Master of Engineering (MEng) – Nuclear Engineering (NE)
- Master of Science in CEE (MS CEE)
Personal counseling
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) has two satellite offices in the Engineering quadrant. Counselors Dr. Shuangmei (Christine) Zhou and Denise Goitia, LCSW, provide free and confidential consultations to students related to any personal or professional concerns. You do not need health insurance to see a CAPS counselor. You can learn more about CAPS here.