Supporting our community
Dear Berkeley Engineering alumni,
Welcome to the Spring 2021 issue of the Berkeley Engineering alumni newsletter! Reflecting on the extraordinary events of the past year and ongoing racial violence and social unrest, and anticipating a new normal ahead, the profound importance of a supportive community comes into focus.
I recently had the privilege of supporting some of Cal’s newest graduates by personally cheering and congratulating them as they walked across the stage at the Greek Theatre in a special, five-day procession organized by campus. It was a joy to help commemorate this important milestone — not only in person by handing out scrolls to graduates, but also virtually for all Berkeley Engineering graduates, including the first cohort of students from the Management, Entrepreneurship, & Technology program. In marking the end of an especially challenging year, I am both inspired and grateful to see how our community has rallied to support our students. This includes generous donations to the Berkeley Engineering Fund, which enabled us to quickly pivot and adapt courses for high-quality remote student learning experiences.
One of my priorities is to better prepare our students and support our alumni to succeed as engineering leaders; establishing and maintaining meaningful connections is an important part of this effort. You may already know about the @Cal Alumni Directory that connects you to other Cal alums and students worldwide. Thanks to the generosity of alumnus Andrew Yang (B.S. EECS ’83), we’re developing a new program that will facilitate and promote best practices for mentorship. The formal peer-to-peer mentoring program will begin in Fall 2021, with an alumni-student mentoring program to follow afterward. I invite you to share with us your insight and advice for building out this program through this brief online survey.
Berkeley Engineering’s reputation is tied to the success and impact of its alumni. Your achievements, talents, expertise and generosity make us all shine! We welcome your feedback and suggestions, which you can send directly to our Engagement Programs Office at bears@berkeley.edu.
Fiat Lux – and Go Bears!
Tsu-Jae King Liu
Dean and Roy W. Carlson Professor of Engineering
