News

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – California Life Sciences (CLS), the state’s life sciences trade association, has awarded John Matsui, Ph.D., with the 2023 Pantheon Award for Inspiring Future Leaders. The award recognizes Matsui for his work leading the Biology Scholars Program, an undergraduate STEM equity program at UC Berkeley.

Dr. John Matsui, BSP's Director and Co-Founder, will be holding a Distinguished Lecture at the National Science Foundation (NSF) titled "STEM Equity, ‘Good’ Mentoring, and the ‘Hidden Curriculum’" on August 10, 2023 from 12-1:30 pm. NSF highlights, "From his 30-years of work with UC Berkeley’s Biology Scholars Program, Dr.

BSP alumnus Dr. Juan Magaña (c/o 2007) was recently interviewed by Montage Health Foundation about his shadowing program, Minorities in Medicine, which outreaches to underrepresented students at community college and CSU Monterey Bay. Participating students are able to shadow doctors at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula and spend time in the hospital environment. Dr. Magaña speaks about his motivation to return to his community as a physician and credits BSP as one of his inspirations in establishing the program.

Learn more about BSP's new COMPASS Scholars Program in the Fall 2022 edition of the MCB Transcript newsletter, published by the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology.

In the September-October 2022 issue of the Department of Integrative Biology's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Newsletter, recent BSP alumna Grecia Abarca was interviewed about her experience as part of the inaugural cohort of IB's Summer Undergraduate Research Experience program (SURE). She highlights the mentorship and personalized support she received, and credits BSP for encouraging her to apply to SURE.

We are excited to announce that the Biology Scholars Program is among 16 recipients of the Creating Opportunities through Mentorship and Partnership Across Stem Cell Science (COMPASS) grant from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine. The grant supports BSP in developing its COMPASS Scholars Program, which will provide research opportunities and mentorship for students in

In the August 2022 issue of UCSF's Department of Medicine newsletter, Dr. Antonio Gomez discusses the BSP BICEP program and how it reflects his own commitment to creating opportunities for underrepresented students in medicine. As BICEP's partnering director at UCSF, he describes his vision for the future of the program. 

BSP Director Dr. John Matsui was interviewed by Roadtrip Nation's Caring Forward documentary team, which includes current BSP members Alma Diaz De Leon and Samuel Solis. The student-led documentary series features leaders in California working to increase inclusivity and accessibility in health care. Read and watch Dr. Matsui's full interview here: 

Roadtrip Nation | John Matsui

BSP alumna Isabeth Mendoza co-hosted NPR's Life Kit podcast for the episode, "4 tips for talking to your Latinx parents about mental health" along with Naydeline Mejia. They speak about their personal experiences and interview others on navigating mental health conversations in the Latinx community. Isabeth is currently a NPR Code Switch Reporting Fellow. 

View the article and podcast audio here:

BSP alum Kendall Calhoun is a current UC Berkeley graduate student (PhD '23) and Chancellor's Fellow. He shares his research on California wildfires, their impact on native wildlife and biodiversity, and how these findings can inform future conservation efforts. This video is part of UC Berkeley's Light the Way campaign.  

Light the Way | Grad student monitors wildlife up close after CA fires

Several members of the BSP community were featured in the Fall 2021 edition of the MCB Transcript newsletter, published by UC Berkeley's Department of Molecular & Cell Biology (MCB). 

Current BSP members Estephannie Alvarez, Marvin Miller, and Anna Rios were named the recipients of the MCB Class of 2021 Sponsored Research Award. 

BSP Program Advisor Mario Eusebio received a 2021 Excellence in Advising & Student Services award for Outstanding Advisor or Student Services Staff. These awards are given by UC Berkeley's Council on Advising and Student Support after nominations from the campus community, and recognizes individuals who have made outstanding positive impact on student achievement and wellbeing at Berkeley. Congratulations Mario! 

BSP Faculty Advisory Committee member Dr. tyrone B hayes was recently appointed Co-Chair of the Department of Integrative Biology with Dr. Eileen Lacey. He shares his long history with the IB Department, as well as his goals and vision for the future of IB. 

BSP alumna Nazineen Kandahari and her sister, current BSP member, Nilufar Kayhani, recently founded a health education initiative, the Afghan Clinic.

In honor of Father's Day, BSP alum Dave Tran, MD, shared a tribute to his dad. Tran cared for his father when he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease), a transformative experience that helped guide his professional journey. 

On page three of the first bi-monthly edition of the Integrative Biology Diversity Equity & Inclusion (IB DEI) Newsletter, learn how the Biology Scholars Program positively impacted Cara He, a current PhD candidate in the UC Berkeley Department of Integrative Biology and BSP alumna. 

Many UC Berkeley undergraduates arrive at Berkeley feeling unsure about their ability to succeed in STEM majors. Historically underrepresented students feel it most—many quickly experience feelings of isolation and imposter syndrome, leading to low retention rates for STEM majors.

Thank you for taking a moment to help us make the Big Give a tremendous success! 

Our community came together and set a new record of raising $14,060.  

Your unprecedented kindness is sincerely appreciated, warms our hearts, and inspires us as we continue our work to support, motivate, and empower one another at Berkeley and beyond. 

Go BSP and Go Bears!