As the top public university, UC Berkeley acts as a catalyst for transformation around the globe. Berkeley Inspire is home to uplifting, powerful stories you need to inspire, and be inspired by, your Berkeley community.
Meet some of the harmonious stars from UC Berkeley’s Department of Music — from a medieval Germanic lyre to electronic music inspired by Turkish marble art, the research and creations of the music department’s grad students span media and millennia.
At a moment of increased fluidity in the world of college sports, a new gift is maximizing opportunities for success for talented student-athletes coming to UC Berkeley from other institutions. Since 2019, when the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) launched a portal that facilitates transfers for student-athletes, Cal Athletics has seen an increase in new team members who began their college careers elsewhere. A new $1 million gift from Deborah Loker Hicks ’72 and her husband, Robin Hicks ’69, is paving the way for a smoother transition.
Peruse inspiring stories about people like you who have helped transform UC Berkeley.
How does a fragile state beset by extreme poverty and conflict build its capacity to better serve its citizens? Jonathan Weigel, an assistant professor of business and public policy whose research explores this question, has been selected to receive the 2025 Philomathia Prize.
The Building Bridges course, funded by the Yardi Foundation, encourages students to think like entrepreneurs and “see that technology can be used for good.”
Bhavya Joshi, a public health doctoral student, is using a community-based approach to research reproductive health in Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp. Her work highlights urgent healthcare gaps and empowers communities to shape solutions.
The program, sponsored by the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, reflects surging demand across campus for a comprehensive and interdisciplinary evaluation of the Korean peninsula’s language, history, and culture.
63% of all undergraduates receive some form of financial aid
7,600+ students participated in community service
519 Hellman Fellows launching new careers
6 assistant professors named 2025 Sloan Research Fellows, among the largest cohort from any single university
