Every year in April, UC Berkeley opens its lecture halls and research labs, museums and libraries, galleries and gardens to the general public. On Saturday, April 18th from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm visitors are invited to engage and experience the everyday people and projects driving the nation’s No. 1 public university. A full day of free lectures, performances, tours, concerts and more showcase the campus, its students and the school’s programs.
Graduate students play an important role in Cal Day. Below is a list of graduate student presentations.
A Vanished World: The Legacy of Andalusia
Nearly eight centuries of Muslim rule in Andalusia have shaped the artistic, literary and cultural landscape of the Mediterranean. This talk showcases some of the greatest achievements of architecture, science and literature from this period of Arabic culture.
Anna Cruz, Ph.D. Candidate
Department of Near Eastern Studies
10:30 – 11:00 am, 254 Barrows Hall
Artist Open Studio
Visit the studio of Master of Fine Art student Isaac Vazquez Avila, where you can view his work and chat with him.
Isaac Vazquez Avila, First Year Graduate Student
Art Practice
12:00 – 3:00 pm, 182 Wurster Hall
Venus, Mars and Our Moon
Earth and planetary science graduate student Heidi Fuqua and undergraduate planetary science alumna Karen Alvarez will present on current research in planetary science.
Speakers:
Heidi Fuqua, Graduate Student
Alumna Karen Alvarez, Undergraduate
Earth & Planetary Science
10:30 – 11:00 am, 141 McCone Hall
What Languages are “Useful” to Learn? De-mystifying Language-Learning Today
This talk will explore damaging categories such as “useful” or “limiting” and their impact on language-learning in the United States.
Aria Fani, Ph.D. Candidate
Near Eastern Studies
11:30 am – 12:00 pm, 254 Barrows Hall
Experimenting with Embodied Histories: Social Memory as a Source for New Dance Techniques
Join Theater, Dance and Performance Studies Ph.D. candidate Heather Rastovac as she leads you through an experimental workshop exploring your socio-cultural memories of moving and dancing in the world, whether they be vernacular or studio-based forms. No experience needed–all levels and backgrounds welcome.
Heather Rastovac, Ph.D. Candidate
Theater, Dance & Performance Studies
2:30 – 3:30 pm, Bancroft Dance Studio
Ocean Acidification and Why We Should Care About It
Presenters review how the addition of CO2 to the atmosphere is leading to the slow acidification of the ocean. A live demonstration shows how most of the dissolved inorganic forms of CO2 in seawater are hidden from the atmosphere, and how the acidification of seawater will release more hidden carbon to the atmosphere.
Jim Bishop, Professor of Earth and Planetary Science
Hannah Bourne, Graduate Student in Earth & Planetary Science
Earth & Planetary Science
11:30 am – 12:00 pm, 141 McCone Hall
Special Topics in Anthropology
Come hear anthropology graduate students and faculty talk about their work on topics such as the story and the photograph; medicines and access; ethnography and objects; and sound and religion.
Anthropology
11:00 am – 1:00 pm, 221 Kroeber Hall
Demo-Display of MayaLife Breast Cancer Treatment System
Graduate students in the Master of Translational Medicine program present a demo-display of MayaLife, an implantable drug-delivery system for breast cancer patients. MayaLife will be used in neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings to deliver targeted hormone therapy directly to breast tissue. The goal is to maximize tumor exposure to anti-estrogen drugs, thereby maximizing drug potency.
Bioengineering
12:00 – 2:00 pm, Stanley Hall Atrium, 1st floor
Astronomy Demonstrations and Hands-on Activities
Help astronomers build a scale model of the solar system; read the “fingerprints” of stars and learn how astronomers measure distances to the stars, and more. Astronomy graduate students facilitate.
Astronomy
10:00 am – 3:30 pm, 121 Campbell Hall
BioPOETS Lab
Come learn about Berkeley’s BioPOETS group, which focuses on bioinspired photonics, quantum nanobiology, neural interfaces, personalized medicine, molecular diagnostics and organs on chip. Led by Professor Luke Lee’s graduate students.
Bioengineering
12:00 – 2:00 pm, 442 Stanley Hall
Black Graduate Engineering and Science Students Annual High School Science Fair
Black Graduate Engineering and Science Students (BGESS) hosts an academic decathlon and demonstrations of science, math and engineering concepts by local high school students.
Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences
9:30 – 11:30 am, Wozniak Lounge, Soda Hall
Portable Planetarium
Who says you can’t see stars in the Bay Area?! Learn from astronomy graduate students about the astronomical objects, mythology and history behind the constellations visible in the spring. This features continuous, 15-minute shows.
Astronomy
10:00 am – 3:30 pm, 131 Campbell Hall
Science@Cal: Hands-on Physics
Physics is phun! Don’t miss our interactive exhibits and demonstrations for all ages led by physics graduate students. Get your Science@Cal passport stamped here.
Physics
Times and locations:
8:30 – 10:00 am, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm, and 3:00 – 5:00 pm, 235, 245 & 248 LeConte Hall
Science@Cal: Solar Viewing
Safely observe the sun through a telescope and other special instruments (weather permitting). See sunspots and solar flares, and check out our sundial. Get your Science@Cal passport stamped here.
Astronomy
10:00 am – 3:30 pm, Hearst Mining Circle
The Quantum Nanoelectronics Laboratory: A Guided Tour
Take this tour and learn how to make stuff cold–colder than outer space! Physics graduate students will teach you about experiments conducted at temperatures near absolute zero. Brrr!
Physics
10:30 – 11:00 am, 11:00 – 11:30 am, and11:30– 12:00 pm, LeConte Hall, breezeway between LeConte and Birge Hall