Announcements

This month we're getting to know the newest member of our department, Assistant Professor Gerónimo Barrera de la Torre, who uses social mapping and videography to highlight the multiple geographies and ways of knowing that can inform epistemic and social justice efforts.

Could you say a little bit generally about your research interests, writing, and scholarship. What has inspired the work you’re doing now?

My research interests are...

We’re excited to announce that Alex Werth, a Ph.D. alum of our department, has a forthcoming book with UC Press titled On Loop: Black Sonic Politics in Oakland, scheduled for release on October 21, 2025.

Blending musical, archival, and ethnographic research with over a decade of experience as a DJ and dancer, On Loop explores how Black dance music and sonic practices have shaped—and been shaped by—ongoing struggles over race, space, and power in Oakland. A city central to the history of Black Power, Oakland...

The Institute for the Study of Societal Issues is proud to announce Clara Pérez Medina (they/them) as the recipient of the 2024 FOUNDATIONS FOR CHANGE: Thomas I. Yamashita Prize. Awarded annually, this prestigious honor recognizes an emerging leader in California whose work for social change bridges the worlds of academia and community, transforming the social landscape in profound and often unrecognized ways.

Clara...

Social Science Matrix, UC Berkeley’s flagship institute for social science research, continues to spotlight critical scholarship through its Matrix Podcast series. Serving as an organizational “matrix,” the institute supports cross-disciplinary research efforts involving more than 500 social scientists across the Berkeley campus and beyond.

In the latest episode of the Matrix Podcast, host Julia Sizek sat down with Geography Ph.D. ‘24 graduate ...