About the Building Name Review Committee

The Building Naming Review Committee was commissioned in 2017 and recommissioned in the fall of 2021 by Chancellor Carol Christ. The committee's charge is to:

  1. Upon submission of an un-naming proposal, follow the current building un-naming protocol and submit a recommendation to the Chancellor [Subsequently, if there is a recommendation to un-name a building, and the chancellor agrees, she will submit a request to the UC Office of the President for final approval];

  2. Analyze the current protocol and procedures for un-naming a campus building and, if deemed necessary, propose alternatives for the process; Please consider innovative practices, proactive, and/or reactive, that will lead to our campus's long-term success with campus namings; and

  3. Consider and advise if other named places that share that of a proposed un-naming (officially or unofficially named) should be included in an un-naming process. Examples include streets, classrooms, conference rooms, parking structures, etc.

The review committee is comprised of four members of Berkeley's Academic Senate, including one representing the Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Campus Climate; one representative from the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion; one representative from the Office for the Vice Provost for Academic Planning; two undergraduate students; two graduate students; and a member of the Office of Legal Affairs and Office of the Vice Chancellor for University Development and Alumni Relations. Current membership is listed below.

2021-2023 Committee Membership

Affiliation Name and Title
Academic Senate (Chair)

David Schaffer, The Hubbard Howe Jr. Distinguished Professor of Biochemical Engineering

Division of Academic Planning James Ford, Chief of Staff, Academic Planning
Academic Senate Dacher Keltner, Professor, Psychology
Graduate Assembly

Alex Mabanta, Legislative Director (Law)

Academic Senate

Waldo Martin, Alexander F. & May T. Morrison Professor of American History & Citizenship

Division of Equity and Inclusion

Fabrizio Mejia, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Student Equity and Success

Associated Students of the University of California

Sydney Roberts, President's Chief of Staff (Political Science, African American Studies)

Graduate Assembly Jiazhen Tan (Mathematics)
Associated Students of the University of California

Chaka Tellem, President (Political Economy)

Academic Senate (Diversity, Equity, and Campus Climate)

Tarek Zohdi, Professor, Mechanical Engineering

Office of Legal Affairs (Ex-officio) 

David Robinson, Chief Campus Counsel

University Development and Alumni Relations

(Ex-officio when a proposal involves a philanthropically named building)

Nancy McKinney, Associate Vice Chancellor, Advancement Operations

2020-2021 Committee Membership