Some degrees offer a clear career path, but for political science major Margaux Bauerlein ‘24, the horizon was wide open. While searching for something creative and impactful to round out her classes, she found an internship at KALX, UC Berkeley’s radio station. She and her team of fellow students produced, from scratch, a series on the student experience that covered housing and dating, among other topics. Today she is interning at NPR’s “Morning Edition.” While she had never imagined a career in radio, “I literally would not be here if it wasn’t for Berkeley Discovery,” she said.
Internships, research, entrepreneurship, and other immersive experiences do more than help students crystallize the material they’re learning in class: They prepare students for a career. Berkeley Discovery is the doorway to these opportunities. Since the program launched its platform two years ago, we have seen over a 200 percent increase in the number of opportunities listed, and a 350 percent increase in the number of student users. They are hungry for the chance to transform themselves toward having greater agency in the world.
I remember a time when undergrads had almost no access to the thrill of pioneering research. Discovery opportunities flip the script. Examples of projects that undergraduates participated in last spring included analyzing farmworkers’ perspectives on climate change and using AI to integrate layers of biologic data that could help predict and counteract the effects of spaceflight on the human body. At the end of the semester, they co-presented their work with the graduate students who mentored them — a major step toward growing their identity as independent thinkers.
In the past, innovative experiences primarily benefited students with the time and means to pursue them. Today, Discovery aims to ensure that every student, regardless of background, is woven into the fabric of research, creativity, and entrepreneurship. These experiences help make real the promise of upward mobility. They are, in fact, a defining feature of what makes Berkeley the nation’s top-ranked college in terms of moving the most students from low-income families well up the economic ladder — an American dream engine. Is there a more powerful mark of a great public university?
Go Bears!
Chancellor Rich Lyons
Chancellor’s Choice
Achievement Award nominations due Nov. 7 — Do you know an alum or faculty member who exemplifies the very best of Berkeley? Or whose professional achievements have shaped an entire industry? Or who shows great promise in their field or community? Nominate an alum for one of the 2026 Achievement Awards, including Alum of the Year, by Nov. 7. The winners will be honored at the Berkeley Charter Gala on May 21, 2026.
Event: Why Kind Leaders Win — At a time when unkind leaders often dominate the headlines, a panel of experts and I will engage in a candid, inspiring conversation about why kind leadership helps organizations and its people thrive, while also boosting the bottom line. Dec. 1, 2025, 6:30 p.m., at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Tickets are $35.