Dear Cal alums, parents, and friends,
Waking up in a trembling bed and realizing that it’s an earthquake — not your dog pouncing on board to cuddle — is unsettling. In 2019, California Gov. Gavin Newsom launched the nation’s first statewide early warning system that uses an app to send alerts to people’s cellphones. It was put to the test last summer when a 5.2-magnitude quake rattled Central and Southern California. Over 517,000 alerts went out, reminding people to drop, cover, and hold on.
That app, MyShake, was developed by Berkeley Seismology Lab director Richard Allen and then-Ph.D. student Qingkai Kong. It is just one success story of I-Corps, an innovation hub that helps bridge the so-called “valley of death” between research and commercialization. I-Corps helped them figure out how to partner with the state to keep the app’s important public safety features free for all consumers.
Thanks to a $15 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), Berkeley will lead a new I-Corps of nine public universities in the northwest region, including five UCs and universities in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. The grant will fund training courses and new instructors, as well as program expansion and outreach to participants who do not live close to the primary campuses.
Creating a product initially involves a lot of guesswork. Getting off campus and talking to potential stakeholders and buyers about what they need and care about will tighten those guesses and help the product succeed. I-Corps teaches entrepreneurs from STEM disciplines to take a hard look at their ideas and turn them into real, sought-after products. Other Berkeley success stories include Twentyeight Health, a women’s healthcare access and equity provider, and neuroFit, which uses eye movement to scan, predict, and enhance brain health.
As the former dean of Berkeley Haas, I am a principal investigator on this project. It’s special to see it come to fruition. We’re excited to apply Berkeley’s expertise in basic research and entrepreneurship to advance our public-benefit mission and push innovation forward all along the West Coast. As the world’s top producer of venture capital-funded startups founded by undergraduate alums, Berkeley is perfectly poised for this role.
I’m proud of Berkeley’s efforts to unlock the commercial potential of research and, above all, to bring you products that will improve your health, safety, and other areas of your life.
Go Bears!
Chancellor Rich Lyons
Chancellor’s Choice
Achievement Award nominations due Dec. 15 — Do you know an alum who exemplifies the very best of Berkeley? Or whose professional achievements have shaped an entire industry? Or who graduated in the last decade and shows great promise in their field or community? Nominate an alum for one of five 2025 Achievement Awards. The deadline is Dec. 15, and the winners will be honored at the Berkeley Charter Gala on May 22, 2025.
Virtual lectures on basic science — Join enlightening virtual discussions on cutting-edge research that is fundamentally changing our understanding of nature, the universe, and ourselves. Two lectures remain this semester: “Unearthing California's Prehistoric Past” on Monday, Nov. 18, and “Flowing Frontiers: Insights into Fluid Dynamics” on Tuesday, Dec. 3. All events are on Zoom at 5 p.m. PT. Register for each one via this page.