February 25, 2026
Dear Cal alums, parents, and friends,
In 1977, Berkeley geologist Walter Alvarez was collecting limestone samples in a small village in Italy when he discovered a thin layer of red clay between two periods of the rock. The fossils of a variety of tiny marine animals were visible below the boundary, whereas only one species was represented above it. Curious about why, he brought samples back to Berkeley where he and his father, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Luis Alvarez, then asked other scientists to analyze them. Surprisingly, the clay was rich in iridium, a silvery-white metal that is rare on Earth but abundant in extraterrestrial objects.
Three years later, the Alvarezes put forth a theory that sounded like a sci-fi film: An asteroid the size of San Francisco slammed into Earth 65 million years ago, blanketing the planet in dark debris that killed the dinosaurs and other life. About 30 years passed before an international panel of scientists ruled in favor of their controversial proposal.
UC Berkeley’s history is full of examples like this one, in which a researcher suggests a radical idea that upends conventional wisdom and eventually leads to sweeping changes. Geneticist Mary-Claire King identified the first breast cancer gene, BRCA1, overturning the predominant theory that cancer was viral. Physicist Saul Perlmutter discovered that the expansion of the universe is not slowing down. Contrary to all cosmological theories, it is speeding up — and a strange, repulsive “dark energy” is pushing it apart.
Imagine, for a moment, if Walter, Mary-Claire, Saul, and generations of other students and faculty had thought, “No. This idea is too preposterous to pursue.” “No” is easy. It protects the status quo. But saying no would have prevented their world-changing discoveries from ever moving past an idea or lab.
During these uncertain times, it’s tempting for some to say no to new research directions, programs, or other big ideas, pointing, for example, to budget concerns and other potential obstacles. I want to hear, “Yes, if.” Yes, if we can write a winning philanthropic proposal. Yes, if we can first test a program idea before animating it. Yes, if we can provide the right technology or other support. Yes, let’s agree to bring our full creativity to mitigating or eliminating the “if” conditions so that our default response is yes.
Some of Berkeley’s most transformative breakthroughs initially sounded unrealistic. But by embracing boldness and creativity, by choosing “Yes, if” over “No,” we can chase the ideas that others dismiss and get things done together. Thank you for saying, “Yes, if” with us.
Go Bears!
Chancellor Rich Lyons
In 1977, Berkeley geologist Walter Alvarez was collecting limestone samples in a small village in Italy when he discovered a thin layer of red clay between two periods of the rock. The fossils of a variety of tiny marine animals were visible below the boundary, whereas only one species was represented above it. Curious about why, he brought samples back to Berkeley where he and his father, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Luis Alvarez, then asked other scientists to analyze them. Surprisingly, the clay was rich in iridium, a silvery-white metal that is rare on Earth but abundant in extraterrestrial objects.
Three years later, the Alvarezes put forth a theory that sounded like a sci-fi film: An asteroid the size of San Francisco slammed into Earth 65 million years ago, blanketing the planet in dark debris that killed the dinosaurs and other life. About 30 years passed before an international panel of scientists ruled in favor of their controversial proposal.
UC Berkeley’s history is full of examples like this one, in which a researcher suggests a radical idea that upends conventional wisdom and eventually leads to sweeping changes. Geneticist Mary-Claire King identified the first breast cancer gene, BRCA1, overturning the predominant theory that cancer was viral. Physicist Saul Perlmutter discovered that the expansion of the universe is not slowing down. Contrary to all cosmological theories, it is speeding up — and a strange, repulsive “dark energy” is pushing it apart.
Imagine, for a moment, if Walter, Mary-Claire, Saul, and generations of other students and faculty had thought, “No. This idea is too preposterous to pursue.” “No” is easy. It protects the status quo. But saying no would have prevented their world-changing discoveries from ever moving past an idea or lab.
During these uncertain times, it’s tempting for some to say no to new research directions, programs, or other big ideas, pointing, for example, to budget concerns and other potential obstacles. I want to hear, “Yes, if.” Yes, if we can write a winning philanthropic proposal. Yes, if we can first test a program idea before animating it. Yes, if we can provide the right technology or other support. Yes, let’s agree to bring our full creativity to mitigating or eliminating the “if” conditions so that our default response is yes.
Some of Berkeley’s most transformative breakthroughs initially sounded unrealistic. But by embracing boldness and creativity, by choosing “Yes, if” over “No,” we can chase the ideas that others dismiss and get things done together. Thank you for saying, “Yes, if” with us.
Go Bears!
Chancellor Rich Lyons
Chancellor’s Choice
Alumni Virtual Book Club: Wild Dark Shore — Connect with alums through a free, private online book club. The next selection beginning on March 13 is Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy. It follows a family living on a remote island threatened by rising sea levels and the mysterious woman they’re taking care of who had washed ashore after a horrific storm. The book explores the impossible choices we make to protect the people we love, even as the world around us disappears. The club selects a new book every two months.
Cal Discoveries Travel — Meet fellow alums and dive deep into a destination through lectures that help bring a place’s history to life. This spring’s trips include Charleston to explore the African American experience, Central Asia’s Silk Road, New York to enjoy Broadway shows, and a river cruise in the Czech Republic. Find your 2026 adventure.
Cal Discoveries Travel — Meet fellow alums and dive deep into a destination through lectures that help bring a place’s history to life. This spring’s trips include Charleston to explore the African American experience, Central Asia’s Silk Road, New York to enjoy Broadway shows, and a river cruise in the Czech Republic. Find your 2026 adventure.