Class Notes
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Kirk Tramble ’93, Founder and Principal of Kizata LLC, has been appointed to the Foundation for California Community Colleges Board of Directors following the unanimous approval by the California Community Colleges Board of Governors. He will serve a four-year term from July 2026 through June 2030. Tramble is a technology and artificial intelligence (AI) leader […]
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Class of 1949 Jane Clare Upp
Jane Clare Upp ’94 writes: “We wore bobby socks and saddle shoes. We were career determined when we joined Dean Griffin’s Journalism class in 1946. We, Joan from Piedmont and me from Bakersfield were alone in a class of males, which Dean Griffin preferred (not us). Joan wanted to be a reporter and I wanted […]
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Class of 2013 Dana Cruz
Dana Cruz ’13 was named one of Comstock’s Magazine’s 2026 Young Professionals, recognizing emerging leaders making a meaningful impact across California’s Capital Region. The son of Filipino immigrants and a first-generation college student, Cruz credits UC Berkeley with amplifying his curiosity, drive, and sense of public purpose that have since guided his career. Cruz serves […]
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Class of 1994 Chip Robertson
Chip Robertson ’94 is honored to be appointed to the UC Board of Regents.
Award-winning alum, lawyer-turned-writer Andy Becker ’76 explores the humanity, heartbreak, and humor hidden behind the legal system in The Paralegal Speaks.
Drawing on more than three decades of legal experience, Becker delivers a witty and insightful satirical novel about the people behind the cases—and the paralegal who sees it all. He takes readers beyond courtroom drama and legal...
Mary Fontana, Ph.D.’12 published her first book, Strangers in the Province of Joy: Practicing Radical Hospitality on the US-Mexico Border (Orbis Books) in May 2026. This nonfiction narrative follows the compelling journeys of individuals in order to illustrate the complex forces driving immigration across the US-Mexico border over the last half-century.
Dr. Andrea Louie, PhD ’96, published her third book, Chinese American Mothering: Toy Len Goon’s Legacy and the Myth of the Model Minority in December 2025. The book discusses her great grandmother’s story, focusing on her 1952 Maine and National Mother of the Year wins. Louie examines how her great grandmother’s story was used at the time to reinforce ideas about minorities and...
In the Fall 2026 term, Richard Grijalva, PhD ’20, begins his second year as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Arts and Humanities at St. Edward's University in Austin, TX. He is teaching courses in Writing and Rhetoric and Chicanx/Latinx Studies. While working at the Hilltop, he has rekindled his calling as an educator.
Joe Garrett ’70 writes: “I just retired from being on the Board of Directors of Pacific Premier Bank after twelve years as a Director. I’m still a partner at Garrett, McAuley & Co., and am still advising banks on asset-liability issues.
My first Cal football game was in 1956. It was an election year, and the Eisenhower campaign was passing out “I Like Ike” visors. It seemed like...
Jonathan Ezra Goldman ’94 published his fourth book, Hidden Histories of jazz Age New York from the Suppressed to the Strange (Suny Press Excelsior Editions, May 2026). The book chronicles overlooked communities and cultural revolutions of 1920s NYC, people and struggles that have been pushed to the margins of history.
Hidden Histories of jazz Age New York offers a fresh look at 1920s New...
Alan White ’69 writes: “Berkeley in the late 1960s was full of local and international concerns between the war in Vietnam and the many social issues one learns about at UC. Half way through a MBA program in 1970, I decided Peace Corps would be a better option so by 1971 I was learning Spanish and went to Ecuador with an assignment in the Galapagos Islands working with the Charles Darwin...
Jacqueline Jean Barrios, who graduated with a MA in Education & Credential-Multicultural Urban Secondary in 2003 and a BA in English with an emphasis on Multicultural Literature and Creative Writing in 2001, has recently published a new book titled Dear Charles Dickens, Love, South LA: Literature, Place, and Belonging.
Dear Charles Dickens, Love, South LA tells the story of how students...
Philip Ballou ’76, PhD ’83 is feeling thankful for the diversity and breadth of his experience during his 12 years at Cal. While majoring in music composition, he also enjoyed classes in biology and anthropology, as well as participating in UC Berkeley's Scientific Diving program. After being unable to find an academic job in music, he took a summer job at a local marine technology company,...
In 2026, UC Berkeley's Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) celebrates its 100th anniversary as one of the original six NROTC units established by the U.S. Navy in 1926.
The program's first commanding officer and Professor of Naval Science was Captain Chester W. Nimitz, who later served as Commander of Allied forces in the Pacific during World War II, Chief of Naval Operations, and...
Rachelle Gold ’02 writes: “In May 2026, I was selected among a competitive group of applicants at North Carolina Central University, where I have been teaching since 2008, for the highest teaching award in public higher education in the state of North Carolina, the University of North Carolina's Board of Governors' Award for Teaching Excellence. The award comes with a bronze medallion and a...
Daniel O. Jamison ’74 writes: “After over 42 years of doing mainly civil litigation, I retired from the practice of law in 2021. I had the unique experience of representing the defendants in the historical California Supreme Court "Wrongful Life" case of Turpin v. Sortini during my career. I also managed to keep from collapsing out of my chair onto the floor when, after a hard fought three...
