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California Magazine Archive

Quinn-Davidson using a drip torch to ignite a controlled burn in a forest. Marcus Hanschen

The Burn Boss

By Coby McDonald, M.J. ’17

Lenya Quinn-Davidson is spearheading a UC-backed movement that empowers California citizens to fight fire with fire

Cynthia Marshall smiles Vivien Killilea/Stringer

Keeping the Faith

By Chinaka Hodge

Alum of the Year, Cynt Marshall ’81, went from cheering on the sidelines to leading the front office

Illustration of a smartphone surrounded by labeled plants and animals Illustration by Beatriz Ortiz

I, Naturalist

By Nathalia Alcantara

How a Berkeley-born app has led to one of the largest biodiversity datasets on Earth

Protesters at Sather Gate Martin do Nascimento/KQED

Universities in the Crosshairs

By Margie Cullen, M.J. ’22

How the Trump Administration is gunning for higher education everywhere, UC included

Dog in a park

Editor’s Note: Spring/Summer 2025

By Pat Joseph

Looking at Wildflowers and Wildfires

Annie Bridget Ahern/Instagram @moon_rabbit_rising

The Queen is Dead! Long Live the Queen!

By Hayden Royster

Berkeley’s beloved peregrine falcon, Annie, may be gone.

Amy Tan smiles Photo by Julie Baldocchi

Joy Luck Collection

By Leah Worthington

Bancroft Library receives Amy Tan’s personal archive

Rockem Sockem Alamy

May the Best Bot Win

By Nathalia Alcantara

Started as a student side project, Chatbot Arena is now the AI industry’s scoreboard—and a $100 million startup

Collage

More Things You’ll Never Believe Came from Berkeley

By Esther Oh

Okay, maybe you will, but we still think it’s a fun list.

DNA Midjourney

Biology Gets ChatGPT for DNA

By Pat Joseph

The tool could have immediate applications for health care

Salto and squirrels collage Justin Yim/UC Berkeley; iStock

Squirrels Inspire Giant Leap for Robots

By Pat Joseph

Berkeley’s jumping robot can now land like “nature’s best athlete.”

Hands holding vial Zihui Zhou/UC Berkeley

Novel Material Captures Carbon from Thin Air

By Pat Joseph

Meet COF-999, a Berkeley-borne substance that could change how we fight climate change.