The Graduate Global Development Project (GGD) is a new position devoted to connecting graduate students who are interested in global health and development with each other and relevant resources on the UC Berkeley campus. The GGD’s goal is to foster a vibrant, multi-disciplinary community of students and faculty whose work relates to global development. The project coordinator’s responsibilities will include:

• developing opportunities for students interested in global health and development to meet, learn, and collaborate,
• connecting interested graduate students with opportunities to get involved in global development research and training,
• organizing, in collaboration with campus centers and student groups, an annual UC Berkeley Global Engagement Day,
• identifying and publicizing relevant coursework, funding, and internship opportunities on campus,
• and, participating in the development of campus norms with respect to global engagement.

Qualified candidates should be current UC Berkeley graduate students, knowledgeable about international issues, able to plan large events and network with the campus community, have experience fundraising for events, be organized and have good communication skills. The project coordinator will work 14 hours a week over a 10-month period and receives a $896 monthly stipend. To apply or for a complete job description, please email Elizabeth De la Torre at projects@ga.berkeley.edu.

The Chief of Staff (COS) to the Campus Affairs Vice President (CAVP) works closely with the CAVP to identify and resolve campus-level issues facing UC Berkeley’s graduate student population. The COS’s responsibilities include:

• attending GA meetings with the CAVP and taking minutes during these meetings,
• planning campus affairs committee meetings,
• and, working in collaboration with the CAVP and the Assistant Dean of Student to select committee members to review applications for the Faculty Mentor Award.

Candidates should be current UC Berkeley graduate students, knowledgable about the GA, responsive to email, able to attend meetings on short notice, strong writing and interpersonal skills, well organized and comfortable with multi-tasking. This is a 10-month position, requiring approximately 10-12 hours of work per week, with a $600 monthly stipend. For more information or to apply, please email cavp@ga.berkeley.edu.

First, the Grad Assembly (GA) is looking to hire two graduate students for the 2010-2011 school year to serve as the project coordinators for the Women of Color Initiative (WOCI) project and the Graduate Minority Outreach, Recruitment, and Retention (GMORR) project. WOCI focuses its programming on creating a safe and open space for women of color on campus through brown bag speakers and the Empowering Women of Color Conference, and also collaborates with the Graduate Women’s Project. GMORR focuses on bridging the gap between undergraduate and graduate students in order to promote higher education, career planning, and mentoring. For complete job descriptions and stipend amounts email projects@ga.berkeley.edu or theberkeleygraduate@ga.berkeley.edu. But act fast, since applications are due Wednesday, May 12 at noon.

Second, celebrate the successful completion of another semester with an ice cream social. Three of the GA projects will be serving free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream sundaes Wednesday, May 12, from 3:00-4:30 on the patio at Anthony Hall. It’s first come, first served, so come close to 3 to ensure you get your sugar fix.

And finally, the Career Center is giving a presentation on how to find and think about postdocs strategically. This talk, which is appropriate for graduate students in the humanities, social sciences, sciences, and engineering, will be held Thursday, May 13, from 5:00-6:15 in 100 Wheeler.

This workshop is organized by the Graduate Minority Outreach, Recruitment and Retention (GMORR) and the Graduate Support Services Projects (GSSP). Contact them with any questions at gmorr@ga.berkeley.edu and gssp@ga.berkeley.edu.

First, a Shiatsu/Tui Na Massage Workshop with Hena Rainge. Come for a night of learning and sharing easy massage techniques that release neck, shoulder, arm and back pain. In this workshop you will be fully clothed and perform the techniques with a partner while they are sitting or lying on the floor. Please bring something comfortable to lie down on and a pillow or towel for your head. This is a hands-on class, so please dress comfortably in sweats, tee shirts, leggings or shorts. The workshop will be held Tuesday, April 13, from 5:30-7:30 pm in the Tan Oak Room of the MLK Jr. Student Union. Babysitting will be available and dinner will be provided.

Photo by Anomalily

And second, a graduate women’s study hall. Are you buried under your work? Need help getting motivated and focused? The Graduate Women’s Project can help! Come study with other graduate women next weekend. The food is free, the coffee is hot, and the company is fresh! For studying in a friendly, relaxed environment, stop by Anthony Hall anytime between 11 am and 6 pm on Saturday, April 17th.

Photo by Kevin

The Graduate Social Club invites you to cruise the Bay on Saturday, April 24th, from 8-11 pm. Boarding in Oakland, we’ll set out right around sunset for a night of drinks and dancing as we sail between the skylines of San Francisco and the East Bay. This event has always been a lot of fun, and it will sell out quickly (last year it took only 3 hours), so put your name on our email list to get updates on when you’ll be able to buy your tickets. Just send a quick message to gsc@ga.berkeley.edu.

Tickets this year are $40, which is slightly higher than last year, but this will get you not only a full three hours on the boat, but an open beer and wine bar, appetizers, multiple DJs on two different floors, and a chance to see the city and mingle with other grad students on board the beautiful California Hornblower. We can accommodate up to 650 people, both Cal students and their guests, so tell all your friends to sign up for the email list and get ready to go cruising!

Hope to see you all there,  Alex and Ashley (your GSC co-chairs)

Photo by josh.liba

Tuesday, March 30, join the Graduate Support Services Project and the Graduate Minority Students’ Project for a study hall in Anthony Hall from 5:30-8:00 pm. All graduate students are welcome and dinner will be provided!

Wednesday, March 31, don’t miss the Grad Social Committee’s Spring Social! It’ll be from 6-9 pm in the Pauley Ballroom (MLK Jr., Student Union). For $4 (or $3 when you bring your own cup) you get pizza, beer, and a chance to socialize with grad students from across campus. Grad socials are always a blast, so be sure to grab your friends for this once-a-semester event.

Wednesday, March 17, get all your 2009 tax questions answered at the Taxes Workshop, led by H &R Block representative Caan Nguyen. This workshop will be held from 3:30-5:00 pm in Stephens in the MLK Jr. Student Union. As always refreshments will be provided!

Thursday, March 18, Mushim Ikeda-Nash of the East Bay Meditation Center is leading a workshop on meditation and writing from 12:00-2:00 pm in 554 Barrows Hall. Unfortunately, this workshop, which teaches techniques to improve your writing process, is already full. However, if this type of offering is of interest, please keep an eye on the GA calendar. The workshop organizers are hoping to offer it twice next year.

Of the workshop, Ms. Ikeda-Nash has written: “This is not journaling for self-expression or personal therapy or contemplation; it’s not creative writing to ‘express our feelings’ or explore something artistically through language. This will be about having an assignment, a goal, a timetable, and basically doing ‘project management’ on oneself to produce a ‘deliverable’ without getting snowed under by one’s perfectionism, inner critic, procrastination, feelings of overwhelm, or stress from other parts of one’s life.”

Email Erica at gssp@ga.berkeley.edu with any questions.

If you’re wondering why complete the survey, there are two main reasons.

(1) To be heard. By letting the GA know which issues matter to you, you will help the GA to more accurately and effectively represent the needs of graduate students in its interactions with campus and external decision-makers, and to achieve results that directly benefit you, such as improved services and increased resources for graduate students.

(2) To win a prize. Survey respondents have a chance to win three cash prizes (of $800, $500 and $200) as well as ten $50 gift certificates for the Cal Student Store.