Faculty Link Forums

Faculty Link forums are designed to bring together faculty from across campus to discuss various elements of the faculty experience in an open discussion. Forums are held in-person, with lunch provided. The first 15 minutes will be a chance to grab food and settle in, then our faculty co-leads will host the forum and prompt faculty panelists to share their experiences, insights, and tips relating to the forum topic. We encourage attendees to join the discussion and share their own questions, ideas, and expertise. These informal conversations offer great opportunities to meet faculty from across campus and learn from one another. We're excited to see you there!

Please note: The forums are currently limited to senate faculty members, adjunct faculty, clinical faculty, and cooperative extension specialists.

Participant feedback:

"Even though I didn't know many of the faculty, I immediately felt like I was part of a community. The expertise of the panelists and their diverse perspectives was also quite helpful."

"Just having a space to share and see other faculty who are looking for a sense of connection and meaning was wonderful."

“Wonderful tone, very full participation among presenters and attendees, substantive advice received”

Fall 2024 Forums

All forums will be held in the Academic Innovation Studio (127 Dwinelle). Please register in advance to attend.

If you require an accommodation for effective communication (ASL interpreting/CART captioning, alternative media formats, etc.) or information about campus mobility access features in order to fully participate in this event, please contact Emily Bryant at ebryant@berkeley.edu with as much advance notice as possible and at least 7-10 days in advance of the event.

October 3rd

Working Interdisciplinarily: Connection, Collaboration, and Cultivation

October 3rd, 11:45am - 1:30pm 

Join us as we share lunch and explore the complexities and rewards of engaging in research and teaching that spans multiple disciplines. We’ll consider both practical issues, such as ensuring that your distinct contributions to an interdisciplinary project are appropriately credited, securing funding for integrated projects, and choosing the best letter writers (and educating your Department Chair/Head and senior colleagues) when your work lives at the intersection of disciplines; as well as some of the more nuanced topics, such as worries over being siloed, having clear boundaries around expertise, and knowing how you might best use co-teaching to cultivate interdisciplinary collaborations.

Faculty Panelists:

  • Adrian Aguilera, Social Welfare
  • Lisa Garcia Bedolla, Education
  • Matthew Francis, Chemistry

October 30th

Carving your Path and having Impact as an Assistant Professor

October 30th, 12:15 - 2:00pm 

Whether you are a new, first-time assistant professor, are close to going up for promotion, or are somewhere in the middle, this Forum is for you! We invite you to join us to share and learn new insights about this academic career phase. We will discuss strategies for defining what success means to you; building impact in your field while striving for tenure; maintaining your authentic self in your research, teaching, and service; setting clear boundaries; establishing and maintaining healthy work-life balance; and planning ahead for your first associate professor years and beyond.

Faculty Panelists:

  • Sanjay Kumar, Bioengineering/Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
  • Laura Kray, Business
  • Max Auffhammer, Agricultural & Resource Economics/International and Area Studies

Register to attend

Past Forums

Spring 2024

  • Maximizing research excellence through inclusive lab environments 

  • Revealing and discussing the “hidden curriculum” for recently tenured associate professors

Fall 2023

  • I Need Money: Uncovering Strategies for Getting Funding

  • Finding your people: Strategies for building valuable new connections across the faculty career

Spring 2023

  • Capstones and Consolidation: Thriving Creatively in Later Career

  • Empirical Work for the Public Good: Strategies for community-engaged research

  • Publishing for Broad, Non-Academic Audiences

Fall 2022

  • Telling your Story: Making your best case for merits and promotion

  • From Service to Opportunity: Using department, campus, and professional service to support your career goals

Spring 2022

  • What is the "new normal"?
  • Writing the second book: Getting started, getting finished, and everything that happens in between
  • Cultivating corporate or philanthropic funding for your research

Fall 2021

  • What’s my identity?: What do you want to be known for and how do you shape your professional identity
  • Mentorship as a community of practice
  • #$^%*! Now what?? Dealing with rejection in the academy

Spring 2021

  • Finding balance? The gift and the curse of a flexible faculty life
  • Pivoting or pirouetting: Starting a new research project or changing your research course at any point in your career
  • How Does This Campus Actually Work? Demystifying how and where things get done so you can be most successful

Fall 2020

  • Taking Care of the Flock (and Yourself): Mentoring in the time of Covid
  • Navigating Choppy Waters: Promoting healthy relationships with department colleagues

Spring 2020

  • I Need Money: Overcoming Hurdles to Getting Grants
  • Is my summer a total wash?!?! Strategies for maintaining productivity, catching up, or just staying afloat over the summer