African American Studies

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Your Berkeley Connect in African American Studies Experience

  • Small‑group discussions — Recent topics have included: a) How students of color have shaped UC Berkeley throughout its history, b) Exploring the resources of your university, c) Getting involved in research and defining your intellectual project, and d) Social justice in and outside the classroom.
  • Academic exploration — Creates space to talk about how students develop their scholarly interests, connect coursework to lived experience, and navigate the interdisciplinary landscape of Ethnic Studies and African American Studies.
  • Career pathways — Features alumni events highlighting the wide range of professions graduates pursue in community work, public service, education, law, the arts, organizing, and research.
  • Faculty conversations — Offers sessions where professors discuss their research, how they came to the field, and how intellectual debates around race, power, and social justice shape their teaching and scholarship.
  • Field trips & special events — Includes programs such as Faculty Panel Discussion: Get to Know Your Professors, the What Can You Do with a Degree from UC Berkeley? alumni talk, and guided tours of the Ethnic Studies Library.

Graduate Mentor Role                                              

At the heart of Berkeley Connect is the relationship between you and your mentor. They:

  • Build community by leading small, discussion‑based sessions

  • Provide one‑on‑one support with personalized guidance and resources

  • Demystify the major by sharing skills, strategies, and tips on research and grad school

About Your Graduate Mentor (Fall only):

A person with a moustache and beard wearing a tan colored rimmed hat, a green and whit floral shirt, and a silver cross necklace with a wooden door and a rustic stone wall in the background.

Traveon Rogers

I’m Traveon Rogers and I’m a third-year student in African-American and African Diaspora Studies. I have been an educator in the U.S., Colombia, and Mexico and have had students of all nationalities and ages. I love teaching because I enjoy bringing people together through the sharing of knowledge and wisdom. I do research on the role of food in the United States Gulf Coast and the Greater Caribbean and the relationships that Black people have formed through culinary practice. I bring this knowledge to the community by cooking for local community organizations and events. In addition, I am a filmmaker, photographer, and musician. I hope to help students realize that their “academic selves” do not have to be separate from or far removed from their interests, passions, and communities.

Faculty Director

The faculty director supports the graduate fellow by planning the semester activities, and the graduate student facilitates the class. 

Picture of Verndette Gonzalez

Vernadette Vicuna Gonzalez 

Berkeley Connect Faculty Director, African American and Ethnic Studies
Professor of Ethnic Studies
Research Interests

Explore the Department