Sociology

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Your Berkeley Connect in Sociology Experience

  • Small‑group discussions — Recent topics have included: a) The sociological imagination, b) Charting your intellectual path, c) Writing like a sociologist, and d) Student savvy: how to get the most out of your time at UC Berkeley.
  • Academic exploration — Creates space to talk about what it means to think, read, and argue like a sociologist; how to connect personal experiences to broader social structures; and how to navigate the Sociology major and the wider Berkeley community.
  • Career pathways — Features alumni events highlighting the wide range of professions Sociology majors pursue in research, public policy, law, education, community organizations, social services, and beyond.
  • Faculty conversations — Offers sessions where professors discuss how and why they became sociologists, their research interests, and how scholarly debates shape the discipline.
  • Field trips & special events — Includes programs such as Faculty Panel: How and Why I Became a Berkeley Professor, the Undergraduate Research Panel, and guided tours of the Berkeley Art Museum.

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 Mentors:

A person with shoulder-length black hair and bangs wearing a white t-shirt and dark blue sweater vest.They have tattos on their arms and there are trees in the background.

Jessica Law

I'm Jessica, a PhD Candidate in Sociology. My research is generally focused on racial politics, the construction of knowledge, and social movements. My dissertation is about the meaning and political implications of DEI. I attribute a lot of who I am to my undergraduate experience, both academically and the organizing I was a part of then, so I am excited to talk to students about their passions in such a pivotal time in their lives. As a first-generation college student myself, I knew very little about the breadth of resources and opportunities that a university offers beyond coursework, so I am looking forward to exploring and discussing these. Outside of the grad program, I like to play video games, hang out at the park, and watch horror movies.

A person with short, dark, curly hair wearing black-rimmed glasses, a white shirt and a black blazer, smiling and standing in front of a brown wood-paneled wall.

David Joseph-Goteiner

In all of my years in school, I remember very little of the content (!), but I can recall so many of my teachers and the mentors who helped me learn and grow. I'm an East Bay native who spent time in So-Cal, on the East Coast, and in Paris before returning to Berkeley for my PhD in sociology. I've studied civic organizations, the spread of rituals, neighborhood conflict and cooperation, and organizational change. COVID-19 changed my research interests, and I chose to write my dissertation about the future of work, especially the platform economy and the AI supply chain. When I'm not researching, teaching, or mentoring, you'll find me cooking, going on jogs while listening to podcast, and hanging out with friends and family.

Faculty Director

Cristina Mora

G. Cristina Mora

Berkeley Connect Faculty Director, Sociology
Chancellor’s Professor of Sociology; Co‑Director, Institute of Governmental Studies
Research Interests

Explore the Department