Meet Michael from UCDC! OURS Student Spotlight
Michael Plancarte (he/him) | Legal Studies, Public Policy | Spring ‘25 Michael interned with the White House Office of Science and Technology (OSTP), where he researched and contributed to various projects regarding artificial intelligence (AI), drafting and revising memos, editing reports, planning and coordinating meetings. Through his UCDC experience, he engaged with different OSTP components, the federal government, the private sector, academia, and other nations. How will the skills you developed through your internship help you achieve your academic and/or professional goals? My time at the White House put […]
Meet Michael from URAP! | OURS Student Spotlight
Michael Brand (he/him) | Environment Economics & Policy, Legal Studies | Spring ‘27 For his URAP apprenticeship, Michael assessed the sustainability of the global subsea telecommunications network and the environmental impact of transoceanic internet cables. Over the past year and a half, he has researched a wide array of interdisciplinary issues surrounding the hidden environmental costs of the internet, further developing his skills in writing and critical thinking. Although initially planning to apply his degrees in environment economics and policy and legal studies to attend law school, his experience with […]
Meet Adrian from SURF! | OURS Student Spotlight
Adrian Enrique Caceres (he/him/el) | Spring ‘25 | Sociology Adrian (he/him/el) is one of our SURF L&S participants and is currently studying sociology. For his SURF L&S project, he researched how formerly incarcerated students experience social and academic stigma at higher education institutions such as UC Berkeley. Drawing on his lived experience as formerly incarcerated, Adrian advocates for breaking down the stigma and barriers attached to formerly incarcerated people. What was your research question and how is it personal to you? My question was: how do formerly incarcerated students experience social […]
Meet Lark From SURF L&S! | OURS Student Spotlight
Lark (they/them) | Spring ‘25 | Sociology and Art Practice Lark (they/them) is one of our SURF L&S participants and is currently double majoring in sociology and art practice. During their time in the program, they researched how Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) ballroom communities negotiate their racial and cultural identities regarding gender performances within the predominantly Black and Latine ballroom history and context. Lark is interested in the ways that gender is racialized so that the larger society can reimagine gendered structures, performances, and ways of being. What was […]
Meet Raquel from UCDC! | OURS Student Spotlight
Raquel Lopez Blanco (she/her) Raquel (she/her) participated in our UCDC program in the Spring of 2024. During her time in UCDC, she interned with the American Bar Association’s Commission on Immigration, where she was able to better understand the immigration process through working directly with detainees. Her experience allowed her to develop her professional skills and future plans. How will the skills you developed through your internship help you achieve your academic and/or professional goals? During my time with the ABA, I worked one-on-one with detainees – guiding them through […]
Meet our Haas Scholars! | OURS Student Spotlight
Amber Griffin-Royal (she/her) | Haas Scholars Program | Summer ‘25 Amber is a Haas Scholar currently majoring in African-American studies and minoring in Journalism. During her time in the Haas Scholars program, she researched Oakland’s Black Soundscape, including the everyday sounds heard in Oakland neighborhoods, community events, and her own sonic memories growing up in Oakland. After graduating, Amber plans to take a gap year to rest from academia before applying to graduate school. During her break, she will focus on creating cultural productions that merge her professional skills as an […]