About GradFest
The ESPM Graduate Symposium, or GradFest, is an annual celebration of graduating students in the department. It serves as an opportunity for students across diverse fields to present their research to the public.
GradFest 2026 will take place on Wednesday, May 6th in 311 Wellman Hall. In addition to research talks from our graduating students, the symposium will feature an introductory keynote from a speaker nominated by ESPM graduate students, Dr. Diana Ojeda; remarks from the Dean of RCNR David Ackerly, and ESPM Faculty Chair Lynn Huntsinger; a reception and party following with live music; and an overall celebration of the ESPM community. RSVP Today!
Event Details
Schedule
| Time | Speaker Name | Advisor | Topic/Title |
| 10:00 | David Ackerly | RCNR Dean | Welcome/Introduction to GradFest |
| 10:15 | Erin Carroll | Benjamin Blonder | Remote sensing of intraspecific variation in quaking aspen |
| 10:45 | Jesus Alejandro Garcia | Michael Mascarenhas | "Becoming Green: The historical trajectory and uneven geographies of a green accumulation frontier in the Upper Magdalena River, Colombia." |
| 11:15 | Erin Faye Katz | Allen Goldstein | "A Multispecies Approach to Investigate Changing Reactive Carbon Emissions in Urban Environments" |
| 11:45 | Rose Mohammadi | Albert Ruhi | "Drought and cross-ecosystem linkages across the riverine-riparian interface" |
| 12:15 | LUNCH | Mulford courtyard | Poster Session by ESPM 201A first-year graduate students |
| 1:30 | Rachel Weinberg | Neil Tsutsui | Chemical, behavioral, and genomic investigations of invasive ant super colonies in California |
| 2:00 | Trinity Walls | Damian Elias | Animal communication, mate choice in spiders |
| 2:30 | Lin Yan | Damian Elias | Complex courtship in the Habronattus jumping spiders |
| 3:00 | Diana Ojeda | Keynote Speaker |
Dynamics of land dispossession in the Colombian Caribbean, environmental and territorial defense in Latin America |
| 4:00 | RECEPTION | S. Mulford Lawn | Featuring a live music performance by ESPM graduate students |
Venue
Research talks from finishing ESPM graduate students will take place in 311 Wellman Hall on UC Berkeley’s campus. The reception will begin after finishing talks have concluded and will be held on South Lawn outside Mulford Hall.
Format
This year’s symposium will feature talks by in-person speakers, and the event will be available via livestream on our Department YouTube channel: youtube.com/@ESPMBerkeley.
Food & Drink
Food and drink will be provided, including a lunch with the finishing graduate students and light refreshments during the reception. The event is public, but we request that you RSVP if you plan to attend at any point in the day to help us with numbers for catering.
Accessibility Info for Wellman Hall
Accessible entrances: Double doors on the north side of the building have automatic openers operated by push plates inside and outside the building. There is an exterior very steep ramp (similar to a driveway) leading to this usable entrance.
Restrooms: There are two multiple user restrooms on the first level. The mens room provides a stall with side transfer capabilities, but the womens room does not. Location: First Level: Mens restroom is at west end of building, and the womens restroom is at the east end.
Please contact the GradFest Coordinator (contact info below) for more information or to request an accommodation in order to fully participate in the event.
Contact
Questions, comments & concerns can be sent to ESPM Events Specialist Kelly Redfearn Kinder (kredfearnk at berkeley.edu).
Archive
Past GradFest event pages can be viewed on the GradFest Archive page.