What is GradFest?

The ESPM Graduate Symposium, or GradFest, is an annual celebration of graduating students in the department. It serves as the only space for students across diverse topics to present their research to the community. In addition to research talks from our graduating students, this half-day symposium will feature an introductory keynote from an ESPM faculty; remarks from the Dean of RCNR, ESPM Faculty Chair, and ESPM HGA; display of research posters from ESPM grads; and an overall celebration of the ESPM community!

GradFest 2024

Join us for the 2024 edition of GradFest on Wednesday, May 1st from 12:00pm – 7:00pm in 575 McCone Hall, UC Berkeley. All talks will be livestreamed, with the link to be shared in the coming weeks.

We have an amazing line up of speakers and activities this year, so be sure to check out the Program page & RSVP here!

Event Details

Venue

The event will be held from 12:00pm – 7:00pm in 575 McCone Hall on UC Berkeley’s campus. Lunch and the reception will be served on the outdoor patio on McCone Hall’s 5th floor. Masks are recommended for this event, but not required.

Format

This year’s symposium will feature speakers giving talks in-person, and the event will be livestreamed to our Department YouTube channel: youtube.com/@ESPMBerkeley. The exact link will be shared as the date approaches, but you should direct friends and family to the YouTube channel where the livestream will be broadcasted on the day of.

Food & Drink

Food and drink will be provided, including a lunch at the start of the event 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

There are three entrances to McCone Hall. The south side ground level entrance is usable via exterior ramp, but does not provide an automatic opener. The west side level one entrance does provide an automatic opener, and enters at grade. Please contact the GradFest Coordinator if you have questions or specific needs, we want to ensure this event is accessible to all.

Contact

Questions, comments & concerns can be sent to ESPM Events Specialist Kelly Redfearn Kinder (kredfearnk@berkeley.edu).