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Advising
GPP Staff Advisors and Peer Advisors are available to meet with students both in-person and remotely on Zoom to discuss any questions they have regarding the GPP Minor. The GPP Peer Advisors are undergraduate students who have completed a majority of the requirements for the GPP Minor, including the Practice Experience. They are a great resource to seek information about what the Minor entails, selecting a Practice Experience, course planning, and much more.
We encourage prospective students to meet with an advisor before they apply to declare the Minor. Students declared in the Minor should check in regularly with the Advisors for guidance on ensuring regular progress towards completing the Minor.
We offer drop-in advising and appointments during Fall 2022:
Schedule an appointment: https://calendly.com/gppminor/gpp-minor-advising. You may choose whether your appointment will be in person in Blum Hall or on zoom. We encourage you to meet in person when possible.
Drop-in Advising: Tuesdays and Wednesdays 1pm – 4pm in 100H Blum Hall.
Email gppminor@berkeley.edu with any questions.
Meet the Advisors
Samhita Bhat
Major: Molecular and Cell Biology, Public Health
Year: Senior
Practice Experience: This past summer I worked at the Public Health Research Institute of India in Mysore, India. My project was related to the Cervical Cancer Screening Program that the non-profit has established that seeks to screen and treat women in urban and rural areas of Mysore. Specifically I interviewed ASHAs and AWWs who serve as healthcare facilitators in the community and were involved in the Cervical Cancer Screening Program for their opinions and feedback on the success and limitations of the program.
GPP Elective Courses Taken: History 100D (Disease, Health, and Medicine in American History)
Activities: GlobeMed at Berkeley, Research at the Harris Lab under the School of Public Health, Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program Project at UCSF, Field Study Internship Coordinator for the Health Medical Apprenticeship Program
About Me: Hi Everyone! My name is Samhita Bhat (she/her) and I grew up in the South Bay Area. When I came to Berkeley, GPP was a minor opportunity that I discovered in my first semester and was something I was so excited to find. I loved the way I was able to combine my interests in medicine and public health and extend that in the GPP classes and PE I was able to do. In my free time, I love to dance, go on hikes, and discover new restaurants and cafés to try out with friends! If you want to talk about GPP and non-profits or looking for a new restaurant to try out, feel free to stop by at my drop-in hours! Look forward to meeting you all 🙂
Grace Jana Elam
Major: Rhetoric
Year: Senior
Practice Experience: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Regional Council: As an administrative intern, I conduct research on tribal-governmental affairs, work with the small grants program for civil rights compliance, and am part of the teams for EJ (environmental justice) data mapping, hazardous waste regulation in Guam, and DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility) hiring and mentorship.
GPP Elective Courses Taken: AFRICAM182AC (Social Movements and Organizing); SOICIOL180I (Comparative Perspectives on U.S. and European Societies — Inequality); XETHSTD197 (Field Study in Community); LS70C (Living on the Edge)
Activities: CalACLU, Alternative Spring Breaks
About Me:Hi GPP! I’m Grace (she/her). Some of my favorite personal identity labels include San Francisco native, coffee connoisseur, cat mom, rainbow community member, and tree hugger. Outside of our ivory tower, I enjoy creative writing, compiling playlists, and quick (and budget) weekend adventures. While my GPP Practice Experience centers around environmental justice, I’ve also worked closely and recently with gender equity, grassroots organizing, Bay Area houselessness, and local courts and governance. I’d love to chat with you about any and all of these issues! Drop in and let’s talk about your passions; I so look forward to getting to know some of you this semester.
Maansa Kavuri
Major: MCB Developmental Bio
Year: Senior
Practice Experience: I am working with San Francisco Women against rape and am working on the sexual assault crisis hotline and also as a peer counselor.
GPP Elective Courses Taken: GWS 180Y (Gender, Sex and Power)
Activities: Azaad, Sahaara, Lacey Lab
About Me: I have grown up in the Bay and have always been interested in medicine and advocacy, which is why GPP was such a great fit for my interests. If you have any questions about being premed at Cal or interests in joining a lab here or at UCSF or even a dance team, especially the Indian dance teams, I would love to help and look forward to meeting everyone!
Marisa Menendez
Major: Interdisciplinary Studies
Year: Senior
Practice Experience: I was supposed to have a wonderful P.E. this summer in Barcelona, but things fell by the wayside for several reasons, catching COVID amongst them. But as it often happens, there was a silver lining to my P.E. falling through, which was the opportunity to establish contacts with three different organizations regarding my potential collaboration with them. I’m in the process of establishing my P.E. for the fall semester and I am extremely excited by it!
Activities: Cal CREATE!, Language Exchange Program
About Me: My name is Marisa Almor-Menendez and I was born and raised in Barcelona. I am a fourth year transfer student majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on migration, but I consider my GPP minor cohort my real community here at Cal. The moment I learned about GPP, I knew I wanted to get the minor and have actually defined my major around it; I was raised with a strong sense of social justice and in a strongly ideological, progressive environment, so I feel a sense of belonging in the GPP department.
I am a foreign language enthusiast and in my spare time I love traveling, meeting new people, the visual arts, (especially cinema and its history; one of my favorite things to do when I finish an assignment is to reward myself by watching a movie,) plants and animals, and lately I have been into handicrafts and creative activities.
Mansi Patel
Major: Architecture
Year: Senior
Practice Experience:I volunteered with the Berkeley Public Schools Fund during the first summer after the pandemic started. I went to the outdoor resource distribution space to distribute Chromebooks, hotspots, and workbooks to parents, guardians, students, and teachers. I was on a few projects, like making tutorial videos for parents/guardians on how to access and use their student’s online programs and a Racial Justice Activation Circle to learn with guardians and other volunteers about the roots of racial inequality and how it intertwines with Berkeley’s public schools.
GPP Elective Courses Taken: Sociology 140 (Politics and Social Change); City Planning 115 (Urbanization in Developing Countries)
Activities: Cal Construction Club, National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS), Chicanx/Latinx Architecture Students Association (CASA), Berkeley Entrepreneurial Toastmasters, Cal Habitat for Humanity, Indian Students Association (ISA)
About Me: Hello! My name is Mansi (she/her), and I’m from Los Banos, CA, a small town in the central valley! I am studying architecture and had felt that my major didn’t dive much into how interdisciplinary and complex it actually is so taking GPP 115 blew (and expanded) my mind.
Outside of the minor, I’m interested in embroidering, lifting weights, walking aimlessly around places, and more!
If you’re curious or unsure about doing the GPP minor or have any questions at all, I’m more than happy to talk with you and hear your interests!
Sam Shrivatsa
Major: Environmental Engineering Science
Year: Senior
Practice Experience: I worked with Parikrma Humanity Foundation, Bangalore, India. Parikrma is a nonprofit that provides education to over 1,000 children from slum neighborhoods across Bangalore. They focus on holistic development around a child’s education, nutrition, health care and family care. I taught a small class on climate change and helped students develop a plan for a community garden on their school grounds. I also tutored students one on one and created worksheets, lesson plans, and in-class activities for the teachers.
GPP Elective Courses Taken: CE 105 (Design for Global Transformation); CE 111 (Environmental Engineering)
Activities: Spectrum At Cal, Gadgil Lab for Energy and Water Research
About Me: Greetings! My name is Sam (or Samyukta) and I am from Bangalore, India. Outside of my academic interests in environmental justice and community-driven technology, I am passionate about disability activism and advocate for the autistic community on campus and beyond. I love going on hikes and walks around Berkeley, and exploring the worlds of Indian Carnatic music, Bharatanatyam and yoga.
Whether you want to know more about GPP (one of my favorite things about my Berkeley experience), discuss books or history, chat about mental health and activism, or just need someone to talk to, I hope you drop by my advising hours. I look forward to being a part of your journey at Cal!
Mahima Sinha
Major: Public Health
Year: Senior
Practice Experience: I am currently working with the Transitions Clinic Network (TCN), which aims to build a healthcare model for individuals returning to the community from incarceration. My organization coordinates primary care services for returning community members by referring them to participating clinics and providing hotline services. In addition, TCN employs community health workers with a history of incarceration to promote culturally competent care. As an intern, my work has consisted of: researching best practices to develop new protocols for the hotline service, conducting informational interviews with staff, writing articles for the newsletter, cleaning and analyzing data on referrals, and attending staff meetings.
GPP Elective Courses Taken: PBHLTH 150E (Introduction to Community Health and Human Development); PBHLTH 150B (Human Health and the Environment in a Changing World); PBHLTH 150D (Introduction to Health Policy and Management)
Activities: Health Service Internship, Patient Advocacy Student Group/Patient Support Corps, UCB Azaad
About Me: Hi! My name is Mahima, and I’m from San Jose, California. I’m a senior studying Public Health, and my main areas of interest are community health, racial and social justice, and health advocacy. The GPP minor has really encouraged me to think critically about the world around us and understand the impact of different organizations and social movements. I’ve learned so much through the classes and met so many amazing people! Outside of the minor, I love to dance, try new recipes, and explore Berkeley. If you’re looking to discuss GPP, talk about classes, share cooking tips, or just chat about life, then please feel free to drop by my advising hours! I look forward to meeting all of you!
Spring 2023 Drop-in Advising Schedule
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:00am | Samhita | Mansi | Mahima | No Advising | Samhita |
| 11:30am | Samhita | Mansi | Mahima | No Advising | Samhita |
| 12:00pm | Samhita, Maansa | Mansi, Sam | Mahima | Sam | Grace |
| 12:30pm | Maansa | Sam | Mahima | Sam | Grace |
| 1:00pm | Maansa | Sam | No Advising | No Advising | Grace |
| 1:30pm | Maansa | No Advising | No Advising | No Advising | Grace |
| 2:00pm | Mahima | No Advising | Mansi | No Advising | Grace, Maansa |
| 2:30pm | Mahima | No Advising | Mansi | No Advising | Maansa |
| 3:00pm | No Advising | No Advising | No Advising | No Advising | No Advising |
| 3:30pm | No Advising | No Advising | No Advising | No Advising | No Advising |
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Students who are interested in pursuing the Global Poverty and Practice Minor and would like to receive reminders about workshops, deadlines, and other information related to the Minor are encouraged to complete the following form:
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