Tina Chow

Professor and Vice Chair for Graduate Studies, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

UC Berkeley

I am a professor and Vice Chair for Graduate Studies in Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC Berkeley. I have led the graduate admissions process in our department for the last couple of years. After attending past C-CIDE workshops and implementing several new ideas, I have seen the tremendous progress that is possible when we take time to have meaningful conversations about our admissions process. First, it takes time to discuss and analyze current practices that have been in place for many years. Then, we can move forward with changes like implementing rubrics into the graduate admissions process, involving current students on committees, and identifying other ways in which unconscious biases creep into our decision making. I am excited to see a positive shift in the way our department approaches graduate admissions, and I am eager to deepen my understanding of equitable practices to help us create an inclusive educational environment at Berkeley.