Current STUDENTS


Student Groups

group of students

Our student groups—engaged in interests as diverse as health policy and intramural sports—offer public health students the opportunity to attend events, build relationships with fellow students and faculty members, and gain hands-on public health experience within the community.

Groups open to School of Public health students include:

Association of Public Health Infectious Diseases Students (APHIDS)
Contact: cwichser@berkeley.edu

The Association of Public Health Infectious Diseases Students at Berkeley (APHIDS) is a graduate student group serving the School of Public Health (SPH) graduate students. Its goals include creating a strong sense of community during this time of transition, fostering communication both among Infectious Diseases students and between other SPH concentrations, and providing a welcoming and warm environment for new and prospective students. It is also dedicated to working within both the UC Berkeley student population and the city of Berkeley to reduce disease burden among at-risk populations. Currently, APHIDS is working with the Suitcase Clinic to provide Berkeley's homeless population with flu vaccinations and to expand its disease surveillance services.

Berkeley Advocates for Sexual Health (BASH)
Contact: berkeleybash@gmail.com

Berkeley Advocates for Sexual Health (BASH) is a group of Berkeley students, staff, and community members who share the goal of promoting sexual and reproductive health on campus, in the Berkeley community and beyond. Primarily organized by students from the School of Public Health, BASH seeks to increase opportunities for understanding and action around sexual and reproductive health issues through education, awareness, advocacy, and dialogue. To this end, BASH hosts campus-wide events throughout the school year. Past events have included film screenings, presentations by distinguished speakers, and roundtable discussions focusing on both local and international topics in family planning, gender-based rights and policy, sexually transmitted diseases, and maternal health.

Cal Undergraduate Public Health Coalition
Web site

Cal Undergraduate Public Health Coalition (Cal UPHC) was formed in order to provide undergraduate students in the public health major with a professional and supportive network. The group's mission is to help students gain "R.E.A.L." experience in the field of public health through Research, Education, Action, and Leadership. Founded in 2003, Cal UPHC is composed of an executive board and four primary committees: International Health, Community Health, Health Policy and Advocacy, and Environmental Health. Its members produce The Public Health Advocate.

Graduate Association of Public Health Students (GrAPHS)
Contact: graphs@berkeley.edu

Graduate Association of Public Health Students (GrAPHS) is the student organization that represents all graduate students at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. We advocate for student concerns and aim to foster school-wide cohesiveness and community. All current students are members and are strongly encouraged to participate in GrAPHS activities, which include regular meetings, open forums with the Dean, on- and off-campus socials, and opportunities to serve on school committees. We often work in coordination with other school organizations, such as the Public Health Alumni Association (PHAA) and the Public Health Student Sports Committee, to plan functions.

Health Services and Policy Analysis Doctoral Group
Web site
Contact: gordon_shen@berkeley.edu or jswhite@berkeley.edu

The Health Services and Policy Analysis (HSPA) collective is composed of doctoral students interested in the interdisciplinary advancement, discussion, and promotion of learning around the fields of health policy, politics, economics, and organizational theory. Currently, we have more 20 doctoral students, and we are affiliated with a diverse faculty group inclusive of professors across campus departments. The mission of the HSPA is to provide more opportunities for student members by strengthening ties within the group, sharing information about class and research, and maintaining ties with HSPA alumni. HSPA sponsors several yearly events, ranging from social events including wine-tasting, barbecues, and boat cruises to formal and informal venues for academic discussions. We are part of the Health Services Research bi-monthly colloquium, organized by Professor Will Dow. We also sponsor several faculty breakfasts each semester, bringing together students and faculty in an informal setting. Membership is open to any Ph.D. student.

MultiCultural Student Organization
Contact: Melissa Price, Armando Hernandez and Joe Griffin

The MultiCultural Student Organization(MCSO) is a graduate student group committed to advocacy and activism related to multicultural health, diversity, and cultural competence issues at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. MCSO provides a forum to discuss and address various diversity issues (race, class, gender, religion, physical disability, and socioeconomic status) and how they impact the relationships between students and their institution, the community at large, and other students. In the past, MCSO has sponsored guest speakers, organized educational and cultural outings, social events, and diversity training workshops. MCSO is committed to promoting a supportive and responsive academic environment for all students in which cultural diversity is valued and respected, and to advocating for the academic development and training of public health students to meet the health needs of a diverse and multicultural population.

Out!@SPH
Contact: outatsph@gmail.com  | Listserve: outatsph@lists.berkeley.edu

Out!@SPH is a platform for queer students (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, asexual, queer, intersexed) within the UC Berkeley School of Public Health to socialize and network, in addition to creating a safe and inclusive space for people from the spectrum of sexualities and genders. As Public Health students, we understand that being out and feeling welcomed and safe within our places of work/study is necessary for our well being. To this end, Out!@SPH was formed as a way to foster good health and to celebrate queerness. We are open to all School of Public Health graduate students. We are a new group within the School, so please join us!

Public Health Doctoral Student Association
Contact: Dcastaneda684@gmail.com

The School of Public Health doctoral student community is composed of many different disciplines. We have students working on a wide spectrum of public health problems in a myriad of degree programs that are diverse yet interconnected. This variety of interests and passions is what defines public health in both the academic and professional sense. To give SPH doctoral students a chance to discuss these health issues with each other and benefit from other students' public health perspectives, the Public Health Doctoral Student Association aims to create extracurricular opportunities to develop collegial relationships. We feel that our school community should be a leader in fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. Our association believes that the best way to foster this is to offer doctoral students various social events throughout the year that provide a relaxed atmosphere in which to build and create professional and academic networks. Our events so far include plans for an annual camping retreat held each Spring, as well as other smaller get-togethers throughout the year.

The Public Health Student Sports Committee
Contact: ejcarlton@berkeley.edu

The Public Health Student Sports Committee organizes intramural sports teams for public health graduate students. Our public health school is divided into many disciplines and degree levels. Intramural (IM) sports teams are a great way to build social networks within the school and to promote physical activity. Teams are open to all public health students of all skill levels from award-winning athletes to students who haven't put on a softball glove since second grade. Games are one hour, one evening a week (a great study break). Recent IM teams have included softball, soccer, flag football, and volleyball. Sign-ups are at the beginning of each semester.

Campuswide Groups