@rakaberkeley

Dean of UC Berkeley Division of Social Sciences. Feminist sociologist, ethnographer + avid mystery reader.

 Berkeley, CA
ls.berkeley.edu/SocialSciences
Joined August 2023
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613Media
(4/4) To stay connected with Berkeley Social Sciences while I’m away, I encourage you to follow the Berkeley Social Sciences LinkedIn page + the new Berkeley Social Sciences BlueSky for updates, stories, + research highlights from across the Division.
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Berkeley Social Sciences LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/uc-berk… Berkeley Social Sciences BlueSky: bsky.app/profile/berkeleysoc…
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(3/4) During my sabbatical, Associate Dean + Anthropology Prof. Laurie Wilkie will serve as acting dean, and Associate Deans Laura Nelson, Khatharya Um, + Caitlin Rosenthal will continue in their roles.
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(1/4) I will be taking sabbatical from July 1 through Dec. 31, 2026, to return to my research on the social consequences of a global economy in which young men without class advantage are increasingly left behind.
Raka Ray headshot

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(2/4) Leading Berkeley Social Sciences is profoundly rewarding for me. But I am grateful for the opportunity to focus deeply on this work + look forward to returning to the Dean’s Office in January with renewed energy.
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(1/3) @UCBHistory Prof. Emeritus Thomas R. Metcalf, a leading scholar of South Asian history, passed away earlier this month. Tom spent more than four decades at Cal, helping establish the university as a leading center for South Asian studies.
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(2/3) Tom’s groundbreaking scholarship on the British Raj + colonial India transformed how historians understand colonial power, imperial ideology, + India's place in the wider world. His work influenced generations of scholars + remains foundational to the field.
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(3/3) Learn more about his life: bit.ly/3T5wPj9
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From meeting as grad students at @Princeton to becoming leading scholars at @UCBerkeley, @UCBHistory Prof. @UssamaMakdisi + @GWS_UCB Prof. + Global Studies Dir. Elora Shehabuddin help shape global scholarship in the Middle East + Asia. Learn more: bit.ly/3PWximN
Smiling man in a dark jacket and woman in a colorful shawl leaning towards each other in a warmly lit room.

ALT Smiling man in a dark jacket and woman in a colorful shawl leaning towards each other in a warmly lit room.

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(1/2) Should California billionaires pay more to fund healthcare? At a recent debate co-sponsored by the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Center on Wealth and Income Inequality, @berkeleyecon Prof. Emmanuel Saez argued a billionaire wealth tax could raise billions +
Three individuals standing at podiums, engaged in a discussion or debate in a wooden auditorium. Photo courtesy of the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Center on Wealth and Income Inequality at UC Berkeley.

ALT Three individuals standing at podiums, engaged in a discussion or debate in a wooden auditorium. Photo courtesy of the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Center on Wealth and Income Inequality at UC Berkeley.

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(2/2) to support public services + address growing inequality. Conservative economist Arthur Laffer (@realartlaffer) countered that higher taxes would discourage investment + slow economic growth. Read more: bit.ly/4ax9b51

Two economic titans debate California’s billionaires tax at UC

Two of the country’s most influential economists stepped onto a UC Berkeley stage earlier this month to debate one of California’s biggest political and economic questions: Should billionaires pay

ls.berkeley.edu
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California has some of the nation’s highest earners, but a new report from Political Science Alum + @BESI_Berkeley Sr. Researcher @SamTrachtman finds that even high incomes can’t keep up with the state’s soaring cost of living. Learn more: bit.ly/4vARCJI
A view of the Golden Gate Bridge stretching across blue waters with San Francisco in the background under a clear sky. Photo credit: Maarten van den Heuvel via Unsplash

ALT A view of the Golden Gate Bridge stretching across blue waters with San Francisco in the background under a clear sky. Photo credit: Maarten van den Heuvel via Unsplash

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Can algorithms push us into more polarized news bubbles? A study by @berkeleyecon PhD student Mingduo Zhao finds that recommender systems may amplify political divides by learning what users click on + feeding them more of the same. Learn more: bit.ly/49rlD65
A person holding a smartphone displaying various news and entertainment thumbnails. Photo Credits: Soheb Zaidi | Unsplash

ALT A person holding a smartphone displaying various news and entertainment thumbnails. Photo Credits: Soheb Zaidi | Unsplash

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New research from @BerkeleyAfroAm Alumnus Kevin Rigby Jr. argues that public understanding of Black protest is shaped less by the protests themselves + more by how media, language + narrative frame what people see + believe. Learn more: bit.ly/4vf5OYt
Protest scene in front of a building with steps; a cardboard sign reads "DEFEND BLACK LIVES."

ALT Protest scene in front of a building with steps; a cardboard sign reads "DEFEND BLACK LIVES."

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Can humans understand AI’s “black box”? @BerkeleyLing Prof. @begusgasper, Berkeley Artificial Humanities Researcher @ninabegus, + artist collective @mthvn turned hidden AI systems into navigable spaces to reveal how machines learn language. Learn more: bit.ly/3Q2hL4O
A close-up view of a computer circuit board featuring a central chip labeled "AI" surrounded by other smaller components and connections. Photo credit: Igor Omilaev via Unsplash

ALT A close-up view of a computer circuit board featuring a central chip labeled "AI" surrounded by other smaller components and connections. Photo credit: Igor Omilaev via Unsplash

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Did the Fed really get post-COVID inflation wrong? @Berkeleyecon profs. Emi Nakamura, @JonSteinsson + PhD student Venance Riblier say the answer is complicated, and that central bank credibility may matter more than rigid monetary policy rules. Read more: bit.ly/3RxC3nm
Daily newspaper economy stock market chart Photo credit: Markus Spiske via Unsplash

ALT Daily newspaper economy stock market chart Photo credit: Markus Spiske via Unsplash

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Political Science Prof. Cecilia Hyunjung Mo has received global research grants to study solutions to human trafficking, child exploitation, + ethnic conflict in Sierra Leone, Liberia, + Ethiopia. Learn more: bit.ly/4fL3DHy
A group of individuals walking in a line during a protest, holding signs with messages against human trafficking. Photo credit: Hermes Rivera via Unsplash

ALT A group of individuals walking in a line during a protest, holding signs with messages against human trafficking. Photo credit: Hermes Rivera via Unsplash

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The Social Sciences Career Readiness Internship Program (SSCRIP) gave first-gen @berkeleysocio alumna Joselyn Espinoza the opportunity to participate in Congressional internships with Sen. Adam Schiff + Rep. Ro Khanna. Learn more about her experiences: bit.ly/3ROrkVs
Young woman in a white dress and Berkeley graduation stole stands smiling near an ornate green gate.

ALT Young woman in a white dress and Berkeley graduation stole stands smiling near an ornate green gate.

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In her new book “When Home Is a Photograph,” @BerkeleyAfroAm Prof. Leigh Raiford explores how Black activists + artists used photography not just to document history, but to imagine belonging, freedom + home. Read more: bit.ly/4wUkQEG
Cover of "When Home is a Photograph" by Leigh Raiford. A wall exhibits a diverse collage of colorful framed photographs and posters above a metallic, reflective sofa. Photo courtesy of Leigh Raiford

ALT Cover of "When Home is a Photograph" by Leigh Raiford. A wall exhibits a diverse collage of colorful framed photographs and posters above a metallic, reflective sofa. Photo courtesy of Leigh Raiford

A person wearing glasses and a striped, colorful cardigan sits by a window. They have a thoughtful expression and wear layered necklaces and rings. Photo courtesy of Leigh Raiford

ALT A person wearing glasses and a striped, colorful cardigan sits by a window. They have a thoughtful expression and wear layered necklaces and rings. Photo courtesy of Leigh Raiford

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Is the post-1945 world order unraveling? New research from Political Science Prof. Susan Hyde + @Columbia Political Science Prof. Elizabeth Saunders argues that an unconstrained U.S. presidency is weakening global stability. Learn more: bit.ly/4wHoYI6
Soldiers in camouflage uniforms and helmets sitting in the back of a military truck, facing forward. The scene is outdoors with sunlight filtering in. Photo credit: Diego González via Unsplash

ALT Soldiers in camouflage uniforms and helmets sitting in the back of a military truck, facing forward. The scene is outdoors with sunlight filtering in. Photo credit: Diego González via Unsplash

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