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Student Groups

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 BPH Students

Alianza Latine for Public Health Action (ALPHA)

Contact: alianza.grads@berkeley.edu

Website: CalLink

Alianza Latinx for Public Health Action (ALPHA) is a student-run organization that aims to create a space to empower Latinx students in the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley, including first-generation students. ALPHA will serve as a platform for community-building and professional development to cultivate Latinx leaders in public health. Our vision is to uplift unique Latinx perspectives and experiences, create a strong professional network and contribute to a diverse public health community.

Asian & Pacific Islander (API) Women’s Circle

Contact: ucbsph.apiwc@berkeley.edu

We aim to provide a unique space for womxn to meet, connect over shared experiences, and develop strong support during graduate school. Our long term vision is to develop strong professional networks, advance culturally humble/ responsive and equitable public health practices to serve the needs of all diverse communities. APIWC supports the integration and implementation of racial justice and healing as essential aspects of public health practice.

Association of Public Health Infectious Diseases Students (APHIDS)

Contact: aphids.sph@gmail.com

The Association of Public Health Infectious Diseases Students at Berkeley (APHIDS) is a graduate student group serving the UC Berkeley School of Public Health (BPH) graduate students. Its goals include creating a strong sense of community, fostering communication both among Infectious Diseases students and between other BPH concentrations, and providing a welcoming and warm environment for new and prospective students.

Biostatistics Graduate Student Association (BSGSA)

Contact: bsgsa@berkeley.edu

Biostatistics Graduate Student Association (BSGSA) is designed to represent the interests and needs of graduate students in biostatistics. We welcome any student who has an interest in biostatistics to foster a great professional and social environment. No previous experience in biostatistics is needed; all students from the Berkeley Public Health community are welcome!

Black Advocates for Equity in Health (BAEH)

Contact: BAEH@berkeley.edu

Black Advocates for Equity in Health (BAEH) was founded in 2018 to provide space and resources to support and empower Black students in the School of Public Health. We aim to foster community, create networking opportunities, and provide opportunities to connect with fellow students at BPH across disciplines. BAEH exists to promote health equity and address/dismantle structural anti-blackness on campus and beyond. Our vision is that the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and the field of public health at large are more diverse and representative of Black communities in the United States. We see a future in which Black-identifying individuals are empowered to be leaders in the field of public health and racial/ethnic health disparities are eliminated.

Cal Student Assistance for Public Health (Cal STAPH)

Website: Cal STAPH

Cal Student Assistance for Public Health (Cal STAPH) is an official student organization at UC Berkeley that provides graduate students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and training, as well as build their professional networks, in the field of public health. Through partnerships with state and local health agencies, our members are able to learn valuable skills in the various specialties of public health practice. We aim to provide two main services to local and state health agencies: 1) surge capacity during disease outbreaks and other public health emergencies, and 2) assistance with routine, non-emergency activities such as data management and analysis. This organization will further enhance the educational, career, and professional development of public health graduate students at UC Berkeley while directly serving the public health community in California.

Cal Undergraduate Public Health Coalition

Website: Cal UPHC

Cal Undergraduate Public Health Coalition (Cal UPHC) was formed in order to provide undergraduate students 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, our award-winning publication The Public Health Advocate, and four primary committees: Community Health, Environmental Health, International Health, and Health Policy and Advocacy.

Haas Healthcare Association (HHA)

Contact: hha-haas@berkeley.edu

Website: HHA

The Haas Healthcare Association (HHA) is a student-run organization that brings together UC Berkeley students of all backgrounds with a shared mission to build a more connected and impactful healthcare ecosystem. HHA represents a broad group of students from across UC Berkeley, including the Haas School of Business, School of Public Health, Goldman School of Public Policy, and College of Engineering. Our vision is to be the premier healthcare talent pipeline that attracts and empowers the most innovative thought leaders. Our mission is to serve as an organization that equips and connects the most passionate minds in healthcare to develop innovative solutions for the world’s most difficult health challenges.

Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Student Interest Group (MCAH SIG)

Contact: mcahsig@berkeley.edu

The MCAH Student Interest Group is a local peer network of students with a shared interest in issues related to Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health (MCAH) and, more broadly, Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH). We aim to offer opportunities and events to engage in student-led dialogue, learning, and skill building. No previous experience with MCAH issues is required to join, and students of the Berkeley Public Health community (graduate & undergraduate) from all academic divisions and the larger UC Berkeley campus are welcome!

Queering Public Health (QPH)

Contact: queersph@berkeley.edu

Queering Public Health (QPH) is a space dedicated to fostering community for those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, allies, or other identities (from here on, referred to as queer); creating a learning environment where students and faculty produce and share research that represents queer individuals and queers the norms of Public Health; and leading advocacy and service in the name of underrepresented individuals on our campus and in our broader communities. The QPH group was formed in response to the lack of space to discuss queerness in the context of Public Health. This group is intended to fill this gap by providing a number of opportunities including social networking, research, and service for queer students and their allies interested in advancing health.

The Public Health Advocate

Website: The Public Health Advocate

The Public Health Advocate (PHA) is an undergraduate publication featuring current public health issues with local, national, and international perspectives. Since 2005, PHA has been dedicated to giving students interested in health the opportunity to publish their written works in our semesterly print issues or on the website. We strive to support students as they advocate for the health of all individuals and educate the general public about emerging public health topics.

Student Collaborative for Impact Leadership (SCIL)

The Student Collaborative for Impact Leadership (SCIL, pronounced “skill”) is a professional, student-run organization whose vision is to empower students to become leaders in the public health field. SCIL is comprised of students from every concentration at Berkeley Public Health and is governed by a student board who gain valuable experience learning how to build and manage a decision-making body.

  • SCIL Goals

    SCIL aims to provide students with leadership development opportunities that will:

    • Give them a platform to take initiative and execute new ideas;
    • Strengthen key skills, such as networking, communication, collaboration, and project management;
    • Help them build connections with Berkeley Public Health students, organizations, faculty, staff, and alumni through professional development and social events
  • SCIL Vision

    SCIL members from all disciplines will become leaders and embrace the challenges facing the field of public health today. We recognize that all students bring valuable leadership skills and unique experiences to Berkeley Public Health. We will provide members with fun and collaborative opportunities to enhance their real-world skills. The SCIL will leverage local, statewide, and global alumni to build a community of public health leaders.

  • Get Involved with SCIL

    Are you interested in joining a completely student-led professional development group at the Berkeley Public Health? Are you looking for ways to improve your leadership skills?

    Are you looking to build and strengthen your professional network? Are you looking to meet new people across all concentrations?

    If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should join the SCIL. SCIL typically recruits for both Board Members and General Members in the Fall. Please email scil@berkeley.edu for more information on how to get involved.

Joint Medical Program / BPH Student Groups

Freedom School for Intersectional Medicine & Health Justice

Contact: 4freedomschool@gmail.com

Student Representatives: Aminta Kouyate, Camila Hurtado, and Marycon Jiro.

Health Students for Climate Action (HEALS-CA)

Contact: Tommaso Bulfone, Xiaoxuan (Christina) Chen, Raj Fadadu

Health Students for Climate Action (HEALS-CA) is grounded in the idea that climate change is an urgent threat to health and social justice, and that social justice is the foundation to building a healthy and sustainable future. We aim to advocate for urgent policy solutions, transform our educational institutions, and foster collaborative learning to mitigate climate change and its health harms while developing climate justice leaders in public health.

The Institute for Healing and Justice

Contact: info@instituteforhealingandjustice.org

Website: The Institute for Healing and Justice

Student Representatives: Noor Chadha, Bernie Lim, and Maddy Kane

Medical Division at the Suitcase Clinic

Contact: jmpsuitcase@gmail.com

Website: Suitcase Clinic

The Medical Division at the Suitcase Clinic provides medical services to treat clients’ acute and chronic health concerns through the recruitment of Joint Medical Program students and volunteer providers. Our mission is to improve the holistic health of a diverse community of individuals by providing free, inclusive medical care and health-related support through a collaborative, mutually-empowering partnership. Our vision is a world where healthcare is a right and an expression of equity and common humanity.

Students for a National Health Program (SNaHP)

Contact: snahp@lists.berkeley.edu

As the UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program chapter of Students for a National Health Program (SNaHP), we are taking actions to promote single-payer healthcare reform. We are dedicated to changing our broken system to ensure that quality medical care is free and accessible for all people living in the US.

White Coats for Black Lives at Berkeley BPH

Contact: wc4blleadershipteam@lists.berkeley.edu

Website: White Coats for Black Lives

White Coats for Black Lives (WC4BL) at UC Berkeley is a chapter of the national organization White Coats for Black Lives. We are dedicated to providing support, access, and mentorship to local premedical students aiming to address the lack of underrepresented minorities (URM) within the medical field. We are a collective of students within the UC Berkeley Joint Medical Program and medical students attending Berkeley Public Health for interdisciplinary MPH’s.

Diversity Inclusion Community Equity (DICE)

Who We Are

An action-oriented committee composed of students, faculty, alumni and staff that works to promote Diversity, Inclusion, Community and Equity at the School of Public Health.

What We Do

We work together to take meaningful, intentional action to create a more diverse and inclusive environment for BPH students, faculty, alumni and staff.

We currently focus our creative, practical actions on:

  • Inspiring and engaging BPH community members at all levels
  • Encouraging accountability with open communication
  • Building a strong infrastructure to support positive school climate

Ways to Get Involved

Everyone is welcome at our meetings. We currently have several workgroups (communications, townhalls/trainings/events) and active projects (climate survey, curriculum innovation, course evaluations) and a monthly strategy meeting that is always open to new members.

Campus-wide Groups

For information on UC Berkeley student groups, please visit the CalLink student organization directory website.