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John Matsui Highlight
John Matsui
Assistant Dean of Biological Sciences & Director of Biology Scholars Program,
University of California, Berkeley
Wherever you go, go with all of your heart.
About John
- I grew up in a low income household in the flats of west Berkeley, California.
- I struggled through high school for various reasons, including an undiagnosed learning disability.
- I graduated with a low GPA that prevented me from going to a four-year university, so I went to community college first and spent three years learning how to learn and fill the gaps from high school.
- I transferred to UC Berkeley where I earned my bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
- After earning my master’s degree, I went to UC Santa Barbara for my Ph.D.
- I spent nine years teaching general biology at community college—the experience was great because it taught me how to teach.
- I was eventually recruited back to UC Berkeley to help write a grant that would start the Biology Scholars Program.
- I currently direct the Biology Scholars Program in the Department of Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley, which has been helping to level the playing field for science students for 30 years now!
