1. What is SCIBUGS?

SCIBUGS stands for "The Society of Cal Integrative Biology Undergraduate Students". It is a student run organization designed to bring students and faculty interested in the life sciences together outside of the classroom. The SCIBUGS are ASUC Sponsored and the meetings are wheelchair accessible. If you would like, you can view our constitution here.

The SCIBUGS gives you an excellent opportunity to enrich your experience at Cal. Not only will you meet other students, you'll get a chance to talk with Berkeley's world-renowned faculty in a casual setting. The SCIBUGS also host a variety of speakers, coordinate off-campus trips, collect internship information, share advice on classes, and organize a student/faculty picnic.

Membership to the SCIBUGS is free and open to all faculty and students at UC Berkeley, regardless of major or class level. Friends and family are also welcome at any SCIBUGS events. At this time, there is no formal "joining" procedure. Just show up to a meeting, fill out our sign-in sheet, and you magically become a "SCIBUGS Member". Membership status is detailed in our constitution.

That is correct. The SCIBUGS are open to all Cal departments and colleges. That means anyone from Chemical Engineering to Art History are more than welcome to participate if the SCIBUGS are doing something that looks enjoyable.

Meetings tend to occur every other week in 2063 Valley Life Science Building (VLSB).  Check the activities page on this web site for details on the next meeting and the semester calendar.

Get on our mailing list and you will be notified by email before each meeting.

Email the SCIBUGS: kdana@uclink.berkeley.edu

Look for postings in our glass case outside of 2063 VLSB.

Look for fliers around campus, especially in VLSB.

Check our newsgroup for email postings: ucb.org.scibugs

The SCIBUGS mixers begin about half an hour before the actual meetings. They give you a chance to grab some of our refreshments and meet with other SCIBUGS. We recommend new members come to a few mixers so they can get a chance to meet the officers and other members. The mixers also gives you a chance to ask people about programs and classes at Cal. If you can't make it to the mixer, feel free to join the actual meeting later.

The meetings generally begin with announcements of upcoming events. The meetings are around dinner time and the SCIBUGS have chips, cookies, party mix, and sodas for you, but bring your own food if you like. We often invite professors from the various life-science departments on campus, professionals from the community, academic advisors, and people from the career center. Many of the professors that speak at our meetings discuss their latest research, sometimes before they publish. Afterwards you have a chance to ask the speaker questions on what they talked about or anything you feel like (e.g. how they got into grad school, how they got interested in their field, etc).

The meetings are about an hour and a half long, although it varies depending on the speaker. Since we are all busy students, it is okay if you need to come late or leave early. Just try to do so quietly out of respect for the speaker and the other members.

The SCIBUGS try to arrange a few off-campus trips each semester. These have included hikes, weekend camping, participation in habitat restoration projects, museums, zoos, and aquariums. We often get special "behind-the-scenes" tours at the places we visit. The SCIBUGS usually get admission for free or at a discount. Depending on our funding, we will try to subsidize activities whenever possible. Your costs, besides that of admission, will generally only be pitching in for gas and whatever you need for food. If you have friends or family that would like to come, you are welcome to bring them along. If there is some place you would particularly like to go or do, please contact us.

The SCIBUGS organize a student/faculty potluck picnic every semester. We provide drinks and barbecued hamburgers, hotdogs, and veggie-burgers. Everyone brings their favorite food or drink and something for entertainment if they can. It's worth coming just to see IB Professor Roy Caldwell crack his bullwip at a selection of targets. We also set up a volleyball net, throw some footballs and frisbees, and have massive water gun battles (professors are considered fair targets... but they will shoot back!). There is usually good mix of undergraduate/graduate students and faculty, and every year the event gets bigger. Some people kick back and relax for the whole day while others just drop by for the food. Check out the calendar to find out when the next picnic is going to be held. Bring a friend or come alone!

Send us email: kdana@uclink.berkeley.edu

Email an officer directly.

Drop us a note in our mailbox in 3060 VLSB.

Come to the next meeting.

Send us postal mail:

SCIBUGS
University of California - Berkeley
3060 Valley Life Science Building
Berkeley, CA 94720

The SCIBUGS office is located at 3026 Valley Life Science Building. It is a quiet place to study and meet other students. We also have some internship material and departmental publications for you to look over. If you would like to meet with a specific officer, you can email them for an appointment. Drop in if you get a chance!

The SCIBUGS email is: kdana@uclink.berkeley.edu

You can find the officers' email addresses here.

Add yourself to our mailing list.

SCIBUGS does not currently have t-shirts for sale.

Of course! We are continuously striving to improve the SCIBUGS. If there is someone in particular you would like to hear speak or some place you would like to go, contact us as soon as possible. If you can help make the arrangements for the event, that is even better!

Elections for officer posistions are held at the end of every semester. To qualify for office, you must be an active member of the SCIBUGS and be voted in by the members. If you think that you could be a dedicated officer, talk to some of the existing executives about the time requirements for their duties. Being an officer is extremely rewarding because you get a chance to personally know the faculty and many of Cal's students. In addition to that, you get to help shape a great organization at one of the best universities in the world. You also get first pick on the opportunities that are offered to the SCIBUGS members.

Many of our members have had various internship experiences. Cal is overflowing with opportunities for those that seek them out. Professors seem to like picking SCIBUGS members to work in their labs because those students tend to be genuinely interested in biology and research. If you attend most of the meetings, you'll get a chance to hear a variety of topics. Not only will it broaden your knowledge base, but it will also acquaint you with what sort of research you may be interested in. If a professor's talk interests you especially, introduce yourself and ask them some questions. Don't be afraid to ask them if they need any help in their lab, professors are used to it. With a little persistance, you could find yourself on some far away tropical island earning credits, money, and/or fantastic experience. You should also check out our internship page and talk with some of our members.

Since opinions vary widely, we can't recommend what class would be "good" for you. Come to the meetings and ask a few members what classes they liked and disliked.

You can find out more about the Integrative Biology department, undergraduate/graduate programs, declaring, classes, and faculty by visiting the Department of Integrative Biology Home Page:

http://ib.berkeley.edu

You can find a detailed section on using this web site and our other online services to their full advantage by clicking here.

Stay calm! The SCIBUGS will help you! Just send us an email with whatever questions you may have and someone will respond as soon as possible: kdana@uclink.berkeley.edu