Chair's Note

I write on the eve of an historic presidential election, one conducted in the malevolent twin shadows of pandemic and racism, and one that will influence the dynamics of science, higher education, and societal well-being for years to come. In the early 1960s, social upheaval and political activism brought about the 1964 Civil Rights Act—which codified the illegality of discrimination on the basis of race, color, religious affiliation, sex and sexual orientation, or national origin. Our university administration has reiterated its commitment, both ethically and legally, to non-discrimination in all things academic, and the Department of Integrative Biology has recently broadened its training and informational work in this regard. Similarly in the face of COVID-19, we have resumed our research and teaching activities, albeit with substantial logistical restrictions. The combined responses of our students, staff, and faculty to these unbelievably challenging times have been both productive and gratifying, as we strive to heal what clearly is an imperfect world around us. And although the department is not hiring new faculty members this year, our 13 hires over the last 5 years have bolstered our long-term goal of providing cutting-edge science in parallel with premier undergraduate and graduate education. Research in ecology, evolutionary biology, and organismal-level physiology and behavior at Berkeley continues to be of the highest caliber worldwide. Let us all constructively work to meet the current challenges, and continue to support our amazing portfolio of research, education, and scientific progress for the common good.

Robert Dudley
Professor and Chair

Chinese Translation

我是在历史性的总统大选前夕写的，这次大选是在流行病和种族主义的双重恶毒阴影下进行的，而且这次大选结果将影响未来几年的科学，高等教育和社会福祉的动态。在1960年代初期，社会动荡和政治行动主义催生了1964年《民权法案》，该法案将基于种族，肤色，宗教信仰，性别和性取向或民族出身的歧视定为非法行为。我们的大学行政部门在道德和法律上重申了其在学术领域所有方面的不歧视的承诺，而整合生物学系最近扩大了这方面的培训和信息工作。同样，面对新冠病毒COVID-19，尽管有大量的后勤限制，我们仍继续进行研究和教学活动。在这显然不完美的环境条件和令人难以置信的艰难时期，我们的学生和教职员工取得了既富有成效又令人满足的成果。尽管我们学院今年不招聘新的教职员工，但我们在过去5年招聘的13名员工加强了我们提供一流科学与一流本科生和研究生教育的长期目标。伯克利在生态学，进化生物学以及有机体层面的生理学和行为生理学方面的研究仍然是全球最高水平。让我们大家一起开展建设性的工作来应对当前的挑战，并为共同利益继续支持我们精彩的研究，教育和科学进步。