Dear Readers,

Water flows down from the Berkeley Hills, feeding into Strawberry Creek, winding through the UC Berkeley campus as students and researchers delve into their work. The scientists are busy with their research, yes, but must also navigate the more personal and political world of science. How do they learn not just the facts, but also the process of doing science? And how do they actually feel about their experience and the scientific community of which they are a part?

Several themes emerge in this issue of the Berkeley Science Review. Three articles—“Sculpting the scientific mind”, “A nudge in the wrong direction”, and “Constructing a respectful community”—focus on how we educate scientists, how we can encourage underrepresented groups to participate more fully, and what we’re learning about the experiences of graduate students at UC Berkeley. We also take a look at something on the mind of concerned Californians: water. In “Nature’s water filter”, “No thanks, I’ll stick to water”, and “When habits aren’t so fluid”, we learn about water from three different angles: how to treat wastewater more efficiently, how nanomaterials help us better conserve water, and how public health work is encouraging the consumption of clean water.

The remainder of the magazine gives us a glimpse into the variety of topics being studied by UC Berkeley researchers. In “Tracking pollution sources”, Alexis Shusterman recounts her experiences monitoring atmospheric gases from rooftops in the East Bay. “Color by numbers” explores the origins and uses of colors in nature, while “Fungible fungi” provides a glimpse into the amazing biology of fungi and some inventive ways Bay Area entrepreneurs are making use of these organisms to grow a new class of biological materials.

This is my second and last issue as Editor in Chief, and I’m incredibly grateful to have worked alongside so many talented and enthusiastic graduate students while putting together each issue. I’m very excited to announce that Emily Hartman, a third-year graduate student in chemistry, will be taking over as Editor in Chief starting with the Spring 2017 issue. The magazine will be in excellent hands with Emily, who has been involved with the Berkeley Science Review since she first started at UC Berkeley.

I’d like to acknowledge the work of the entire team of the Berkeley Science Review, including authors, editors, and designers, for their hard work and creative input. The beautiful magazine you’re holding, whether in print or on your tablet, comes from the design team, led by Art Director Jo Downes Bairzin and Mobile Director Florian Brown-Altvater. The work of our Managing Editor, Amanda Tose, ensures that we continue to publish the magazine and thrive as a student organization.

I invite you to spend some time perusing the magazine, and hope you enjoy learning from the articles and graphics as much as I have. Welcome to Issue 31 of the Berkeley Science Review.

Sincerely,

Rachel Hood

Editor in Chief

This article is part of the Fall 2016 issue.