College of Chemistry students launch ChemUNITY club

ChemUNITY Club Slideshow

John Arnold and ChemUNITY

Undergraduate Dean John Arnold and ChemUNITY club members

Photo of Arismel Tena, Rodrigo Miranda

Arismel Tena and Rodrigo Miranda

Photo of  ChemUNITY Club

ChemUNITY club members

Photo of ChemUNITY Club

ChemUNITY club members

Photo of ChemUNITY Club

ChemUNITY club members

Photo of ChemUNITY Club

ChemUNITY club members

Photo of ChemUNITY Club

ChemUNITY club members

Recruiting a diverse student body is only the beginning. We must assure that every student thrives at Berkeley, not just survives. To achieve this goal, we must guarantee what I call equity of experience—the commitment that all students have equal access to Berkeley’s extraordinary opportunities.
Chancellor Carol Christ
August 24, 2018

On a recent sunny afternoon at the College of Chemistry, a group of students hung out discussing the formation of the new ChemUNITY club. Founding club members Arismel Tena (B.A. Chem ’19) and Rodrigo Miranda (B.A. Chem, ’18) were delighted to discuss some of the organization’s goals.

Our vision is for underrepresented and nontraditional students in the College of Chemistry to have a space that demystifies the opportunities in the College and builds their confidence to seize those opportunities,” Miranda said. "Some of the activities we are planning include creating study groups, bringing in corporate speakers and helping our club members consider application for, and navigate the pipeline to, graduate school. For many, this kind of forward thinking isn't on their radar when they are newly arrived as freshmen and transfer students on campus."

Tena remarks, "With our club motto of Underrepresented, Non-traditional, Inclusivity, we are hoping to create a safe haven, and place for mentorship, of the College's diverse and nontraditional undergrads. It’s really useful to have a place where you can discuss your adjustment to Berkeley with others who are having similar experiences.” 

Undergraduate Dean and Professor of Chemistry John Arnold commented, "Our Undergraduate Student Services office is delighted to support the newest CoC student group, ChemUNITY. This form of peer support plays a transformative role in the lives of our students and I'm delighted to see this new effort aimed at bringing together students who come from a wider and less traditional range of backgrounds."

Both Miranda and Tena are seniors and speak from experience. "It's better not to struggle alone," Tena says. "CoC undergrads can be hesitant to say they need help. It's OK to struggle. We're all struggling. It's just best not to do it on your own."

The best way to get involved in club activities is to come by during a study session and contribute knowledge to the community. Current times and location are listed on this page. We may add more dates later in the semester. If you are interested in contributing more time, contact us at  chemunity.berkeley@gmail.com to see what we've got going on. Updated info will be online at the club's Facebook page.


ChemUNITY club membersChemUNITY Meetings

  • Study Sessions are on Tuesdays from 10:00 AM - Noon in the Chem Library, Room D. (See flyer for details.) The Study Sessions provide a space for Peer Support, where you can:
    • Join a supportive community,
    • Informally discuss research, lab methods, ChemDraw, MestReNova, NMR, Matlab, and much more,
    • Learn about college/campus resources.
  • General Meetings for academic/professional development, will meet monthly where we invite guest speakers. Our first meeting will take place either the 3rd or 4th week of the semester on "How to Navigate Research Positions as Undergrads." The guest speakers will be current undergraduate researchers.
  • Updates about activities will always be available on our Facebook page.

The Founding Board

  • Rodrigo Miranda - Administrative Chair & Founder
  • Jose Ramirez** - Programming Chair
  • Arismel Tena - External Affairs Officer
  • Yuliza Rocha - Internal Affairs Officer
  • Jasmine Cisneros - Mentorship Officer

**Jose is also the temporary Transfer Programming Officer until the position is filled