Justin Davidson
Associate Professor of Spanish and Portuguese
Professor Davidson is a distinguished sociolinguist and leading scholar of Spanish-English bilingualism in California. His research uplifts the richness of California and Bay Area Spanish, challenging “language loss” frameworks and positioning Berkeley as a leader in honoring California’s Spanish-speaking community. Over the past few years, Davidson has partnered with colleagues from other UC campuses to create MuHSiC (Multilingual Hispanic Speech in California), an open access corpus of 600 Spanish-English bilingual interviews from across the state. These materials will facilitate ongoing scholarship on California bilingualism for generations to come.
Within his department, Davidson leads the Hispanic Linguistics program, annually hosts the Institut Ramon Llull Catalan certification exam, and has created the Spanish and Portuguese Research Apprentice Program, which has provided hands-on research opportunities for over 100 undergraduate students, many from Latinx and other underrepresented backgrounds. He is a devoted mentor to graduate and undergraduate students alike and a highly valued teacher whose courses fully integrate inclusive teaching practices and Universal Design for Learning. In 2023, Davidson received the Faculty Award for Outstanding Mentorship of GSIs. In 2025, Davidson received the Carol D. Soc Distinguished Graduate Student Mentoring Award.
In addition to work within his own department and research on Hispanic and Romance linguistics, Davidson has made outstanding contributions to disability justice as one of two inaugural Disabled Students' Program Faculty Liaisons. In this role, he has provided key accommodation resources to faculty, assisted in making courses more accessible, enhanced institutional policies on disability, helped promote a climate of allyship and respect between faculty and DSP staff, and supported students with disabilities to succeed and thrive.
David Harding
Professor of Sociology
Professor Harding is a renowned sociologist whose research addresses critical issues of poverty, race, inequality, and mass incarceration, with a particular focus on the reentry and reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals. His groundbreaking book, On the Outside: Prisoner Reentry and Reintegration, offers a comprehensive analysis of the barriers faced by people returning from prison, using both large-scale quantitative data and personal narratives to highlight systemic inequities and community impacts. The book has deeply influenced both academic discourse and policy reform; in 2019, it was named to the Best Books List from the Vera Justice Institute, a national nonprofit dedicated to securing equal justice and ending mass incarceration.
Harding is a beloved mentor and advocate for both graduate and undergraduate students, including many from first-generation and underrepresented backgrounds. He has been instrumental in developing mentorship projects with the Berkeley Underground Scholars program for formerly incarcerated students. He also works actively with the McNair, Haas, and Firebaugh Programs, and trains future scholars through innovative computational social science initiatives such as the Computational Social Science Training Programand the Computational Research for Equity in Legal Systems Program
As chair of the Sociology department, Harding has led a range of departmental diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging efforts – on faculty hiring, graduate student support, teaching, community-building, and department climate. His campus service also includes directing the D-Lab, where he has expanded access to data science for underrepresented students through multimillion-dollar grants and provides ongoing leadership at the intersection of data science, equity and social justice
Cesunica Ivey
Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Professor Ivey is a transformative public scholar working at the nexus of air pollution science, engineering and environmental justice. Her research focuses on regional air quality modeling and community air pollution exposure. She works in partnership with community organizations across California to prevent the over-industrialization of already overburdened neighborhoods and to ensure that cutting edge scientific advancements translate into meaningful improvements for underserved populations. In recognition of her advocacy for frontline communities, she was selected as one of the 2021 American Chemical Society's Chemical and Engineering News "Talented 12" and a winner of the 2022 Women in Science Incentive Prize by The Story Exchange. Ivey is also an emerging leader on community-engaged research in environmental engineering, and her work inspires crucial regional and state policy efforts on air quality.
Alongside her research, Ivey is an exceptional mentor and teacher, dedicated to curricular innovation and expanding access and success in STEM. Her courses are highly regarded for their inclusive environments, collaborative conversations, and integration of data and equity in environmental engineering. She also has an outstanding track record of advising and career development for undergraduates, graduates, and postdoctoral researchers, including many from underrepresented backgrounds. Along with these departmental efforts, Ivey is also CEO and owner of BWINSTEM, a mentorship venture that offers professional development, coaching, and motivational speaking services, both within and beyond the Berkeley campus community. BWINSTEM supports individuals, communities, and organizations that seek to motivate and empower all marginalized identities in STEM.