Featured Speakers

Welcoming Remarks: Vice Chancellor Oscar Dubón, Jr.

Professor Oscar Dubón, Jr. was appointed Vice Chancellor of Equity & Inclusion at UC Berkeley on July 1, 2017. He leads campus-wide efforts through the Division of Equity & Inclusion to broaden the participation of all members of the campus community, particularly those who have been historically underrepresented and/or unwelcomed, in the pursuit of the university's mission of access and excellence. Working with division professionals, campus partners, and the broader university community, Dubón pursues programs and services that lead to academic access and success for students; enable pathways to leadership and advancement for staff; build equitable structures for all members of the campus community; and close opportunity gaps for our most marginalized groups. In doing so, he envisions a campus where all Berkeley students, faculty, and staff feel welcome, valued, and supported.

Before his current appointment, Dubón served as the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Associate Dean for Equity & Inclusion in the College of Engineering. In these roles, he guided Engineering Student Services (ESS) building programs to recruit and retain students from historically underrepresented groups, supporting efforts to achieve a more diverse faculty, and ensuring that the college fosters and maintains a welcoming and inclusive environment for the college community. For his efforts, Dubón received the 2016 Chancellor's Award for Advancing Institutional Excellence and Equity.

Dr. Dubón is a professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Faculty Scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He received a B.S. from UCLA in 1989 and an M.S. and Ph.D. from Berkeley in 1992 and 1996. After postdoctoral positions at Berkeley and Harvard University, he joined the Berkeley faculty in 2000. His research focuses on understanding the role of crystalline imperfections on the electronic behavior of materials for applications in semiconductor technologies. Dubón is the recipient of the 2000 Robert Lansing Hardy Award from the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, a 2004 CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation, and the 2004 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).

Welcome Remarks by Shandan Deleveaux

Morning Keynote: Kathy Davies

Kathy Davies

Kathy is the Managing Director of the Life Design Lab and a Lecturer in Product Design at Stanford University. She also co-founded the Designing Your Life for Women workshop series, based on the NYT bestselling book. Kathy brings a unique perspective on how engineers, managers and creatives all approach the self-development process.

When not engaged with Stanford students, Kathy trains HR and leadership teams life design, and teaches engineering teams design thinking.  Over the course of her 20 year career in Silicon Valley, Kathy has helped build IoT devices, machine tools, a heart surgery instrument, engineering software tools and training programs for design thinking.  She holds 5 patents. Additionally, she has traveled to Myanmar to teach design thinking to budding entrepreneurs with the DeBoer Foundation and works with local community groups to impact engagement in health and wellness initiatives.

Kathy has a BS in Biomedical Engineering and Biomechanics from Brown University and an MS in Product Design from Stanford. Kathy is constantly curious. Her own life design involves trail running, commuting from Fremont to Palo Alto by bicycle and practicing improv exercises with her husband and two daughters. 

Keynote by Shandan Deleveaux

Afternoon Keynote: Julie Hooper

Julie Morgan Hooper, CFRE, is the Vice Chancellor for University Development and Alumni Relations at the University of California, Berkeley.  As Vice Chancellor, Hooper provides campuswide leadership on all philanthropic endeavors and manages development programs involving a staff of 250 employees and an operating budget of $52 million. In her role, she serves as President of the UC Berkeley Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation that raises, invests, and administers private funds for the campus. She also provides oversight and guidance to the activities of approximately 50 different fundraising programs in the schools, colleges, and campus units.

Julie came to Berkeley in July 2014 from the University of Texas at Austin. During her 7 1/2 year tenure at UT, Julie served as Assistant Dean for Development and External Relations in the School of Architecture and as Associate Vice President for Development for the University Development Office. In this role, she acted as Campaign Director for The Campaign for Texas, an eight-year, $3B capital campaign, which ended in August of 2014. Julie has also served as Executive Director and Senior Director of Development for various non-profit agencies in Texas and was named Outstanding Fundraising Professional in 2010 by the Greater Austin Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).

Julie holds a master’s degree in historic preservation from the University of Georgia and a BA in history from Boston University.

Keynote by Julie Hooper