Advising for Current Students

Staff Advisors


Kirsten Keihl — Graduate Admissions, Equity, and Career Advisor

Kirsten advises prospective students on admissions and recruitment, provides individual career advice to graduate and undergraduate students in History, and supports implementation of short and long-term diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) strategies.


Julie Aranda — Graduate Student Affairs Officer

Julie advises current students with questions about degree requirements (courses, languages, and progress reviews such as the third semester exam and orals); students with questions about GSI and reader applications or assignments; and fellowship packages, including the departmental research year grant.


Faculty Advisors, 2023-2024


Director of Graduate Studies (Head Graduate Advisor): Professor Carlos F. Noreña

The Director of Graduate Studies chairs the Graduate Advisors Committee (GAC) and is the Department’s officially designated faculty liaison for the graduate program. In this capacity, the Director of Graduate Studies signs all correspondence sent by the Department to the Graduate Division, including everything from routine petitions (such as the Advancement to Doctoral Candidacy forms) to special requests for exceptions to policy.


Equity Advisor: Professor Sandra Eder

Among other functions, the Equity Advisor consults with the Director of Graduate Studies and the other faculty in the program to ensure that diversity is taken into account in the recruitment, selection, and retention of graduate students.


GSI Affairs Advisor: Professor Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers

The Advisor for GSI Affairs functions as a liaison among the Graduate Division, department faculty, and GSIs; provides information concerning policies relating to GSIs to faculty and GSIs in the program; and raises issues on their behalf with the administration.


Gender Equity and Climate Advisors: Professor Hannah Zeavin and Professor Puck Engman

The Gender Equity and Climate Advisor was created by the Department in 2014 to help ensure that the graduate program fosters a respectful environment for all regardless of their gender or sexuality. Their role is to assist students and the Director of Graduate Studies address questions of curriculum bias, classroom interactions, relationships to peers and advisers, the mentoring of women and LGBTIQQ students, and representing the needs of birth mothers.


Career Development and Diversity Officer: Professor Trevor Jackson

The Career Development and Diversity Officer is responsible for the development and delivery of programming designed to help prepare students for careers within and beyond the academy. The role works closely with the History Graduate Association and the Graduate Admissions, Equity and Career Advisor


Members of the Graduate Affairs Committee:

Professors Carlos Noreña, Brian Delay, Carla Hesse, Trevor Jackson, and Stephanie Jones-Rogers.


Graduate Student Staff

TBA — Professional Development Coordinator

The Professional Development Coordinator collaborates with a faculty team to better prepare history PhDs for careers inside and beyond the academy. The faculty team and the coordinator work together to rethink the structure and purpose of the doctoral program by developing workshops, lectures, and networking events; creating graduate level internships; and instituting curricular changes designed to prepare students to teach in diverse environments, produce important historical scholarship, and succeed in multiple career paths.


Jenny Smith — Graduate Student Spaces Coordinator

The Graduate Student Spaces Coordinator oversees the maintenance of the History Department library and computer lab, as well as the graduate student lounge. The Coordinator consults with staff and fellow students to address concerns related to space use policies, functionality, and cleanliness.

For any questions or concerns related to the graduate student spaces, please contact history-gradspaces@berkeley.edu