Berkeley Food Institute  – Bonnie Reiss Leading on Climate Fellowship 

JOB TITLE: Food & Farm Systems Student Engagement Fellow (SA3)

Appointment: August 26, 2026 – May 14, 2027 – 8-10/hours per week

Compensation: $20.30/hr

Deadline: Friday, July 10, 2026, at 5 pm Pacific Time

Application: The applicant must be a matriculated student at UC Berkeley. Priority is given to work-study students. 

To apply, submit the following items as a single PDF to foodinstitute@berkeley.edu with the subject line “Food & Farm Systems Student Engagement Fellow.” Any applicants who do not follow these instructions will not be considered. 

1. Cover letter stating your reasons for applying to this fellowship and a summary of your most relevant experiences, skills, and/or education. (limit 1 page)
2. Resume outlining relevant courses, work, and/or volunteer experiences. (limit 2 pages)
3. Contact information for 2 references; one should be a professor or major advisor. 

About the Berkeley Food Institute: Established in 2013, the Berkeley Food Institute (BFI) is a collaboration among eight colleges and schools at UC Berkeley (Natural Resources, Public Health, Law, Public Policy, Journalism, Business, Environmental Design). Today, BFI is an interdisciplinary research, education, and policy institute that works in partnership with communities to advance a just and sustainable food and farm system. 

BFI has grown into a network of more than 150 affiliated faculty and staff representing departments and programs from eight schools across campus. Through this network, we train tomorrow’s food and farm systems leaders. We support a robust agriculture and food studies curriculum on the Berkeley campus and with UC system partners through the Graduate Certificate in Food Systems, the Food Systems Minor, and our summer UC-wide field quarter offerings. We organize and sponsor events to connect our campus community to the larger food movement. We elevate and catalyze new, timely food and farm systems research. Working with community partners, we connect those policy-oriented research efforts with state and federal decision-makers to advance just and sustainable food and farm systems policy innovation. 

About the Fellowship: University of California Office of the President (UCOP) Bonnie Reiss Leading on Climate Fellowship engages and energizes students in support of UC’s climate action and sustainable food goals. The fellowship program is funded by the UC President’s Global Climate Leadership Council (GCLC) in support of the President’s Leading on Climate priority, Sustainable Food and Agriculture Fellow Cohort. The goals of the fellowship program are to actively engage students in: shaping the University’s climate action programs and supporting the University’s aggressive goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions while creating a more equitable, sustainable, resilient, and healthy world; and conducting projects and engagement that support the University’s sustainable food procurement goals and sustainable agricultural practices.

Fellowship Position: The goal of this position is to map on-campus work and resources, connect opportunities for students, and facilitate food systems academic and career pathways on and off campus. This position will report to the Education Programs Director and work closely with BFI staff to improve and expand food systems student and community engagement. This includes planning and implementing events on and off campus that engage students with food systems experts, alumni, faculty, and community-based partners. BFI will train the fellow in logistics planning and project management basics. The position is a hybrid model with in-office and remote work. 

Responsibilities: 

The Fellow will provide critical administrative and research support to improve food systems student engagement and career readiness. Primary duties include:

• Workforce Development Mapping: Lead a strategic project, mapping regional values-based food supply chains/procurement careers, identifying industry trends and workforce gaps, while aligning market needs with current student interests.
• Event & Field Trip Logistics: Manage all administrative logistics for on and off campus events, including booking rooms, coordinating with vendors, creating registration forms and event flyers, and handling schedules for student field trips, etc.
• Stakeholder Liaison: Act as a point of contact for staff, faculty, and student groups to coordinate meetings, research presentations, and mentorship connections. Represent BFI at table events, including Cal Day, and as needed. 
• Engagement Support: Collaborate with student groups to increase the accessibility of food systems education through career panels and networking nights.

Required Qualifications:

• Matriculated student at UC Berkeley, priority is given to work study students.
• Experience with event planning, including vendor communication, schedule management, and room reservations.
• Experience coordinating multiple steps to complete a group project. 
• Ability to identify workforce trends and recommend creative solutions for student career pathways.
• Proven experience coordinating multiple steps to complete a complex project and the ability to work independently to meet deadlines.
• Ability to foresee, identify, and recommend solutions in the areas of responsibility.
• Comfortable working with diverse populations and practicing open, professional communication.
• Strong attention to detail, a desire to receive feedback effectively, and a core interest in equity and public service.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a group setting.
• Demonstrates cultural competence, professionalism, courtesy, punctuality, open communication, and good humor.
• Skilled in Google Suite (for logistics and mapping) and Canva or Eventbrite (for event promotion).
• Interest and experience in public service and social equity in line with the core tenets of the UC Berkeley experience and the BFI mission.

UCOP Bonnie Reiss Leading on Climate Fellowship Meetings and Reporting: Student fellows are expected to attend UCOP Bonnie Reiss events as part of their paid hours, including:

• A virtual orientation in the fall of 2026
• A leadership training in the fall of 2026
• A virtual closing symposium and poster presentation on the workforce development map completion  in late spring of 2027.
• Additional activities such as conference calls, GCLC meetings, and training or cohort-building activities.

Additionally, fellows are encouraged to engage with other fellows to share information, coordinate projects, and pose questions for peer support on Slack or other collaborating spaces.

Fellows will be asked to submit progress reports and a final evaluation to UCOP, including the metrics used to evaluate their project’s impact. Fellows will develop an end-of-year poster outlining their projects. Reporting deadlines will change based on UCOP updates, though will approximately include:

• Project overview by October 1, 2026
• Mid-year progress report by mid-February 2027
• Completion of a project poster in Spring 2027
• Year-end project report due July 2027

Please direct any questions to the Berkeley Food Institute at foodinstitute@berkeley.edu

Equal Employment Opportunity: The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. For more information about your rights as an applicant, see: http://www.eeoc.gov/employers/upload/poster_screen_reader_optimized.pdf

For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy, see:
http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct