Connecting the Berkeley community with awesome local research

A wide range of incredible scientific research is produced by UC Berkeley every week, but we know first-hand how difficult it can be to understand it. Living through the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the dangers of scientific miscommunication, and here at the Berkeley Science Review  (BSR) we work to combat that by providing accessible information on the scientific discoveries being made in our local community and beyond. We are a science magazine and blog run by graduate students whose aim is to report the research being done at Berkeley in a way that’s readily accessible to the public by minimizing jargon and simplifying abstract ideas. We publish easy-to-read articles ranging a wide array of topics—from quantum physics to fly genetics to public health.  

Many physical media outlets have struggled financially since the start of the pandemic, and the BSR is no different – with printing costs ever on the rise, we need your help to continue producing our magazine and ensure that the BSR still reaches the broadest audience possible! Please make a gift today and allow us to secure the legacy of the BSR for years to come.

Behind the scenes, the BSR provides an invaluable experience to the writers, editors, and designers who work on the magazine—they gain experience in science communication skills, which are critical for building connections among scientists and the world at large. Our editors learn to keep a pulse on the latest findings in science. Our writers hone their craft as they pen exciting discoveries onto paper. Our designers’ creativity is challenged as they create a stunning magazine layout every issue. Our team’s efforts culminate into a professional-quality magazine every semester.

We aim to distribute our magazine as widely as possible, handing out copies for free on campus and in the local community, and asking for only a small donation to cover shipping costs to our readers further afield. Due to recent increases in printing costs and decline in advertising revenue we are now operating at a loss. We wish for our magazine to remain free and widely available in the Bay Area and beyond, and so we are now asking for funds to help us continue to produce and distribute our magazine free of charge to our readers, and keep our science communication accessible to all.

Any donations will 100% go towards the following causes:

1)    Printing and distribution costs for our semesterly magazine

The BSR leadership team showing off our latest magazines! Left to right: Liya Oster, Amy Kynman, Samvardhini Sridharan, Sophia Friesen

 

Our writers, editors and designers work tirelessly to produce a high-quality magazine documenting groundbreaking research from UC Berkeley every semester.

We print and distribute over a thousand magazines every semester, which makes up the bulk of our expenses even after university funding.

We need donations to cover our increased printing costs and keep the BSR free for our community to access. Help us stay in print by donating today!  

2) Maintenance of our website!

Our website (berkeleysciencereview.com) has recently been upgraded to give the BSR a clear digital, online presence – more important than ever due to COVID-19, and increasing costs associated with physical media. We continue to distribute our content online between our semesterly magazine releases, but we need funds to pay the web developer and annual website hosting. Help us maintain our website by donating today!  

Thank you so much for your support! With your help, we can ensure that the BSR keeps educating the broader public about science and equipping students to effectively communicate science!

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Follow the BSR on Twitter or Instagram @BerkeleySciRev! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at sciencereview [at] gmail.com!