Matrix News
Article
Published July 10, 2026
Matrix Welcomes Eight Research Teams for 2026-2027
Social Science Matrix is pleased to welcome eight new Matrix Research Teams — three faculty-led teams and five graduate student-led teams — for the 2026-2027 academic year. The teams will address topics such as the political economy of wildfire risk, the global politics of declining fertility, and the use of digital tools for governance and development in South Asia.
Learn More >Authors Meet Critics
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Event Date: September 9th, 2026
4:00pm-5:30pm
Normalizing Inequality: How Californians Make Sense of the Growing Divide
In their new book, "Normalizing Inequality," sociologists G. Cristina Mora and Tianna S. Paschel illuminate how middle-class Californians perceive and come to accept the inequalities that surround them. At this Authors Meet Critics event, Professors Mora and Paschel will be joined in conversation by Desmond Jagmohan and Lisa García Bedolla, with Nicholas Vargas moderating.
Learn More >Authors Meet Critics
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Event Date: October 1st, 2026
4:00pm-5:30pm
Daniela Cammack: “Demos: How the People Ruled Athens”
The Authors Meet Critics panel on the book "Demos: How the People Ruled Athens," by Daniela Cammack, Assistant Professor of Political Science at UC Berkeley, has been postponed. Stay tuned to the Matrix website and newsletter for future updates.
Learn More >California Spotlight
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Event Date: October 7th, 2026
4:00pm-5:30pm
California Spotlight: Wealth & Poverty
California is one of the wealthiest states in the country, yet it also faces persistent poverty, stark economic inequality, and some of the highest costs of living in the nation. This panel brings together leading scholars to examine the forces shaping wealth and poverty across the state. Featuring David Grusky, Marianne Page, and Samuel Trachtman.
Learn More >New Directions
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Event Date: October 14th, 2026
4:00pm-5:30pm
New Directions: Green Transitions
This panel will bring together advanced graduate students from UC Berkeley whose research examines the forces shaping green energy transitions around the world. Drawing on emerging scholarship spanning energy systems, technological change, environmental policy, and social equity, the discussion will explore how societies can navigate the opportunities and tradeoffs of decarbonization, and what is at stake for communities, economies, and the future of the planet.
Learn More >Matrix On Point
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Event Date: October 28th, 2026
3:30pm-5:00pm
Matrix on Point: The State of U.S. Immigration Enforcement and Surveillance
Federal immigration enforcement in the United States is increasingly shaped by the convergence of surveillance technologies, data systems, and on-the-ground policing practices. This panel will bring together a group of scholars from diverse disciplines to examine the social and political consequences — and the stakes for rights in an era of technological governance.
Learn More >Authors Meet Critics
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Event Date: November 24th, 2026
4:00pm-5:30pm
Until the Last Ton: Fossil Fuels in India from Empire to the Climate Crisis
This Authors Meet Critics panel will focus on the book "Until the Last Ton: Fossil Fuels in India from Empire to the Climate Crisis," by Matthew Shutzer, Assistant Professor of History at UC Berkeleyt — the first history of fossil fuels in colonial and post-colonial South Asia. Professor Shutzer will be joined in conversation by Youjin Chung and Daniel Aldana Cohen.
Learn More >Matrix News
Article
Published July 10, 2026
Matrix Welcomes Eight Research Teams for 2026-2027
Social Science Matrix is pleased to welcome eight new Matrix Research Teams — three faculty-led teams and five graduate student-led teams — for the 2026-2027 academic year. The teams will address topics such as the political economy of wildfire risk, the global politics of declining fertility, and the use of digital tools for governance and development in South Asia.
Learn More >Matrix News
News
Published July 2, 2026
Cori Hayden to Serve as Director of Social Science Matrix
Cori Hayden, Professor Anthropology at UC Berkeley, has been appointed Director of Social Science Matrix. Hayden previously served as Interim Director during the Spring 2025 semester.
Learn More >Matrix News
News
Published July 2, 2026
A Letter from Marion Fourcade
"I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to serve as Matrix's faculty director for the last seven years...." Read a letter from Professor Marion Fourcade, who recently stepped down from her role as Director of Social Science Matrix following a highly successful term.
Learn More >Book Talk
Recap
Published May 14, 2026
Benjamin Recht: “The Irrational Decision: How We Gave Computers the Power to Choose for Us”
Recorded on May 5, 2026, this video features a talk by Benjamin Recht, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at UC Berkeley, focused on his book, The Irrational Decision: How We Gave Computers the Power to Choose for Us. Professor Recht was joined in conversation by Marion Fourcade, Professor of Sociology and Director of […]
Learn More >Authors Meet Critics
Recap
Published April 23, 2026
Incommunicable: Toward Communicative Justice in Health and Medicine
Watch the video (or listen to the podcast) of our Authors Meet Critics panel featuring the book "Incommunicable: Toward Communicative Justice in Health and Medicine," by Charles Briggs, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at UC Berkeley. Professor Briggs was joined in conversation by Elinor Ochs and Eric Snoey, with Armando Lara-Millán moderating.
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Recap
Published April 23, 2026
The Insatiable Machine: How Capitalism Conquered the World
Watch the video (or listen to the podcast) of our Authors Meet Critics panel on the book "The Insatiable Machine: How Capitalism Conquered the World," by Trevor Jackson, Associate Professor of History at UC Berkeley. Professor Jackson was joined in conversation by Chenzi Xu and Dylan Riley, with Abhishek Kaicker moderating.
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