UC Berkeley’s flagship institute for social science research

Our purpose is captured in our name: we provide an organizational framework—a “matrix”—that supports cross-disciplinary research pursued by social scientists across the University of California, Berkeley campus and beyond.

Matrix On Point

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Event Date: February 24th, 2025
4:00 PM to 5:30 PM PT

Virtual Realities and Digital Spaces

The future of virtual reality (VR) is poised to be transformative, reshaping industries, enhancing human connection, and redefining how we work, play, and learn. However, the evolution of the metaverse also necessitates careful consideration of its societal and environmental impacts. The panel will feature Nicole Starosielski, Professor of Film and Media Studies at UC Berkeley; Emma Fraser, Assistant Teaching Professor in Media Studies and the Berkeley Center for New Media at UC Berkeley; and Clancy Wilmott, Assistant Professor in Critical Cartography, Geovisualisation and Design in the Berkeley Center for New Media and the Department of Geography at UC Berkeley. 

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Research Highlights

Article

Published May 5, 2015

Center on the Politics of Development

A UC Berkeley research center advances mixed-methods research on development, envisions public policy solutions, and advocates for sustainable changes to the governance of developing communities.

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Research Highlights

Article

Published April 23, 2015

Emmanuel Letouzé: “Data for Development”

UC Berkeley demographer (and cartoonist) Emmanuel Letouzé seeks to reduce the gap in statistical data available about populations in developing nations.

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Culture

Published April 15, 2015

Thomas Laqueur: “Long Live the Dead”

In a forthcoming book, UC Berkeley Professor of History Thomas Laqueur examines how the peculiar relationship between the living and dead has evolved over time.

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Research Highlights

Article

Published April 1, 2015

Paul K. Piff: “Are the Wealthy More Narcissistic?”

Psychologist Paul Piff studies the link between wealth and social behavior, and shows how economic inequality shapes—and is shaped by—the mind.

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Research Highlights

Article

Published March 30, 2015

Kerwin Klein: “Mountain Views”

Europeans used to regard mountains as fearsome and unapproachable, but this perception has shifted over time, says UC Berkeley Professor of History Kerwin Klein.

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Research Highlights

Article

Published December 29, 2014

Bearing Witness

UC Berkeley’s Human Rights Center has taken a lead role in assessing the International Criminal Court’s groundbreaking witness program.

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