MCB Undergraduate Program

MCB has three types of undergraduate advising; staff advisors, faculty advisors, and peer advisors. See the descriptions below for when you would see whom.

Staff Advisors

Staff academic advisors are trained to support students and assist them in successfully completing their MCB major. They are excellent resources for questions concerning administration and academics, or finding out about other available services. Students should see a staff advisor in order to:

• ask questions about major requirements;
• ask advice about schedule planning;
• declare the MCB major;
• consult about research opportunities, graduate & professional schools, career opportunities, scholarships and internships;
• get their advisor code (AC) number to access Tele-BEARS registration;
• get information and course control numbers for independent research;
• request general assistance, advice or information; and
• find out about upcoming events and programs.

We have a general email address, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . We check this email daily, M-F, so you'll receive an answer to questions within one business day. Other contact information shows below.

StaFF Advising HOURS

Staff advisors are available for drop-in advising or scheduled appointments (appts). If you would like to schedule an appointment with a specific advisor, please call the office at 510.643.8895 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

JAMES	Monday	Tueaday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
9a - 12n	Drop-in	Drop-in	Appts	Appts	Drop-in
1p - 4p (1p-3p on F)	Appts	Appts	Drop-in	Drop-in	Drop-in

 

ANWAR	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
9a- 12n	Drop-in	Appts	Drop-in	Drop-in	Appts
1p - 4p (1-3p on F)	Drop-in	Drop-in	Appts	Appts	Drop-in

 

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Faculty Advisors

Faculty advisors are MCB professors assigned to advise students about the MCB department, its courses, research, and other academic issues. Students are assigned a faculty advisor when they declare an MCB major. Students should see their faculty advisors in order to: 

• receive guidance toward achieving academic and career goals,
• ask questions about the content of MCB courses,
• request exceptions to MCB major requirements and policies (obtain their signature on MCB Substitution Form),
• ask questions about biological research and about the field of biology in general,
• ask for recommendations on which graduate schools to attend, and
• get their signature on the Curriculum Planning Form, after speaking with a UAO staff advisor first (see above).  

Office hours listed below are designated for drop-in advising unless otherwise noted.

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Emphasis in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Advisors (assigned by last name of student)	Room	Phone	E-mail	Office hours
Eva Nogales* (A-C) (I-L)	708C Stanley	510.666.3334	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it	Email for appointment
Daniel Portnoy (D-H)	508 Barker	510.643.3925	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it	Fri 1-2pm (email for appointment)
Peter Duesberg (M-Q)	353 Donner	510.642.6549	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it	Email for appointment
John Kuriyan (R-S)	508B Stanley	510.643.0137	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it	Email for appointment
Qiang Zhou (T-Z)	585A LKS	510.643.1697	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it	Fri 2-3p (email for appointment)

Emphasis in Genetics, Genomics & Development

Advisor	Room	Phone	E-mail	Office Hours
Georjana Barnes	608 Barker	510.642.5962	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it	Fri 1-2p (email for appointment)
Gian Garriga*	141 Koshland	510.642.5859	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it	Tue 9-1030a (email for appointment)

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 Emphasis in Immunology

Advisor	Room	Phone	E-mail	Office Hours
Robert Beatty*	176 LSA	510.642.0671	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it	Tue 910-10a and Fri 1110-12n (drop-in ok)

 Emphasis in Neurobiology

Advisors	Room	Phone	E-mail	Office hours
David Larue	398 LSA	510.642.9637	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it	Fri 11-12n (drop-in ok)
David Presti	249 LSA	510.643.2111	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it	Wed 2-230p, Thu 12-1230p (drop-in ok)
Robert Zucker*	111 LSA	510.642.3407		Wed 415-530p (drop-in ok) or phone for appt (leave msg with phone number)***

***LSA locks at 5pm. If you arrive after 5p, call 2-3407 from the phone in the yellow box and Dr Zucker will come out to meet you.

  Emphasis in Cell & Developmental Biology 

Advisors	Room	Phone	E-mail	Office hours
Gary Firestone*	591A LSA	510.642.8319	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it	Mon 1030-12n (drop-in) or other times by appointment
Lin He	539 LSA	510.642.9338	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it	Fri 2-3p (drop-in ok)
Terry Machen	231A LSA	510.642.2983	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it	Mon 3-4p (drop-in ok)
Karsten Weis	321A LSA	510.643.0407	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it	Tu 11-12n (drop-in ok)

* indicates the head advisor for the emphasis

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PAWS - Peer Advisor Walk-in Services

Peer advisors are junior & senior MCB majors who volunteer their time to complement the UAO advising services by sharing their knowledge of and experience with lower division requirements and upper division classes, experience with student groups on campus, preparation for life beyond the B.A., and use of various campus resources. To see the schedule and more information about who our peer advisors are and which courses they've taken, click here.

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