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.
| Name | Title | Phone number |
| James Depelteau | Academic Advisor |
643-8895 |
| Anwar Thomas | Academic Advisor | 643-8895 |
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 |
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.
Emphasis in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
| Advisors (assigned by last name of student) |
Room | Phone | 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) |
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
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.