We are proud to announce that Assistant Professor Maya Carrasquillo has been named a 2026 recipient of the Graduate Division’s Carol D. Soc Distinguished Graduate Student Mentoring Award, receiving recognition as the Early-Career Faculty Winner. The Carol D. Soc Distinguished Graduate Student Mentoring Awards recognize exceptional mentorship within the Berkeley community. The awards are administered by UC Berkeley’s Graduate Division in collaboration with the Graduate Council of the Academic Senate and are funded through a generous bequest from the estate of Carol Soc, a former employee of the Graduate Division.
Professor Carrasquillo’s research focuses on sustainable and equitable urban water infrastructure, food-energy-water systems (FEWs), community engagement and community science in decision-making, and environmental and infrastructural justice. As well as teaching and mentoring, she works as the Principal Investigator of the Liberatory Infrastructures Lab (LiL). The mission of LiL is to develop systems of critical infrastructure that support liberation and restorative justice for all. She also serves as Faculty Director of the (CEE)² Community-Engaged Education program, which connects engineering education with real-world community collaboration and impact.
This recognition reflects Professor Carrasquillo’s deep commitment to mentorship and to supporting students as they develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to address some of the most pressing environmental and infrastructure challenges of our time. Congratulations Professor Carrasquillo on this well-deserved honor!
Celebrate these wonderful mentors and learn more: https://grad.berkeley.edu/news/celebrate-mentorship-at-cal-for-2026/