Erwin Chemerinsky became the 13th Dean of Berkeley Law on July 1, 2017, when he joined the faculty as the Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law.

Prior to assuming this position, from 2008-2017, he was the founding Dean and Distinguished Professor of Law, and Raymond Pryke Professor of First Amendment Law, at University of California, Irvine School of Law. Before that he was a professor at Duke University from 2004-2008, and from 1983-2004 was a professor at the University of Southern California Law School.

He is the author of eleven books, including leading casebooks and treatises about constitutional law, criminal procedure, and federal jurisdiction. His most recent books are, We the People: A Progressive Reading of the Constitution for the Twenty-First Century (Picador Macmillan) published in November 2018, and two books published by Yale University Press in 2017, Closing the Courthouse Doors: How Your Constitutional Rights Became Unenforceable and Free Speech on Campus (with Howard Gillman). He frequently argues appellate cases, including in the United States Supreme Court.

In 2016, he was named a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In January 2017, National Jurist magazine again named Dean Chemerinsky as the most influential person in legal education in the United States.

Sommer Ingram Dean, who joined the staff in 2018, is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center who has long been an advocate for students’ speech and press rights. Sommer was a student journalist at the Tiger Times at Texas High School and The Baylor Lariat in college. After college, she was a legislative and legal reporter for The Associated Press and Dallas Morning News. She is also a former SPLC intern (2010) and legal fellow (2015-16). Sommer has worked for NPR’s legal affairs correspondent, The Washington Post, and served as a law clerk for a federal judge.

Michelle N. Deutchman is the inaugural executive director of the UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement (Center). In this role, she oversees the Center’s operations, programming and research including its multidisciplinary national fellowship program. Deutchman facilitates workshops for staff, students, administrators and law enforcement on First Amendment principles and how to safeguard free speech at universities while simultaneously maintaining a safe and inclusive campus climate. Her work to study and shape the national discourse on expression and engagement touches all 10 UC campuses as well as higher education institutions across the county.

Before joining the Center, Deutchman served for 14 years as western states civil rights counsel and national campus counsel for the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a non-profit organization that combats bigotry, prejudice and anti-Semitism. As national campus counsel, she focused on emerging trends and challenges pertaining to free expression at colleges and universities. Her work included drafting state and federal legislative testimony and creating training modules for use with ADL’s award-winning anti-bias education program.

During her tenure at ADL, Deutchman also developed subject matter expertise on hate crime laws and how to respond to bias-motivated incidents effectively. She received certification from the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training and educated thousands of local, state and federal law enforcement about the First Amendment and hate crime legislation.

From 2014-2018, Deutchman taught a law seminar at UCLA School of Law that she designed, Sword or Shield: Contemporary Free Exercise Issues.

Deutchman earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law, where she graduated Order of the Coif. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.

Dr. Donovan is a leading public scholar and disinformation researcher, specializing in media manipulation, political movements, critical internet studies, and online extremism. She is the Research Director of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy and the Director of the Technology and Social Change project (TaSC). Through TaSC, Dr. Donovan explores how media manipulation is a means to control public conversation, derail democracy, and disrupt society. TaSC conducts research, develops methods, and facilitates workshops for journalists, policy makers, technologists, and civil society organizations on how to detect, document, and debunk media manipulation campaigns.

Dr. Donovan is co-author of the book Meme Wars, The Untold Story of the Online Battles Upending Democracy in America. Her research can be found in academic peer-reviewed journals such as Social Media + Society, Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, Information, Communication & Society, and Social Studies of Science. She is a columnist at MIT Technology Review, a regular contributor to the New York Times, The Guardian, NPR, and PBS, and is quoted often on radio and in print.

Dr. Donovan has laid out the philosophical frameworks for how to research, report on, and understand this moment in internet history and American politics. Her conceptualizations of strategic silence, meme wars, and media manipulation campaigns provide crucial frameworks for understanding how the US got to this point. She coined many of the terms that the disinformation research field and mainstream media use to understand technology's impact on society.

Dr. Donovan is the co-creator of the beaver emoji.

In August 2020, Michael V. Drake, M.D., became the 21st president of the University of California’s system of 10 campuses, six academic health centers, three nationally affiliated labs, more than 290,000 students and 230,000 faculty and staff. President Drake also holds faculty appointments at the UCSF School of Medicine as a professor of ophthalmology and at the UC Riverside School of Medicine as a professor of medicine.

President Drake served as the 15th president of The Ohio State University (OSU) from 2014 through June 2020. Prior to his six years at OSU, his entire academic career had been at the University of California, including nine years as chancellor of UC Irvine (2005–2014) and five years as UC systemwide vice president for health affairs (2000–2005).

President Drake received his A.B. from Stanford University and his M.D. and residency training from UCSF. He subsequently spent more than 25 years on the faculty of the UCSF School of Medicine, ultimately as the Steven P. Shearing Professor of Ophthalmology and senior associate dean.

During more than two decades of national leadership in higher education, Dr. Drake has served as president of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and has chaired the boards of the Association of Academic Health Centers (AAHC), the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), the Association of American Universities (AAU), and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). He currently serves as Chair of the Board of the Commonwealth Fund, a century-old organization that works to achieve a health care system with better access, improved quality and greater efficiency for the benefit of society’s most vulnerable populations.

President Drake has published numerous articles and co-authored six books. He has received dozens of awards for teaching, public service, mentoring and research, as well as five honorary degrees. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Under President Drake’s leadership, the University of California has expanded its strong commitment to access, affordability and academic excellence, all while weathering the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to this global crisis, President Drake instituted critical public health protections for UC students, staff and faculty, including strong mask and vaccine mandates, which kept infection and fatality rates across the UC system dramatically lower than in surrounding communities.

During this period, the university also continued to grow its enrollment, increase student diversity, and enhance student support and affordability. In July 2021, the president proposed, and the UC Board of Regents approved, a multiyear Tuition Stability Plan that helps students and families budget for a UC education by keeping tuition stable and predictable and providing new financial aid resources. In early 2022, President Drake also committed to creating a path to a debt-free UC education for students by significantly expanding need-based financial aid offerings. This included the launch in spring 2022 of the UC Native American Opportunity Plan, which ensures that in-state systemwide tuition and student services fees are fully covered for California students who are enrolled in federally recognized Native American, American Indian, and Alaska Native tribes. At the same time, the university admitted a record number of California first-year students for the fall of 2022, with an increase in the number of underrepresented students.

Under President Drake’s leadership, the university also achieved greater state funding stability. A five-year funding compact established with California Gov. Gavin Newsom will enable the university to make critical long-term investments in its students, faculty, research and infrastructure. The 2022-23 state budget included $185 million to advance UC’s impactful work in addressing the global challenges of climate change — a top priority for the president and the university.

President Drake has been a strong advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging efforts at the university. In particular, he championed an effort to reimagine campus safety and policing at the University of California, leading to a clear set of guiding principles including community and service-driven safety, holistic and inclusive response models, improved data collection and transparency, and clear accountability and independent oversight.

President Drake’s interests outside higher education and health sciences include art and music. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Broad Museum of Art in Los Angeles, California, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, Brenda. They have two adult sons and four grandchildren.

Dr. Lynn M. Gangone, Ed.D is a seasoned education leader with association, agency, and campus-based leadership experience. As a faculty member, campus senior administrator, association executive, and lobbyist and policy analyst, Gangone brings a unique perspective to her work. She began her career in education working on Carl Perkins Vocational Equity grants, working through the New York State Education Department, and later, New Jersey, developing and delivering PK-12 professional development to teachers and guidance counselors. Later, as vice president of the Maryland Independent College and University Association, she led the association’s academic policy and related lobbying work, with specific oversight of teacher education and education accreditation. She has held faculty appointments at two colleges of education, the George Washington University Graduate School of Education and Human Development (DC) as a visiting professor, and a full professor (clinical)at the University of Denver’s Morgridge College of Education.

Prior to her appointment as president and CEO of AACTE, she served as vice president at the American Council on Education (ACE), where she and her team guided ACE’s suite of programs, products, and services for current and future leaders. She served as dean of Colorado Women’s College, University of Denver, one of 12 deans and 7 vice chancellors within a private doctoral/research university dedicated to the public good. She has also served as executive director of the National Association for Women in Education, and as vice president of development, as well as vice president/dean of students, at Centenary University (NJ). She consults, writes, and speaks on education leadership, advancement of underrepresented men and women, strategic planning, and change management.

Gangone received an Ed.D. and M.Ed., with a concentration in organizations and leadership, from Teachers College, Columbia University (NY); an M.S. and C.A.S. in counseling psychology from the University at Albany, State University of New York; and a B.A. in political science from the College of New Rochelle. She was a member of the class of 2010 Harvard Institute for Educational Management (IEM) and is certified through Trustee Leadership Development. She is also a member of the Colorado and Washington, DC, chapters of the International Women’s Forum (IWF) and served as Colorado’s 2013 president; she has served the IWF Leadership Foundation as a fellows mentor. Some of the many honors she has received include Twenty-Five Most Powerful Women in Colorado, Women of Distinction—Girl Scouts of Colorado, Women Making History—Colorado Black Women for Political Action, Diamond Honoree—American College Personnel Association, and the Ursula Laurus Alumnae Award from the College of New Rochelle.

An attorney and racial-justice advocate, Jessica advances Free Press’ mission of building media and technology that serve truth and justice. A former Lifeline recipient, Jessica has helped fend off grave Trump-administration cuts to the program, which subsidizes phone-and-internet access for low-income people. She was part of the legal team that overturned a Trump-FCC decision blessing runaway media consolidation. Jessica is a leader in the fight to push tech companies to crack down on hate and disinformation. She co-founded Change the Terms, a coalition of more than 60 civil- and digital-rights groups that works to disrupt online hate, helped lead the Stop Hate for Profit campaign’s Facebook advertising boycott and sits on the Real Facebook Oversight Board. Previously, Jessica was the executive vice president and general counsel at the National Hispanic Media Coalition, where she led the policy shop and coordinated campaigns against racist and xenophobic media programming. Prior to that she was a staff attorney and teaching fellow at Georgetown Law’s Institute for Public Representation. Jessica has testified before Congress on multiple occasions on issues including Net Neutrality, media-ownership diversity and affordable internet access.

In this senior management role, Monroe provides leadership for an integrated network of more than 20 departments whose programs, services, and experiences connect at some point with every UCLA student in virtually every aspect of his or her life outside the classroom. The Student Affairs organization spans the entire range of student needs and interests from early outreach through graduation, housing, physical and emotional wellness, recreation and student organizations, and a host of other services and opportunities in between.

Monroe began his work at UCLA in 2006 as the Chief Administrative and Financial Officer. He has taken on several roles during his 15 years at UCLA, including working as the Assistant and Associate Vice Chancellor in Student Affairs in which he managed 11 Student Affairs units and retained responsibility for budget, human resources and compliance for the organization. Finally, he also worked as the ADA/504 Compliance Officer for UCLA, which required him to work with students, faculty, staff and campus visitors to provide guidance and improve access to campus facilities and programs for individuals with disabilities.

Monroe received his Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) degree, with a Business Emphasis, from the University of California, Los Angeles and his Juris Doctorate degree from Pepperdine University School of Law. He is a member of the California State Bar and is licensed to practice law within the State of California.

Jessica Herrera-Flanigan is an executive with extensive experience working on corporate affairs, public policy, communications, crisis management, government relations, regulatory, legal, and social impact matters in the technology, media, security, sports, and government contracting sectors.

She currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Center for Safe Sport, and as a Board Member of Regis University and the Peabody Awards.

She has served as the Vice President of Public Policy & Philanthropy, Americas at Twitter, the Executive Vice President of Government & Corporate Affairs at Univision and President of the Univision Foundation. Prior to Univision, she was a partner with the government affairs and strategic consulting firm Monument Policy Group, where she led the firm's technology, media, sports, and crisis communications practices.

Jessica also served as the Staff Director & General Counsel of the House Committee on Homeland Security. In that position, she was the first Latina staffer to head up a Congressional committee. She also spent several years at the U.S. Department of Justice as a prosecutor, focusing on cybercrime, surveillance laws, and intellectual property crimes. She started her career at a D.C. law firm, practicing communications and energy law.

Jessica has received numerous awards and recognitions, including a Doctorate of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa from Regis University, 100 Most Influential Latinas, Washingtonian Tech Titan, Multichannel News Wonder Woman Award, HHF NFL Award, Cablefax's Most Influential Minorities and Most Powerful Women, Women in Cybersecurity Award, and 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the U.S.

Tania Israel is a Professor of Counseling Psychology and Associate Dean for
DEI at UC Santa Barbara and award- winning author of Beyond Your
Bubble: How to Connect Across the Political Divide, Skills and
Strategies for Conversations That Work (APA, 2020). She has shared
her expertise on dialogue across political difference on the TODAY show,
the New York Times, the Washington Post, NPR, and dozens of other
media outlets. Skilled in public speaking and facilitation, Dr. Israel’s work
has been received enthusiastically by professional conferences,
corporations, campuses, political organizations, and faith communities. Her
expertise on LGBTQ psychology has been solicited by the Institute of
Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, and the White House; and she
has received honors for her research and advocacy from Congress, the
American Psychological Association, and the California Asian & Pacific
Islander Legislative Caucus. Dr. Israel has two widely viewed TEDx talks
(on bisexuality and how to win a political argument), and her innovation
and whimsy are evident in her presentations, performances, and other
creative projects. To learn more, visit taniaisrael.com or connect with her
on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

Atmika Iyer (she/her/hers) is the Daily Nexus editor in chief for the 2022-23 school year. Previously, Iyer was the County News and co-Lead News Editor for the 2021-22 school year. She's a lover of loud music, loud laughs and loud prints.

Jeff Jarvis is a national leader in the development of online news, blogging, the investigation of new business models for news, and the teaching of entrepreneurial journalism. He writes an influential media blog, Buzzmachine.com.
He is author of “Geeks Bearing Gifts: Imagining New Futures for News” (CUNY Journalism Press, 2014); “Public Parts: How Sharing in the Digital Age Improves the Way We Work and Live” (Simon & Schuster, 2011); “What Would Google Do?” (HarperCollins 2009), and the Kindle Single “Gutenberg the Geek.”
Prior to joining the Newmark J-School, Jarvis was president of Advance.net, the online arm of Advance Publications, which includes Condé Nast magazines and newspapers across America.
He was the creator and founding managing editor of Entertainment Weekly magazine and has worked as a columnist, associate publisher, editor, and writer for a number of publications, including TV Guide, People, the San Francisco Examiner, the Chicago Tribune, and the New York Daily News.
His freelance articles have appeared in newspapers and magazines across the country, including the Guardian, The New York Times, the New York Post, The Nation, Rolling Stone, and BusinessWeek.

Tamara Keith is a White House correspondent for National Public Radio and co-host of The NPR Politics Podcast. On Mondays she joins the PBS NewsHour for its weekly Politics Monday segment. Keith previously covered Congress and business for NPR and before that worked at member stations KQED, KPCC and WOSU. She got her start in journalism while in high school as an essayist for NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday, thanks to an effective letter-writing campaign, and after completing her undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley, became the youngest person to graduate from UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism. She serves on the board of the White House Correspondents’ Association.

Amna Khalid is Associate Professor in the Department of History at Carleton College, where she specializes in South Asian history. She has written multiple book chapters on the history of public health in nineteenth-century India. Born in Pakistan, Khalid completed her Bachelor's Degree at Lahore University of Management Sciences, continuing on to earn an M.Phil. in Development Studies and a D.Phil. in History from the University of Oxford. Growing up under a series of military dictatorships, Khalid has a strong interest in censorship and free expression. In 2020/21, she served as the inaugural John Stuart Mill Faculty Fellow at Heterodox Academy. A founding member of the Academic Freedom Alliance, she currently hosts a podcast called "Banished," which explores threats to free expression in higher education and beyond.

Manu is an aspiring social entrepreneur who is passionate about empowering young people. Through his work, he has contributed to media outlets, advanced pro-democracy efforts nationally, and led the policy operation for a Baltimore mayoral candidate.

Jeff Snyder is Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Studies at Carleton College, where his research and teaching focus on past and present educational policy and school reform movements. A Carleton alumnus, Snyder earned an EdM in Learning and Teaching from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a PhD in the History of Education from New York University. Snyder’s work explores questions about race, national identity and the purpose of public education in a diverse, democratic society. He is the author of the 2018 book, Making Black History: The Color Line, Culture and Race in the Age of Jim Crow. Snyder has a keen interest in issues of academic freedom and free expression, especially as they relate to liberal arts education.

Valerie Strauss is an education writer at The Washington Post, where she has worked for more than 30 years. She has been immersed in education issues for much of that time, covering local and national education -- and has for more than a decade authored The Answer Sheet blog, which chronicles the most vital issues in the world of education.
Strauss started at the Post as assistant foreign editor for Asia after stints at Reuters serving as national security editor, and at United Press International as assistant foreign editor and reporter. She was also an editor at the Los Angeles Times.
Born and raised in Miami (when it was believed being excessively exposed to sun was good for you), she lives in Washington D.C. with her husband, Marc, an attorney. They have two daughters. One teaches students with autism in Maryland and the other is a musician and music therapist in Los Angeles. She is now working on a book about America’s public schools and the future of public education.

Christopher Ying is a senior at UC Berkeley majoring in mathematics and history. He has served as the city news editor, the managing editor and the hiring manager for The Daily Californian, Cal’s independent student newsroom. During his time at The Daily Californian, Chris has helped the paper cover issues ranging from campus protests of conservative speakers to the controversy over building housing at People’s Park to the fallout of several Berkeley Law students’ decisions to pass bylaws to limit allegedly Zionist speakers to their organizations.

Melanie Ziment serves as the Program Associate for the Center and is responsible for supporting programming and outreach efforts.

Ziment first became involved with the Center as a part of the inaugural class of VOICE Grant Recipients in 2020. As part of VOICE, she co-founded the opinion podcast Hot Off The Pod, which sought to create a space where students, faculty and local leaders could engage in open dialogue about issues impacting college students at UCSB.

She is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara earning Bachelor of Arts degrees in Communication and English. During her time at UCSB, she served as the Opinion Editor and later the Managing Editor of the Daily Nexus, UCSB’s student-run weekly newspaper.