John Matsui

John Matsui is the product of the California Community College and University of California systems. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Dr. Matsui grew up in a low-income household in the flats of West Berkeley. His personal background and life experiences have driven what he has done professionally.

As Director and co-founder of the Biology Scholars Program (BSP) he has been committed to make biology at Berkeley accessible to all students with an interest. His goal has been to "level the playing field" for individuals who, like himself, do not fit the historical profile of success and to help them become leaders in their future science-related careers.

For more than 22 years, he has learned from over 3,000 program members how UC Berkeley can better train and support its undergraduate and graduate students in biology. For his work, Dr. Matsui has received the 2014 SACNAS Distinguished Mentor Award and the 2015 NSF Presidential Mentoring (PAESMEM) Award.