Acknowledgements

Background image: Acknowledgments

The 150W Mural in the Undergraduate Academic Building is part of a celebration of “150 Years of Women at UC Berkeley” –  150W for short.

Created by Twin Walls Mural Company, the 150W mural was made possible by many donors who contributed funds between 2020-2022. The mural highlights 41 distinguished women and includes alumnae, faculty, friends of the university, and staff.

Commemoration

The 150W celebration commemorates the sesquicentennial (150 year) anniversary of the Memorial Resolution that the UC Regents passed unanimously on October 3, 1870:

That young ladies be admitted into the University on equal terms in all respects to young men.
UC Regents
Mural of group of graduates

The 150W Celebration

The 150W Celebration was launched in 2020 under the leadership of Chancellor Carol Christ. Fittingly, shortly thereafter Jennifer Doudna became the first female faculty member at UC Berkeley to receive a Nobel Prize. Contributors to 150W produced an extensive online history project documenting the contributions of women to the university. 150W also included a fundraising campaign for an art project that culminated in the 150W Mural.

The website for the 150W mural was developed by Michele Borovac and Theodore Zaner (Media Studies, Fall 2026), and the photos of the individuals highlighted in the mural were taken by Betsy Greer.

The biographical sketches for the named individuals were written by the following students from the Class of 2029:

  • Alexandra Ausfahl

  • Andrew Akuaku

  • Caitlin Dowd

  • Caitlyn Lee

  • Maile Korporaal

  • Olivia Dziadzia

  • Raquel Silberman

  • Shayna Eiselman

  • Zoe Winn

The committee who assisted with the selection of the individuals celebrated in the mural were:

  • Aileen Liu 
  • Ashley Hawon Yoon 
  • Catherine Gallagher 
  • Catherine Koshland 
  • Charmin A Smith
  • Gia M White 
  • Isabella Luna Damberger-Sheldon
  • Jill Finlayson 
  • Michele Borovac
  • Renee Y Chow
  • Sharon Inkelas
  • Sheila M Humphreys 
  • Wendy Hillis 

Final Acknowledgements

Several individuals made other, particularly invaluable, contributions to the mural. Jill Finlayson and Sheila Humphreys, who played a key role in the 150W history project, also researched the individuals depicted in the mural. Campus Architect Wendy Hillis sourced the location and artists and organized the production of the mural. Valerie Zylla oversaw the installation of the mural in the Undergraduate Academic Building.

Thank you and Fiat Lux!

Sharon Inkelas and Oliver O’Reilly
Cochairs for the Organizing Committee for the Celebration of 150 years of Women at the University of California, Berkeley