Possibility Lab’s Executive Director Amy E. Lerman Honored with UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Public Service Award

The Possibility Lab’s Executive Director & Principal Investigator Amy Lerman was honored in April with the prestigious University of California, Berkeley Chancellor’s Award for Public Service for research in the public interest. This award honors a faculty member addressing critical needs and issues impacting local or broader communities. 

“Professor Lerman’s body of work epitomizes research in the public interest. Throughout her career, Professor Lerman’s research has focused on issues of equity, public opinion and political behavior, public safety and social inequality, and understanding the declining trust in the government while finding innovative ways to restore that trust at the local, state and national level,” said Dania Matos, UC Berkeley Vice Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion in presenting the award to Professor Lerman. “As founder of the Possibility Lab, professor Lerman has taken the insights gleaned from her research and built a team and network or researchers and practitioners to address a wide range of issues. While the impacts of her service are numerous, her leadership style are also commendable. Known for her infectious curiosity and collaborative spirit, professor Lerman works tirelessly to ensure the work culture of the Possibility Lab mirrors the values she seeks to make in the world.”

Each year, the Chancellor recognizes students, staff, faculty, and community partnerships that embody UC Berkeley’s proud tradition of public service and commitment to improving our local and global community. Faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate students, student organizations, and campus-community partnerships are all eligible.

“The spirit of Berkeley is all about the ways that we can interact with the wider world, the way we can make social change and innovate around our systems and our practices to make the world a better place,” said Lerman in accepting the award. “Collaborative research is not about one person so while I appreciate being here, like many of the other honorees, this is a collaborative effort. I would like thank the countless people who have been involved in this work and make it possible. In particular, the staff at the Goldman School of Public Policy who support the Possibility Lab, and my incredible team at the Possibility Lab who really make all of this work possible.”

Learn more about the award at: https://publicservice.berkeley.edu/programs/chancellors-awards/