UCOP launches new Belonging by Design event series
September 23, 2025 •
In the first event in the Belonging by Design series, john a. powell will converse with UCOP leaders.
UCOP is pleased to announce the launch of Belonging by Design — a new event series featuring UCOP leaders and national experts exploring the many dimensions of belonging at work. Together, they examine why belonging matters, debunk common myths, and highlight practical ways we can create workplaces where everyone feels valued and included.
In our first session, john a. powell, director of the Othering and Belonging Institute and professor of law, African American and ethnic studies at UC Berkeley will engage with UCOP leaders in conversation around a fundamental question: How do we build an inclusive future? They will explore the challenge of bridging differences and how we can intentionally design spaces of belonging.
Join Us
Registration is required by Oct. 1.
- What:Â Belonging By Design Featuring john a. powell
- When: Tuesday, Oct. 14, 10 to 11 a.m. (PT)
— Doors open at 9:45 a.m. - Where: Broadway Conference Center and Zoom
- Registration:
— Oakland/In-person event registration
— Zoom/remote event registration
About john a. powell
john a. powell is director of the Othering and Belonging Institute and professor of law, African American and ethnic studies at UC Berkeley, where he holds the Robert D. Haas Chancellor’s Chair in Equity and Inclusion. Prior to Berkeley, he was executive director of the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at the Ohio State University; his academic leadership also includes serving as founder and director of the Institute for Race and Poverty at the University of Minnesota.
john led the development of an opportunity-based societal model that connects affordable housing to education, health, health care and employment, and is well known for his work developing the frameworks of targeted universalism and “othering and belonging” to effect equity-based interventions.
His latest books are “Belonging without Othering: How We Save Ourselves and the World” and “The Power of Bridging: How to Build a World Where We All Belong.”
john is a co-founder of the Poverty & Race Research Action Council and serves on the boards of several national and international organizations. He formerly served as the national legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and has taught at numerous law schools, including Harvard and Columbia universities.
For questions about this event, contact EDI@ucop.edu.
Tags: Belonging By Design, john a. powell, UC Berkeley, workplace belonging
