Assistant Professor Youjin Chung has received the 2025 Prytanean Alumnae Faculty Enrichment Award, according to an announcement on Apr. 15. The annual award recognizes outstanding scholarship, teaching, mentoring, leadership, and service by a woman tenure-track faculty member at the University of California, Berkeley.
The recognition highlights the contributions of women in academia and provides $35,000 in grant funding from the UC Berkeley alumnae chapter of the Prytanean Women’s Honor Society. This support aims to further research and professional development for recipients.
“I am deeply honored to receive this award from the alumni group of the oldest collegiate women’s honors society in the United States,” said Chung. She is jointly appointed in the Energy and Resources Group and Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. Both Chung and Vasugi Kailasam—recipient of last year’s faculty award—were recognized during a reception hosted by Chancellor Rich Lyons.
Chung leads Berkeley’s Critical Ruralities Lab where she focuses on justice-oriented research related to development and socio-environmental change in rural areas worldwide. Her fieldwork methods include archival research, interviews, observation, photovoice techniques using photography for storytelling, as well as other participatory approaches. These methods formed the basis for her first book about gender politics following land privatization efforts in Tanzania during the mid-2000s.
In nominating her for this honor, Isha Ray described Chung as “brilliant and intrepid.” Following her book’s publication, she was recognized by a national association for her innovative writing in cultural and political ecology. Chung is also noted for her commitment to teaching and community service.
“I am excited to pay this forward by mentoring the next generation of students and scholars, supporting women in academia, and continuing my commitment to meaningful scholarship,” she said.
The $35,000 grant will fund Chung’s second book project based in Tanzania as well as graduate research assistants. She will present her work at next year’s Annual Spring Prytanean Alumnae Meeting.
The Rausser College of Natural Resources receives support from donor contributions that enhance opportunities for undergraduates as well as graduate fellowships according to its official website. The college advances societal well-being through environmental sustainability research according to its official website. It features facilities such as greenhouses used for plant science education according to its official website, is acclaimed nationally and globally according to its official website, functions within UC Berkeley according to its official website, and addresses environmental challenges through interdisciplinary approaches involving multiple sciences according to its official website.
