Matthew Pitcher for ASUC Senate*

The Candidate

About Matthew

Matthew Pitcher is a UC Berkeley student who serves as the Environmental Justice Executive for the ASUC* Office of the President and as the Deputy California Editor for the Berkeley Political Review. When he's not advocating for students, you can find him behind the counter at Crumbl Cookies.

Matthew grew up Mormon and is proud of his red hair. He believes every student deserves access to nutritious food, safe housing, and a campus that leads on sustainability. He's ready to fight for this in the ASUC Senate*.

"Every student deserves a seat at the table — not just the ones who already have a chair."

Why This Fight Is Personal

Housing as a Student Right

In September of 2024, Matthew traveled back to Fresno for an article he was writing for the Berkeley Political Review about a recently-implemented homeless ordinance the City was pursuing. Being that his first cousin is currently experiencing homelessness, Matthew wanted to cast this measure into the limelight. For that weekend, Matthew lived in a tent with his cousin in her encampment, interviewing her and her companions over the course of his stay.

This experience gave Matthew a profound impression of the conditions that unhoused residents go through in one of California’s hottest cities, but, importantly, did by no means make Matthew an expert on the issue. However, this experience inspired Matthew to continue working on matters concerning housing justice and support for students at Cal struggling with exuberant rents and quality places to live.

As a summer intern with the Fresno County Public Defender’s Office, Matthew was tasked as a “Homeless Court” intern where he travelled to Fresno’s Poverello House shelter to collect information of over a dozen unhoused individuals who had outstanding warrants for their arrest—all to be subsequently cleared in court. In addition to this, Matthew forged five new partnerships with Fresno County homeless shelters to expand “Homeless Court” to.

Currently he serves as a Public Health intern with San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie where he, as part of the Mayor’s Breaking the Cycle’s Strategy, works on the Unit Hold Program. In this role, Matthew engages with landlords in Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco and Daly City to negotiate with them to open their available housing units to individuals in San Francisco experiencing vehicular homelessness. Since starting in January, Matthew has been fundamental in providing supportive housing to six individuals, while engaging with over 100 landlords.

This semester, Matthew joined the ASUC* Housing Commission’s Events and Outreach team where he looks forward to helping plan the Housing Action Forum and expand their presence on campus!

Campaign Manager, Communications and Social Media

Clara Ortega

Clara is a second-year Economics and Political Science student from Pasadena, CA. She serves as a Chief of Staff Intern in the ASUC* and is involved in the Latinx Business Student Association. This past summer, she interned for Congresswoman Judy Chu, supporting legislative and constituent work.

Campaign Manager, Community Engagement

James Islas

James is a second-year Political Science major also pursuing a minor in City Planning. Originally from Rancho Cucamonga, CA, he pioneered the blueprint of the ASUC*'s first-ever Alumni Association. Currently, he is a residential assistant under UC Berkeley's ResLife, a campus ambassador under the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, and a content creator for CalTV.

Campaign Manager, Voter Engagement

Molly Urfalian

Molly is a junior Society and Environment major with minors in Data Science and Public Policy. She is a U.S. Section Editor for the Berkeley Political Review and is on the Policy Debate team. She is passionate about climate policy, education, and technology.

Campaign Manager, Strategy and Operations

Marcus Oettinger

Marcus is a second-year Political Science and History student. At Cal, he serves as the Senior Opinion Editor on the Berkeley Political Review and conducts emerging technology research at the Berkeley Risk and Security Lab. He is originally from Redwood City, California.

Director, Food Insecurity Platform

Talia Threlkeld

Talia is a first-year undergraduate student at UC Berkeley pursuing a major in Environmental Science with a minor in Conservation and Resource Studies. Her upbringing in Fresno, California, has allowed her to witness firsthand how food insecurity can affect local populations. Her experience volunteering at the Poverello House has shaped her commitment to providing food security to disadvantaged populations.

Director, Housing Justice Platform

Jacky Li

Jacky is a fourth-year student in the Dual BA program with Sciences Po Paris, studying Society and Environment, Interdisciplinary Studies, Sustainable Design, and Public Policy. He is the Internal Department Director of the ASUC* Cultural and Diversity Affairs Committee and was the Project Lead of Environmental Justice Education at the ASUC* Sustainability Commission. He is also a Fung Fellow on the Sustainability and Innovation track.

Director, Environmental Justice and Sustainability Platform

Sydney Woolley

Sydney is a second-year student studying Environmental Earth Science and Public Policy on a pre-law track. She currently works as a Staff Associate for Cal Zero Waste on the reuse team, assisting restaurants in reaching UC Berkeley's Zero Waste Goals. Additionally, Sydney is involved in the Student Association for Environmental Justice, working to maintain herbicide-free initiatives.

Director, Communications and Social Media

Esme Landeck

Esme is a second-year pre-law student studying Legal Studies and Environmental Economics and Policy. She is a writer for the Berkeley Political Review and worked as a Programs, Policy, and Communications Associate at Clean Coalition, a non-profit with the mission to accelerate renewable energy on a modern grid.

Design Lead

Kevin Yamashita

Kevin is a second-year student studying Cognitive Science and Computer Science. As a product designer, he designs web and mobile solutions for non-profit organizations and startups in order to forward meaningful change. He also does brand and graphic design for the Berkeley Nikkei Student Union and serves as the PR & Graphics chair.

Design Lead

Zara Gervais

Bio coming soon.

Co-Director, Voter Engagement

Keira Bixler

Keira is a second-year Political Economy student with ambitions to work on the business side of news media. She was raised in Visalia in California's Central Valley and is a forever Miss California's Teen through the Miss America Opportunity. Now at Cal, she fills her time as an editor for the Berkeley Political Review and as a national ambassador for literacy and educational equity.

Co-Director, Voter Engagement

Caitriona Foley

Caitriona is a second-year student studying Chemistry and Public Policy. She is interested in the intersection of science and policy and how it enables innovation, particularly in the climate sphere. She is passionate about all things environmental and has pursued this through her involvement with the Berkeley Political Review and the Biofuels Technology Club.

Co-Director, Voter Engagement

Amelia Gassner

Amelia is a second-year student double-majoring in Public Health and Society & Environment from Los Angeles, CA. She is interested in the intersection of environmental health and public policy, particularly how policy can address environmental and social inequities. Outside of academics, she is a member of the Cal Sailing Team.

Co-Director, Voter Engagement

Jude Hammouda

Jude is a first-year student studying Integrative Biology with a minor in Creative Writing. Originally from Fresno in California's Central Valley, her upbringing shaped her commitment to sustainability and environmental equity. As a staff writer for Berkeley's Threads Magazine, she writes and connects with others to bring light to the stories of Muslim minority groups on campus.

Co-Director, Voter Engagement

Jessica Jabbour

Jessica is a second-year student studying Comparative Ethnic Studies and Conservation and Resource Studies. Her most formative experiences have been as a current facilitator for Berkeley Student Farms and serving as an associate member of the DEIJ committee under the Office of the President. She hopes to increase student awareness of environmental and social issues.

Co-Director, Voter Engagement

Bryce Merrill

Bryce is a first-year Civil Engineering student from Sacramento, interested in the social impact of the built environment and environmental sustainability. He currently interns with the ASUC* Office of the Executive Vice President, working on campus sustainability. He has also worked with local and international nonprofits to help empower youth and support community-centered projects.