We are so excited that eight of Berkeley’s Graduate MS students are attending Geocongress this year and will have the opportunity to learn the latest in the field and interact with geotechnical engineers nationwide in Salt Lake City from March 9-12, 2026.

Although several more PhD students from Cal will also be attending to present their research work, and these students are typically funded through their research projects, MSc students typically do not attend due to a lack of funding.

This year is different! Thanks to the Juan Pestana Legacy Fund, MSc students are partially funded to participate and benefit from the experience. The Juan Pestana Legacy Fund was established by Juan Pestana’s students and alumni with the goal to support the education and experiences of Geosystems graduate students. In addition, companies such as Geosyntec have generously donated to the fund.

In the photo, you can see several of the graduate students attending Geocongress this year. On the two ends of the photo, you can see Dr. Chris Hunt, a past PhD student of Juan Pestana and a Principal in Geosyntec, who was the leading force in launching this initiative, and David Umberg, also an alumnus who contributed to the fund.

If you are interested in donating to the fund and support next year’s students please donate here.