In a room soon to be vacated by Asher Cohen, the 2025 UC Berkeley University Medalist, mementos from his senior year reflect a diverse range of interests. These include birthday cards, show programs, and an “I Voted” sticker, among others. The medal is the highest honor awarded to a graduating senior at UC Berkeley.
Cohen’s academic achievements are matched by his involvement in various campus activities. “A big part of my identity is that I do a whole bunch of different things,” he said. He has been active as a math tutor, president of the French Club, and involved in digital psychiatry research.
Arriving at UC Berkeley in 2021 as a Regents’ and Chancellor’s Scholar, Cohen found the transition from his small high school class daunting. His parents had enrolled him in Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles to ensure fluency in another language.
Initially drawn to physics due to YouTube lectures he watched during high school, Cohen eventually majored in math because it complemented his pre-med coursework. Despite finding beauty in mathematical proofs, he realized academia was not for him: “I just really enjoy connecting with people,” he explained.
His internship at John Torous’ lab combined academia with practical impact through research on digital psychiatry. At Harvard-affiliated facilities, Cohen contributed to projects published in leading journals and shadowed Torous at an inpatient psychiatric unit. Torous praised him highly: “He is the best student I have ever worked with.”
Cohen’s commitment extends beyond academics into tutoring roles where he employs the Socratic method: “Hopefully, I’m speaking very little,” he said about encouraging students’ self-discovery. Tracy Gregory noted Cohen’s ability to uplift those around him academically and personally.
Besides tutoring hundreds each year as Residential Life’s lead math tutor, Cohen actively participates in campus life through leadership roles like French Club president and regular attendance at Berkeley Hillel events.
After graduation, Cohen plans to visit France before starting Yale Medical School on scholarship. While uncertain about which medical specialty he’ll pursue, he favors engaging conversations over quieter specialties like radiology.
Reflecting on his time at UC Berkeley during a recent Shabbat service at Hillel — where community served as sanctuary — Cohen emphasized connections made throughout college: “It is the people…who make Berkeley.”
