This year, Philip Soderberg joined the Upper Division Science Department as a teaching fellow. 

Born in Minnesota and growing up in Columbus, Ohio, Soderberg attended schools similar to Berkeley. His parents both work in education, with his mother being the head of his childhood school and his father currently teaching at Denison University.  

Soderberg attended Kenyon College before transferring to Johns Hopkins where he played college football. Soderberg majored in environmental studies,  participating in research opportunities such as a lab in the Earth sciences department. 

Soderberg decided that he wanted to become a teacher his senior year of college after previously wanting to conduct research and study environmental policy. 

When asked about his inspiration to become a teacher, Soderberg said he always enjoyed high school biology. Soderberg loved how his teachers made biology fun and incorporated outside learning as much as possible. 

Currently, Soderberg is a science teaching fellow at Berkeley and enjoys the enthusiasm of Berkeley students and the welcoming environment. 

In his free time, Soderberg enjoys playing sports like golf, tennis, pickleball and coaching football at Berkeley. He also enjoys spending time with friends. A fun fact about Soderberg is that he enjoys art, and likes to draw and paint.