In Loving Memory of Brian Gialketsis

About Brian Gialketsis

Brian Patrick Gialketsis (1995-2019) was a beloved part of the SERC/TGIF community at UC Berkeley. An avid environmentalist his whole life, Brian worked towards a more sustainable, environmentally and socially just world. He was a loving cat dad, blossoming disc jockey, music festival queen, social media aficionado, and an incredible mentor, colleague, and friend to all. As a student at UC Berkeley, Brian pursued his passion for the environment, by working on a TGIF grant to advance zero waste on campus with Cal Zero Waste. It was through this grant, he began his career in sustainability and higher education. In 2015, Brian was hired as a TGIF Program Associate and supported the team with social media and the TGIF referendum campaign renewal, helping the program successfully renew for an additional ten years. Brian graduated from UC Berkeley in 2017, and began his career as TGIF and Sustainability Initiatives Coordinator. In his role as TGIF Coordinator, Brian centered environmental justice to be an integral part of TGIF, and successfully piloted TGIF’s first Environmental Justice Grant Cycle, taking on the necessary work of institutionalizing environmental justice at SERC/TGIF.

Other tributes:
CNR
Rhetoric Department
Obituary

Quotes from Brian:

  • “Self care is an act of resilience. This is something I’ve learned and continue to learn the hard way in a myriad of settings and stories of my life. Our identities matter, and our ability to cross cultural lines, particularly when it pushes us into uncomfortable circumstances, allows us to grow and thrive.”
  • “Moving forward, I would like to be more intentional about where I choose to place my energy and time and to also ensure that I don’t burn myself out by continuing to be a “yes” person. While taking on new initiatives and projects has allowed me to grow both personally and professionally, I don’t want to grow at the expense of my sustainable emotional and physical health.”
  • “These events where thousands attend to share a musical / bodily experience of revelry seem to be a gateway to the community and sense of primordial unity that Nietzsche discusses. This aerial drone footage is from a Coachella 2015 DJ Set by Kaskade, which I was lucky enough to be at in person (and towards the front of, too). Hope you enjoy if you haven’t seen it yet!”   -Blog post, Philosophy of Music, March 3rd, 2016

To honor Brian, TGIF/SERC started the Brian Gialketsis SERQueer Scholarship to support queer-identifying environmentalists at UC Berkeley. Please read more about our scholarship here.