The I-House Connection: December 2021

December 16, 2021

Dear I-House Alumni and Friends,

Shaun R. CarverAs Fall term concludes, I-House wishes all of our graduating residents the best of luck, with hopes that you will remain connected with the I-House Global Community throughout your lives! Please join ihberkeleyconnect.org if you haven’t already.


In this edition of the I-House Connection, I’d like more formally to introduce Executive Chef Abbigail Serbins, and share a fun “in the kitchen” video.


We’ve also included a link to the digital version of our Fall / Winter I-House Times Newsletter.


We’ve dug deep into the archives and have now posted a number of historic resident directories on our website – please take a look and do let us know if you have a copy of any of our missing editions!


Many thanks if you have supported I-House recently during this, our annual appeal season. If you haven’t yet had a chance, and wish to make a gift now, there is a convenient link for online giving at the bottom of this edition of the I-House Connection.

Many thanks!

Sincerely,

Shaun Carver, I-House Executive Director
Shaun R. Carver
Executive Director
International House, UC Berkeley


Meet our Executive Chef Abigail Serbins

We are pleased to introduce I-House's first-ever female executive chef, Marie Abigail Serbins. Originally from the Philippines, "Chef Abbie" has 19 years of combined experience in the hospitality and culinary industries. She fits right in with International House culture with her specialty background in worldwide cuisine and serving a diverse demographic clientele. She is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu California Culinary Academy and a Multi-Award recipient from world-renowned food service companies. She has appeared on The Food Network's popular competition show, "Guy's Grocery Games" twice, and has been featured on a genuine Wheaties box.

Chef Abigail SerbinsWhen asked about working here, she writes, "Enjoying every moment here at International House and my heart is full of gratitude and love. Coming to work every day and seeing all of these amazing individuals is such a big part of my existence as a chef and a person. This journey is where I’ve always seen myself fulling all my aspirations and dreams as a chef. International House is a gathering place for education and camaraderie of individuals from all over the world. To be a part of such magnitude is a privilege I will never forget. To be able to work with chefs that have the same passion for food as I just puts the icing on the cake."

Our residents have enjoyed Chef Abbie and the kitchen team's fresh and delicious offerings at mealtimes. We look forward to when we can reopen our Dining Commons to the public. Until then, you can get to know Chef Abbie by watching this 4-minute video below.

I-House Staff Spotlight: In the Kitchen with Chef Abbie


Read the latest I-House Times Newsletter
2021-2022 Fall/Winter

The I-House Times newsletter details the events, recent developments, and alumni news each spring and fall. 

I-House Times Newsletter Fall-Winter 2021-2022

Download: I-House Times 2021-2022 Fall/Winter PDF

For previous issues, see the newsletter archive. Be sure to sign up for the email version.


More Alumni Directories Now Online


Did you know that we have scans of some old resident directories on our website?  We recently found a collection of small, pocket-sized directories dating back to the 1930s! We had one of our wonderful student workers scan and PDF them to add to our collection. You can see scans of directories at: https://ihouse.berkeley.edu/alumni-engagement/alumni-directory-archive

Alumni Directories

Some years are still missing, so if you happen to have a directory, please let us know by emailing ihalumni@berkeley.edu so that we can add to our archives!


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The I-House Connection: News from International House at UC Berkeley

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Winter Holiday Traditions from I-House Residents

Read the accompanying blog post, "Winter Holiday Traditions from I-House Residents."