CNR Alumnitag:nature.berkeley.edu,2009:/blogs/alumni//142009-10-29T05:06:06ZAlumni of UC Berkeley's College of Natural Resources share their storiesMovable Type 3.38Inspiring evolution through eco design? What does that mean?tag:nature.berkeley.edu,2009:/blogs/alumni//14.26262009-10-27T19:06:57Z2009-10-29T05:06:06ZLast week, we finally selected a phrase that describes our Company; Inspiring evolution through eco design. Knowing that this type of phrase has the ability to excite as well as turn-off, I thought I’d take a moment to help define... Of course, any phrase like this needs to be rooted in a philosophy. We have one: people, product, planet, and we wrestled with how to convert the practices we utilize in operating our business, into a different statement that describes what that process means for the Brand and for the consumer.
Our Brand lives in a world of products that we think up, produce and sell. Through that process, we’ve created a certain set of “new” considerations as to what we are willing to create and what we are willing to produce. That process is what constitutes our whole people, product, planet philosophy. Adding this layer to our already long design consideration of what is possible, reasonable, realistic and sellable, makes the process somewhat more cumbersome. It also becomes more exhilarating, knowing we’re working harder to create even more deeply thoughtful products. This is the essence of eco design – design with an awareness of the eco consequences, both social and environmental, of the decisions inherent in the design.
We see this as the evolution of the process of design. This process is most vividly seen in LEED certifications of buildings. Take the concept of landscaped roofs as seen on the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Putting pots with plants on a roof is a wonderful idea and has been done for centuries. Integrating a full landscape on a roof for all the energy and other possible advantages is a very different story. Just accommodating the added weight, ongoing maintenance, overall roof access, is a significant change to standard considerations for a roof.
And if the design is strong, and the execution is done well, that building will serve to inspire people who visit or even see it. Not that they go home and re-think their roof, that’s extreme. But, maybe they come away with a greater appreciation of what is possible. Maybe a solar panel, maybe a rain barrel, maybe they think differently about storm drain runoff. Who knows, but, the point is, by stretching the boundaries of design, the building acts as a longstanding symbol of changing norms.
Changing norms are what evolution is all about. We do the same thing with our bags. Twenty years ago, who would have thought we could grind up plastic, make it into fabric and make great looking products? Twenty years ago, I bet there weren’t even enough plastic bottles to matter. Now, the volume of bottles staggers the mind, not just in the U.S. either.
Twenty years ago, who would have said Google (what started as a search engine only) would turn out to be part of an online evolution (and a verb, no less). They accomplished that task through design, not just what we see, but, the code they wrote to make it happen. GreenSmart is writing that same type of code, in the work that we do, for bags. We’re applying different thought processes to how we source and create, how we execute and manufacture and finally, how we tell our story. We sincerely hope our work inspires others. It inspires us, and maybe that’s all that matters.
Tom President GreenSmart ]]>
What I Gained from CNRtag:nature.berkeley.edu,2009:/blogs/alumni//14.26252009-10-27T16:31:15Z2009-10-27T16:35:54Z When I first came to UC Berkeley I had no idea what I was doing. I was an out of state student from a suburb in Georgia and I had only visited the campus once before. Like many freshmen,...
When I first came to UC Berkeley I had no idea what I was doing. I was an out of state student from a suburb in Georgia and I had only visited the campus once before. Like many freshmen, I was enrolled in the College of Letters and Science, intended MCB. I didn’t know much about what classes to take and I just chose some of the pre-med requisite courses somewhat blindly. I was pretty disillusioned throughout my first semester. Constantly going in and out of huge classes of 500+ students made me feel like I was just “going through the motions.”
After getting settled in, I gradually took some more initiative in figuring out what I wanted. Fortunately, I learned about the College of Natural Resources (CNR) from a friend in the Molecular Environmental Biology (MEB) major. After spending time in Mulford Hall and the CNR side of campus, I realized that it offered a lot of the benefits I was looking for. Some of the features of CNR that I found particularly appealing were the smaller size, a greater focus on crafting a personalized major, and opportunities for independent research through the CNR Honors Program. I quickly transferred to CNR to become an MEB major and found new enthusiasm for my college experience.
One additional obligation for me as an out–of-state student was the cost of tuition. My CNR advisor helped me plan my class schedule around my part-time employment and condense my workload such that I was able to complete my degree with an honors thesis in three years. When it came time to find a job, I made use of the resources at the CNR and received a lot of guidance from my thesis mentor. I immediately found that there were many opportunities within my interests that I never knew about. For example, I had always been under the false impression that if I was interested in science then my only options were to either become a doctor or a professor. However, the resources at CNR opened my eyes to opportunities ranging from science policy, administration, conservation, ecology, public health, and medicine.
After graduating I knew I was broadly interested in biomedical research and public health, but I felt I needed professional experience before deciding if I wanted to pursue a graduate or professional degree. I found the perfect post-baccalaureate job in biomedical research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, GA, formally called the Emerging Infectious Disease (EID) Fellowship. I was a competitive applicant to the program primarily because of the independent research experience I gained in the CNR honors program. My project, "The Labellum of Costus (Zingiberales) and the ABC Model of Floral Development," was supported by a grant from CNR's Sponsored Projects for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) program, and I was able to work closely with a faculty mentor, Professor Chelsea Specht.
Over the past two years I have worked on a number of different projects, each of which contributes directly to global malaria control efforts. One of my projects entails the use of molecular epidemiology to track the prevalence and genetic history of drug resistant malaria-causing parasites in various parts of the world. As part of this project, I have had the privilege of learning powerful molecular techniques and have trained guest researchers from collaborating labs in Pakistan, India, Thailand, Tanzania, Ghana, Nicaragua, Peru, and Brazil.
Another one of my objectives in the lab is to improve low cost malaria diagnostics, since malaria tends to be a problem in economically distressed parts of the world. Last year, I helped develop an instrument for this purpose and traveled to a rural health clinic in India to personally work with local physicians and carry out its first field trial. The data gained from this trial and other techniques that I have optimized in the lab have lead to the development of a quality control system for malaria diagnostics, which we hope to implement throughout East Africa early next year.
Although I feel I have had many opportunities, the learning curve in a professional environment can be slow. It took me two years to really get off the ground and gain the sense of autonomy that I have always sought in my career. Looking back, I feel that my experience at CNR did not just help me get my foot in the door with my first post-baccalaureate job; it also helped me excel in a professional environment.
For example, CNR helped me cultivate principles of conservation and sustainability in whatever I do. In fact, one of the first major contributions that I made to my lab at the CDC was in optimizing a laboratory technique that I used during my honors thesis. That optimization cut the cost of the technique by over two-fold and will save our lab thousands of dollars in the long run that can go towards valuable research efforts.
Several CNR classes also helped me develop skills in written composition and oral presentation that I now find essential when conveying my work through lab meetings, grants, publications, and conferences. I recently helped write a grant proposal for a $20 million clinical trial in India using skills I first gained at CNR when I wrote a Sponsored Projects for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) grant proposal for my thesis project. On a more abstract level, the culturally and academically diverse environment at CNR prepared me to work with people from all around the world.
If you had asked me what I would have envisioned myself doing in 5 years, back when I started at CNR, I would have never guessed that this is where I would be. I also don’t think my experience at CNR necessarily dictated what I would be doing either. Rather, I feel that CNR gave me the fundamental skills to pursue my personal interests and appreciate the opportunities, instead of fearing the uncertainties, which come with a future that isn’t clearly written out. I look forward to continuing my career in research and my goal is to ultimately investigate host-pathogen interactions in infectious disease as a physician-scientist. I am currently applying to MD/PhD programs and I hope that my future professional training will be as formative as the experience I gained at CNR.
Sankar Sridaran Research Technician Genetics and Immunology Laboratory
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Vote Andaman Discoveries for the BBC World Challenge!tag:nature.berkeley.edu,2009:/blogs/alumni//14.26022009-10-14T15:27:19Z2009-10-14T15:39:08ZHi CNR Students and Alums, I started a non-profit in Thailand back in 2005, and it has gone on to do great things. Recently, we were chosen as a finalist for the BBC World Challenge. If you can, please take...Eva St. Clairhttp://nature.berkeley.edu/
The BBC World Challenge.
Our connection to the villages comes from rebuilding our lives together, and our projects focus on the big picture, empowering people to define their own future. This means that, along with responsible tourism, we also support scholarships for 120 kids, reforestation, a community development network, and a lot more. Pardon the spiel if you've already heard it, but it's the real deal.
Winning the World Challenge would mean a lot: the award will underwrite our projects, and the publicity will help us spread our message, which is always a challenge with a miniscule PR budget :) If you are excited by all this, feel free to post this message on your facebook account, blog, or email lists.
With thousands of nominations annually, the World Challenge recognizes innovative business projects that increase investment into the local community and take a responsible approach to the environment in which they are operating. We were chosen by a jury of high-level executives from Shell, BBC World, the World Bank, IUCN, and Newsweek.
So, if you could be so kind as to follow the link and vote for us, it would be of great service to our projects and the people they serve.
Bodhi Garrett
Director, Andaman Discoveries
Coordinator, IUCN North Andaman Network
Founder, North Andaman Tsunami ReliefLink to Andaman Discoveries on the BBC World ChallengePress Release (PDF)]]>
69th day of Medical Schooltag:nature.berkeley.edu,2009:/blogs/alumni//14.25932009-10-11T06:15:15Z2009-10-11T06:22:54ZOne of the greatest parts about medical school is having your questions answered. I remember all those times that I couldn't understand why a person was the way they were or what disability a person had.... It helps to finally...K. Lee
One of the greatest parts about medical school is having your questions answered. I remember all those times that I couldn't understand why a person was the way they were or what disability a person had....
It helps to finally have your questions answered.
---sometimes I wonder about how much is appropriate to write on this site. Patient confidentiality and such. Sorry about the vagueness.
Anatomy lab is.. _______. We have our practical (where they tag stuff on the bodies and we look at it and name it) in 2 weeks so I've been spending more time in lab.
The smell was alright at first. I'm getting more sensitive to it though. hum ho.
It stays in my hair like crazy. I've been washing it as soon as I get home.
I feel kinda sorry for the guy sitting next to me in class. (He doesn't have anatomy lab on the same day as me, and sometimes I go in the morning just for kicks).
The other day,.... I said, "Man...anatomy... I want to nap [during 10 min break] but I can't because I smell. Maybe I should go change."
He said, "Yeah, you do smell."
heh.. whooppps... I should bring a change of clothes more often.
Adventures in Microscopytag:nature.berkeley.edu,2009:/blogs/alumni//14.25822009-10-09T15:31:33Z2009-10-09T16:13:14ZChristinahttp://www.myspace.com/botanynerd
Genetics & Plant Biology, I took Plant and Animal Microtechnique, a course taught by Dr. Steve Ruzin and Dr. Denise Schichnes at CNR's Biological Imaging Facility. With the microwave paraffin embedding techniques that I learned in that course, I was able to create images like this:
Bok Choi (Brassica rapa) flower cross-section stained with Sharman's
I've taken the skills that I learned with that solid introduction to microtechnique, and with my graduate work I have moved on to electron microscopy.
Here's a picture of our instructor Matt Duley with the microscope I'm currently learning to use:
I'm learning the basics - everything from plant sample preparation to operating the microscope. I'll even learn backscatter technique.
The best part about training with the EMF at Miami is that there are no expensive lab fees associated with their courses - and anyone who has a project in mind and a subject they'd like to image can sign up. They're available not only to those in the biological sciences, but also to geologists, structural engineers, physicists, artists, and more.
Here are a few pictures I've taken with the JEOL 840A.
Tin Balls
Gear from a wristwatch
Trichomes of a geranium leaf
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Shoutout from Alaska!tag:nature.berkeley.edu,2009:/blogs/alumni//14.25652009-10-02T03:46:32Z2009-10-02T03:54:51Z Hello alumni from the past, and I mean some time ago. As I near 60 years old, I give myself a chance to see what has changed over the years in Forestry, Plant Pathology, and Entomology I am truly...Eva St. Clairhttp://nature.berkeley.edu/
Hello alumni from the past, and I mean some time ago. As I near 60 years old, I give myself a chance to see what has changed over the years in Forestry, Plant Pathology, and Entomology I am truly amazed. Many old buddies have retired or are thinking of it and others like me with a second family (X and Y generations) are still going strong, maybe not as strong as they used to. I still get out in the woods in Alaska. This year was busy with felling hazardous trees, doing bark beetle projects, and climbing over downfall. I pride myself in knowing how to put a rudimentary GIS layer together, make what I can out of communicating on facebook and twitter, and sending a letter now and again. Best wishes to the graduates of '72.]]>
Annual Alumni Association Meetingtag:nature.berkeley.edu,2009:/blogs/alumni//14.25582009-09-25T18:14:27Z2009-09-25T18:16:20ZAnnual Meeting: October 3, 2009 Saturday, October 3, 2009 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Giannini Hall Foyer Agenda Items: Nominate & Vote on Board membership Vote on the slate of new members: Steve Enochian, Agricultural Economics ’69, General Counsel/Vice President...Eva St. Clairhttp://nature.berkeley.edu/
Annual Meeting: October 3, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Giannini Hall Foyer
Agenda Items:
Nominate & Vote on Board membership
Vote on the slate of new members:
Steve Enochian, Agricultural Economics ’69, General Counsel/Vice President of Gillig
Sally Freedman, Conservation of Natural Resources ’73, Environmental Designer
Lynn Spickard, Conservation of Natural Resources ’75, Artist
David S. Saah, Molecular/Cell Bio-Neurologym Environmental Science Policy &
Management ’96, ’01, ’04, Assistant Professor at University of San Francisco, and
Principal at Spatial Informatics Group, LLC
Gil Castellanos, Environmental Science Studies ’01, North America Environmental Policy, US EPA
Desirea Early, Environment, Economics and Policy ’08, Project Manager and PG&E
Rachel Barge, Conservation and Resource Studies ’08, Director, Campus InPower
Lynette Yang, Conservation and Resources Studies & Society and Environment ’09,
Field Intern at Dow AgroSciences
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From CRS to Chocolate, and so much in between!tag:nature.berkeley.edu,2009:/blogs/alumni//14.25562009-09-24T05:15:50Z2009-09-24T05:28:16ZA lot has happened since graduating from Cal in 1999. I was one of those re-entry students when I arrived at Cal in 1997 and had been involved with the Golden Gate National Recreation Area’ s park restoration program and...Eva St. Clairhttp://nature.berkeley.edu/
Upon graduation, I hit the ground running trying to find an entry-level job in the environmental consulting field. I eventually landed a job with a small consulting firm in Oakland that was working closely with the Navy on clean-up activities at various Navy facilities in the Bay Area. I quickly learned that not all environmental consulting was created equal. This particular firm focused on health and risk management-which meant lots of number crunching, something I did not find very interesting. Several months later I left after taking a job with yet another firm, doing more of the type of work I was interested in - my first project included working with US Coast Guard.
Fast forward several years and I found myself feeling unchallenged creatively; much of consulting work includes reviewing documents written by specialists in other fields (e.g. traffic specialists, geologists, hydrologists, etc) and incorporating that information into a document that will ultimately be used by lawmakers to approve or deny a project.
I ultimately figured out that I needed to find something creative in order to balance out the more cerebral part of my life. I started baking, something I used to do when I was a kid, in the kitchen with my grandmother. I also started taking classes in baking thinking that I might want to become a pastry chef. Somewhere along the way, I also began incorporating chocolate into the recipes and was constantly asked by friends to provide the chocolate desserts for their special events.]]>
At one point I was making both pastries and chocolate candies and thought about starting a business that would incorporate both of these items. It should be noted that all this time, I was working full-time in the environmental consulting business.
It soon became clear that I needed to focus on either chocolate or pastry, and after a discussion with a pastry chef friend, I decided to channel all of my creative energies into chocolate.
Fast forward again several more years and I now am the proud owner of Coco Delice Fine Chocolates. The business based in Oakland, has grown slowly and steadily and I have developed a following here in the Bay Area, with our products being sold at Whole Foods and the Pasta Shops to name a few. Our chocolates are made from high-quality chocolate, we use locally produced organic cream, many of our fruits and spices used in our chocolates are organic, we use no preservatives, and we have incorporated some Fair Trade chocolate into some of our recipes.
While I no longer work for an environmental consulting firm, I have begun my own consulting firm (Kearney and Associates), where I am a sub-consultant to other firms. Presently, I am working mostly on water supply projects for the City and County of San Francisco, but am looking to expand my connections with other firms in the Bay Area that are working on smaller, more short-term projects.
It should be noted that my chocolate company is my top priority, but my consulting work has allowed me to steadily build the chocolate business without taking on too much debt or having to rely on investors. In fact, I am in the process of searching for a site in Oakland’s re-development zone that can be turned into the new Coco Delice Fine Chocolate production facility. And of course, this facility would be the “greenest” chocolate facility in the country - would one expect anything less from a Cal CRS graduate?
My current vision includes
recycled glass countertops for the store
recycled concrete for production area floors
solar panels on top of the building
several office spaces to be leased for local not-for-profit organizations
recycled wood for furniture and fixtures
use of grey water in the entryway courtyard
and lots of other fun green stuff.
In preparation for this vision, I am working with the San Francisco Small Business Development Center which has provided me help in developing a long-term financial plan and has helped me to re-construct my business plan. The SBA also has a program for helping small businesses purchase their own buildings, something I plan to take advantage of.
This is a very exciting time for me, for so many of the things that I have worked on in the last decade are all coming together in an amazing way. And while I am not a specialist in all the areas that will come into play for my new vision of the chocolate production facility, I am comforted by the fact that I have the Cal community to fall back on for advice and expertise.]]>
Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciencestag:nature.berkeley.edu,2009:/blogs/alumni//14.25342009-09-10T16:30:29Z2009-09-16T03:23:34ZI can't believe that I've been in medical school for more than a month now. Here at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, Kansas City, Missouri, I've been learning everything from anatomy, biochemistry, embryology, histology, immunology, microbiology, pathology, pharmacology,...Eva St. Clairhttp://nature.berkeley.edu/
I can't believe that I've been in medical school for more than a month now. Here at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, Kansas City, Missouri, I've been learning everything from anatomy, biochemistry, embryology, histology, immunology, microbiology, pathology, pharmacology, and physiology. With my Molecular Toxicology background, most of the subjects come to me quite easily. The hardest ones for me are Immunology and Anatomy. I've never been good at blatant memorization (Anatomy/Microbio). The end part of immunology is great for me because we learned alot about apoptosis and necrosis (yay death domains!) with NST 110. For anyone with a MolTox major, take an extra upper div class in Immuno. Microbio in medical school takes a semi-different perspective from the Microbio I had (the PH one~one of the two microbio major req fullfilling classes that we have as a MolTox) since that one was more about etiology and currently in med school we're going from the lab test perspective. I did my first Gram stain two days ago. The hardest part about being well prepared for med school is... LAZINESS. I had my buddy change my facebook account pswd because I was getting ... sidetracked. We have a final on Tuesday (and another on Thursday). ^^ hahah. yay..... ::cries in the corner:: I'm sure y'all at Berkeley don't have any exams until the end of this month right?
Have fun meeting people still while I suffer here.
Miss y'all.
Pray for me!
The Adjustments of The Real Worldtag:nature.berkeley.edu,2009:/blogs/alumni//14.24912009-08-16T21:31:37Z2009-08-17T00:44:49Z I just finished the second week at my very first “real” post-undergraduate job. I work as a Health/Hospital Lab Tech for UCLA’s lab in Brentwood, and though I was prepared for the transition to the real world from an...Aimmee Chinhttp://nature.berkeley.edu/blogs/alumni
I just finished the second week at my very first “real” post-undergraduate job. I work as a Health/Hospital Lab Tech for UCLA’s lab in Brentwood, and though I was prepared for the transition to the real world from an academic one to be difficult, I was still surprised from the needed adjustment. Don’t get me wrong, I’m eternally grateful for having my job in this hire-frozen economy, and even more grateful that I’m working in the health and science field as a recently graduated student. The opportunity is amazing, though the adjustments were hard to settle. The hardest thing to adjust was my sleeping schedule. Gone are the days that I could stay up until 1am and be late for my 8am class.
My schedule is as follows in the lab:
At 7am, which is when work starts, I organize urine, stool, and critical fluid-streaked media plates in numerical order as each patient is assigned a number, and each specimen from the same patient is assigned a number. These plates are to be “processed” and the Clinical Lab Scientists record the findings into the computerized health system.I then dilute urine solutions and run them in the Vitek machine, which reads cards placed into the solution made and prints a report for the clinical lab scientists.
UCLA is known for making their own MIC (microdilution) trays, which are used for inoculations. The trays are kept frozen at negative 70 degrees and take 30 minutes to thaw out before we can use them, so I take a count of all the needed trays of different types before my lunch break to give them time to thaw. After lunch break, I dilute all the specimen solutions in tween water, invert the tubes, and then run the MIC machine until 4 pm.
The second hardest adjustment is the 40-hour week. By Friday, I feel like I’ve run miles up and down the Big C trail. On my first week especially, I was nostalgic for the days when Thursday nights were the start of my weekend; Fridays seem to last forever before work ends these days. There have been days where it’s felt like med school was so out of reach, days where I wonder what I am doing and why exactly I am where I am. Those days are rough, especially after working for 8 hours, and being stuck in traffic for 2. But despite these hard adjustments, I’m still very much grateful as I’m learning new techniques and gaining clinical experience for my application. The key now is to stay highly motivated and to save, save, save. I try to remind myself that all of this is part of a journey toward a dream I’m not willing to let go of, and am more than willing to work hard for.
I met a friend on the second day of work, and after realizing we had similar goals (He wants to go to vet school) he told me, “We’ll remind each other about our goals every day from now on. Especially on days we’re extremely tired.”
Each time I pass him in the halls of our lab or run into him in the elevator, he says “What’s up, future med student!” And I reply with “Hey there future vet student!” as well as a big smile on my face for the rest of the day. Well until I hit the 405 at 4pm anyway.
What I Learned From Training Farmers in Tanzaniatag:nature.berkeley.edu,2009:/blogs/alumni//14.24822009-08-08T04:18:38Z2009-08-08T04:29:07ZWe read a lot about sustainable agriculture on our multi-acre farms in the USA and the rest of the developed world. What makes them sustainable? The most common farm inputs and farm capital assets tied into sustainability are organic fertilizers...Eva St. Clairhttp://nature.berkeley.edu/
organic fertilizers and organic pesticides purchased from outside suppliers
electricity produced from expensive photo-voltaic panels and windmills
recycled water from waste treatment plants.
But there is nothing more sustainable than a small farmer managing to eke out a living by producing food and a bit of cash for the family on one to two acres in a sub-tropical highland in the mountains of Eastern Tanzania.
Take a look at this picture of a randomly planted tract, straddling a small creek and looking like a dense and healthy backyard garden. It's a bit hard to pick out all the crops, but there are bananas, pineapple, mango, taro, cassava, chick peas, coconut, cloves and oranges. Their produce is either consumed over the year by the farmer and family or sold for cash to local brokers. It's been recently weeded so the fertile, dark red, volcanic soil is readily exposed. ]]>
For most of the year, weeds and/or herbs cover the ground between the cultivated crops. The farmers don't fertilize or spray pesticides, more out of necessity because they don't have the cash, than out of principle. However, inspecting the plants more closely, we don't see any nutrient deficiency or a serious insect or pest damage. They are starting to see fruit flies during the peak harvest. With the many hosts of the insect pest it's a bigger problem than the individual farmers can handle without government and university extension intervention.
Fortunately, the diversity creates a hedge against the likely failure of one crop or another and a rich environment that attracts many insect predators and parasites. The low intensity cultivation allows renewal of soil nutrients and organic material. The balance between pests and beneficial organisms is stable. It is easy to imagine how farm advisors and farm trainers with experience in large scale agriculture could push for a monoculture environment with all the inputs of modern technology but I found it necessary to take a step back and evaluate the methods practiced on the farms in Tanzania.
What is needed, though, are improved varieties and simplified and practical methods to increase output and cash flow without disturbing the integrated farming environment. The question is whether they can resist the pressure to change or maintain their farming lifestyle and protect the environment.
Shoutout from Utah!tag:nature.berkeley.edu,2009:/blogs/alumni//14.24762009-08-04T04:37:57Z2009-08-05T19:22:51ZThanks to all of you who have posted your thoughts and comments on this blog. Your enthusiasm for your chosen fields is contagious! I'm particularly impressed by those of you who have such clear focus about your direction. I never...Eva St. Clairhttp://nature.berkeley.edu/ Park City Real Estate Guide Copyright 2008
On my final day of work at Golden Gate fields (my first post-graduation job -- hey, the economy was tough back in '92 too!) I took a mental snapshot of the postcard outside my window -- boats on the bay, golden gate, etc, and said goodbye. It feels like yesterday, but this week marks the 15 year anniversary of my departure from living the good life in California--something I swore would never sacrifice. The next day I bought a rusty pickup truck and moved to Utah, where I worked as a biologist for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources for a few years.
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Then things really started to get weird...in a good way! I began to reinvent and rediscover myself over and over, exploring interests in all sorts of areas -- none of which had any appeal to me during my years at Cal.
I wish all of you the greatest of success in all your endeavors, and look forward to cheering you on in the years ahead. Go bears!
PS Send Peet's Coffee! Utah's just doesn't compete...
Unconventionally.tag:nature.berkeley.edu,2009:/blogs/alumni//14.24732009-07-23T00:16:55Z2009-07-23T01:25:15Z I've recently graduated with a NutriSci Physiology and Metabolism degree from Cal and found this blog to be a great opportunity to share the adventures and triumphs as an alumni. I had this freshman fantasy in which I'd announce...Aimmee Chinhttp://nature.berkeley.edu/blogs/alumni
I've recently graduated with a NutriSci Physiology and Metabolism degree from Cal and found this blog to be a great opportunity to share the adventures and triumphs as an alumni. I had this freshman fantasy in which I'd announce to the world that I'd be going to a top medical school in the nation-after finding some type of cure for diabetes of course- and I'd invite every one I know to the white coat ceremony. (These daydreams tended to happen in Organic Chem lecture, at 8 am) But alas, sometimes, things don't go exactly as planned, or the way you plan them in your decaffeineted, sleep-deprived mind.
Among the many things I've learned at Cal, I've learned that it's acceptable to be unconventional. With that said, instead of having found a cure for diabetes (without a lack for trying, mind you!), I'm taking a year/year and a half "off", as I study for MCATs, and find ways to give back to my community while working locally to save up for a dream that's still very much embedded in my heart. And though I can't offer you a front row seat to my white coat ceremony (just yet!), what I can offer is a view in this transitional phase as a Cal alum, in an adventure that's frightening and exciting, and lessons that we can learn together at the same time. Not to mention the lessons I've learned while I was there such as to NOT take more than 2 labs per semester! So, I hope you stay tuned.
As of right now, I'm in the long process of signing paper work to finally start my position at UCLA's lab, and I'm so excited and grateful to have been given such a position.
For those of you looking for scientific or lab based jobs after graduation, or as an in-between job before any professional school, I've learned in my experience that it helps if you have lab experience: assays, administrative, the works! Your colorful experience in multiple lab settings is beneficial. One of the best ways to get research and lab work is to go to a professor that's done research in things your interested in, knock on their door, and politely ask to be free labor. Your enthusiasm about the material will set you apart. There are also multiple research program opportunities on campus such as URAP that you can take advantage of, so put yourself out there!
Like I said, for many of us, the adventure starts right now-whether it be looking for a job, applying to graduate/professional school, or even if you're just trying to figure out telebears as a freshman, I'm glad we're here together. I can't tell you how excited I am to be able to share with you the ups and downs of this post undergraduate life, and to hear your stories and lessons as well!
Feels Like Hometag:nature.berkeley.edu,2009:/blogs/alumni//14.24722009-07-20T19:10:31Z2009-07-20T19:46:45ZTom and I enjoy traveling. Road trips are a little slice of heaven. Train rides and backpacking are even more delightful. There are places that we stayed along the way for a few brief months, days (or even hours) where...Christinahttp://www.myspace.com/botanynerd
Tom and I enjoy traveling. Road trips are a little slice of heaven. Train rides and backpacking are even more delightful. There are places that we stayed along the way for a few brief months, days (or even hours) where we felt immediately at home and would love to return. A list of these...
Carnia, Italy
Cerbere, France
Vienna, Austria
Munich, Germany
Western Montana, USA
And I would love to have an opportunity to show Tom this place that feels like home:
Mo'orea, French Polynesia
We currently live in one of those places we stopped by for a brief visit and felt at home: Southwestern Ohio.
We are at a beautiful but lesser known Ohio public school: Miami University. Founded in 1809, our current school has a rich history and beautiful brick architecture.
Tom graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in English in 2002, and worked for the Miller Institute at UC Berkeley while I completed my BS in Genetics & Plant Biology. Now he's pursuing his MBA at Miami while I am working toward my MS in Botany. I love my work in Dr. John Kiss' Space Biology Lab where I am studying gravitropism and phototropism in Arabidopsis thaliana.
We would like to keep moving, keep traveling - it seems every time we get out there, we find a new place we could easily call home - a place of immediate comfort in a sea of foreign confusion. I hope we find many more places where we can feel so at home.
Images of the following locations are from the following websites:
Carnia - www.mobbing-sisu.com
Vienna - www.viennaaustria.co.uk
Miami University - www.admin.muohio.edu
All other images were taken by Tom Sullivan or Tina Johnson Sullivan
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Osteopathic Medicinetag:nature.berkeley.edu,2009:/blogs/alumni//14.24542009-06-25T08:04:39Z2009-06-25T08:22:02ZWow. I'm ashamed to say that it took me an entire year to update. Sorry about that. Well, to start off, I've decided to go to medical school and will be attending Touro University in Vallejo. It's an osteopathic medical...Rebekah Kim
Wow. I'm ashamed to say that it took me an entire year to update. Sorry about that.
Well, to start off, I've decided to go to medical school and will be attending Touro University in Vallejo. It's an osteopathic medical school which is a little different from your traditional schools. Osteopathic medicine emphasizes the idea of allowing the body to utilize its own mechanisms to maintain health. It also includes an area known as Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (AKA OMM). Another distinction can be that those that graduate from an osteopathic program are rewarded a DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine). Nevertheless, the curriculum is relatively identical with MD programs and DO's can specializes in the same areas as MD's. At first I was skeptical of the program, but, after doing research, I'm very excited to start school. I particularly love the idea of allowing your own body to take care of itself. It really ties into prevention which is an area that I have interest in (thanks to Berkeley).
That's about it for now. Before medical school starts, I plan to go to a camp that my church is hosting and review some science material to refresh my memory. If I have the time, I'll try to update again. Hopefully it won't take me another year to do so. =)
Winning the World Challenge would mean a lot: the award will underwrite our projects, and the publicity will help us spread our message, which is always a challenge with a miniscule PR budget :) If you are excited by all this, feel free to post this message on your facebook account, blog, or email lists.
With thousands of nominations annually, the World Challenge recognizes innovative business projects that increase investment into the local community and take a responsible approach to the environment in which they are operating. We were chosen by a jury of high-level executives from Shell, BBC World, the World Bank, IUCN, and Newsweek.
So, if you could be so kind as to follow the link and vote for us, it would be of great service to our projects and the people they serve.
Bodhi Garrett
Director, Andaman Discoveries
Coordinator, IUCN North Andaman Network
Founder, North Andaman Tsunami Relief
Link to Andaman Discoveries on the BBC World Challenge
Press Release (PDF)]]>
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It should be noted that my chocolate company is my top priority, but my consulting work has allowed me to steadily build the chocolate business without taking on too much debt or having to rely on investors. In fact, I am in the process of searching for a site in Oakland’s re-development zone that can be turned into the new Coco Delice Fine Chocolate production facility. And of course, this facility would be the “greenest” chocolate facility in the country - would one expect anything less from a Cal CRS graduate?
My current vision includes
Take a look at this picture of a randomly planted tract, straddling a small creek and looking like a dense and healthy backyard garden. It's a bit hard to pick out all the crops, but there are bananas, pineapple, mango, taro, cassava, chick peas, coconut, cloves and oranges. Their produce is either consumed over the year by the farmer and family or sold for cash to local brokers. It's been recently weeded so the fertile, dark red, volcanic soil is readily exposed. ]]>
For most of the year, weeds and/or herbs cover the ground between the cultivated crops. The farmers don't fertilize or spray pesticides, more out of necessity because they don't have the cash, than out of principle. However, inspecting the plants more closely, we don't see any nutrient deficiency or a serious insect or pest damage. They are starting to see fruit flies during the peak harvest. With the many hosts of the insect pest it's a bigger problem than the individual farmers can handle without government and university extension intervention.
Fortunately, the diversity creates a hedge against the likely failure of one crop or another and a rich environment that attracts many insect predators and parasites. The low intensity cultivation allows renewal of soil nutrients and organic material. The balance between pests and beneficial organisms is stable. It is easy to imagine how farm advisors and farm trainers with experience in large scale agriculture could push for a monoculture environment with all the inputs of modern technology but I found it necessary to take a step back and evaluate the methods practiced on the farms in Tanzania.
What is needed, though, are improved varieties and simplified and practical methods to increase output and cash flow without disturbing the integrated farming environment. The question is whether they can resist the pressure to change or maintain their farming lifestyle and protect the environment.
We are at a beautiful but lesser known Ohio public school: Miami University. Founded in 1809, our current school has a rich history and beautiful brick architecture.
Tom graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in English in 2002, and worked for the Miller Institute at UC Berkeley while I completed my BS in Genetics & Plant Biology. Now he's pursuing his MBA at Miami while I am working toward my MS in Botany. I love my work in Dr. John Kiss' Space Biology Lab where I am studying gravitropism and phototropism in Arabidopsis thaliana.
We would like to keep moving, keep traveling - it seems every time we get out there, we find a new place we could easily call home - a place of immediate comfort in a sea of foreign confusion. I hope we find many more places where we can feel so at home.
Images of the following locations are from the following websites:
Carnia - www.mobbing-sisu.com
Vienna - www.viennaaustria.co.uk
Miami University - www.admin.muohio.edu
All other images were taken by Tom Sullivan or Tina Johnson Sullivan
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