Sarah and Nameer have taken off for the great land of Michigan to take on new endeavors!
We, of course, are deeply saddened by their departure, as they have both been integral parts of the Firestone Fam for years. Nameer joined the lab as a Postdoc in 2016 and worked on many things including a major mesocosm greenhouse experiment and Switchgrass rhizosphere projects. Sarah joined shortly after in early 2017 and quickly became the force behind the turning wheels of the lab as our Research Admin.
Nameer has taken on a position as Science Coordinator at the Kellogg Biological Station Long-Term Ecological Research program, which is run by Michigan State University and focuses on agricultural ecosystems. Sarah will continue working remotely for her other UC Berkeley position as Project Coordinator at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology for the Eel River CZO project as they settle in.
Although we will miss them greatly, we are taking great comfort in knowing they’re no longer shackled to the Bay Area rental market — seriously guys, we can’t feel too bad for you. We really are extremely excited for them as they embark on a new journey! And not be to forgotten, also along for the ride is their adorable daughter, Naila, whose visits to the lab will also be sorely missed.
We were fortunate enough to be able to have a safe, social-distance picnic in Berkeley before their big move (see pic!).
Happy trails to the Baker family!