BASIS Volunteer: Beryl Li
February 2016
We spotlight BASIS volunteer Beryl Li, a 3rd year Chemical Biology major who works in the Sarpong lab at UC Berkeley. Read Beryl’s journey of “finding herself” on the periodic table, romanticized lab work, and passionately caring about the next generation of scientists.
I get excited when I receive an email from beryllium@berkeley.edu. I think, wow, this person must love the element Beryllium. I quickly realize this is not the case. Her name is Beryl Li; the reference a subtle ode to both her name and love for Chemistry. As this anecdote suggests, 3rd year Chemical Biology major Beryl Li is creative, thoughtful, detail oriented, and smart. We spotlight Beryl, her science journey, and involvement in Bay Area Scientists in Schools (BASIS).
Beryl’s family moved many times throughout her childhood. She was born in China and moved back and forth to Canada before settling in the Bay Area. This constant change has caused Beryl to adapt to her surroundings. She considers her experience as a blessing, because it allowed her to connect with people from all sorts of cultures and backgrounds.
Beryl’s science journey got started when she realized “I’m on the periodic table” in her 7th grade science class. From that point on, Beryl paid extra attention to Chemistry. This attention to detail has sparked her science success. Beryl has always loved school, especially when she can figure out the formula for success in a particular class. In true scientific fashion, Beryl would reverse engineer her classes to figure out what she needed to do in order to succeed. This calculated thinking led Beryl to the nation’s #1 public university, UC Berkeley.
Beryl truly developed a passion for science at Cal where she was surrounded by others who are similar enthusiastic about science. These connections have led Beryl to do research in total synthesis in the Sarpong Lab. She spends approximately 40 hours a week in the lab and tries to hold herself to the standards of a first year graduate student. Beryl loves her coworkers for their friendly attitude, particularly her mentor and science role model, Kevin, who is a post-doc. Beryl looks up to Kevin not only because he knows so much about Chemistry, but also because he never flaunts his knowledge. She hopes that she can be both knowledgeable and modest like him in 10 years.
Beryl loves to work in chemistry lab due to its “low entropic state,” as she likes to stay organized and be in control of her surroundings. She also enjoys her work in organic chemistry because most people see it as “useless.” Beryl loves the hopeful feeling that research in basic science has potential to impact the world profoundly, but possibly not until years after the initial discovery. She notes there is “something romantic about it.”
Even with her email and namesake, Beryllium is not Beryl’s favorite element. That distinction goes to the element copper, which she likes because it is the “element of the people.” Like many other transitional metals, copper is potentially effective at catalyzing various organic reactions. What distinguishes it from others is that it is inexpensive—not snobby like the more precious ruthenium or platinum. Beryl likes to think of copper has having ordinary roots, but has the potential to do amazing things—something that she sees in herself. This simplicity and practicality are part of what give Beryl her charm. She humbly does what she thinks is best.
Beryl currently teaches a 1st Grade States of Matter Lesson with her BASIS team that consists of other members of the Sarpong lab. Her team teaches approximately once a month in nearby elementary schools. Beryl thinks that it takes a special talent to explain scientific ideas to younger children, one that she aspires to master. One of Beryl’s main motivations to teach her little brother, who is currently in the 1st grade. She thinks about how the students she teaches could be someone else’s little brother or sister and that there might be someone else out there doing the same for hers. Beryl thinks that while not every child needs to become a scientist, the world can always benefit from more scientific thinking—a hallmark of the BASIS program.
In her spare time, Beryl enjoys watching movies, particularly classics and Marvel movies. Her favorite Marvel character is Jarvis because she likes that he always collected, calm, and has the situation under control. She also enjoys skiing with her family.
Lucky for us, Beryl’s science journey is just getting started. Eventually, she’d like to get a PhD in Chemistry doing total synthesis. We’re excited to see how the scientific community benefits from Beryl’s creative thinking and love for teaching others!