BASIS Steering Committee
The BASIS Steering Committee is a group of seasoned BASIS volunteers in various science and engineering fields who help with departmental recruitment, outreach, and event coordination.
Chemical Engineering
Ana is a graduate student in Chemical Engineering. Growing up, she wanted to develop medicines to improve people's lives, and now at Berkeley, she works with viruses to convert them into beneficial medicines and therapies! Outside of research, Ana loves to go to comedy shows, enjoy bubble tea, and share the excitement of science through BASIS. Seeing students' curiosity and engagement with the activities during science lessons is one of her favorite parts of volunteering with BASIS!
Integrative Biology
Tanner has planned on becoming a paleontologist since he was 5 years old, and to his parents' surprise never grew out of that childhood "phase". As a graduate student in Integrative Biology, he now studies much older and smaller fossils than the dinosaurs he originally got hooked on. His research explores what the world was like over 380 million years ago, when the first bug and spider-like animals were emerging from the oceans onto land. In his free time, Tanner enjoys experiencing more modern ecosystems by hiking around the Bay Area. BASIS has been an incredibly rewarding way for Tanner to share his enthusiasm for the natural world and Earth's history with younger students.
Read more about Tanner in his Spotlight!
Earth and Planetary Science
Growing up in the Bay Area, Naomi learned about climate change in school and knew she wanted to work on solving environmental problems, but wasn't sure where she fit in. Eventually, Naomi realized she could help answer unsolved environmental questions using her favorite subject: chemistry! She now works on measuring CO2 and other gases in the Bay Area responsible for the climate change and bad air quality and tries to figure out where the gases were emitted. Naomi loves teaching with BASIS because of the passion and curiosity the students bring to learning science.
Chemistry Faculty
https://chemistry.berkeley.edu/faculty/chem/baranger
Bioengineering
Joy grew up in Illinois and has always had a curiosity for the sciences and enjoys sharing that passion with younger students. She is pursuing a PhD in Bioengineering at UC Berkeley and is studying the interactions between the cancer microenvironment and the immune system. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, trying new bubble tea places, and watching Marvel movies!
Vision Science
Josephine is a graduate student studying vision science. She studied Neurobiology at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. After graduating, she taught English in Mohammedia, Morocco for the school year. She loves reading articles, asking questions, and discussing research with fellow science-lovers, and this led her to pursue a PhD and become involved with BASIS. She enjoys running, hiking, listening to live music, and trying out new bakeries.
Biophysics
Alex is a graduate student in Biophysics. He has always been interested in understanding how the world works through the lenses of physics, chemistry, and biology. When the opportunity arose to do research at the intersection of all three fields, he jumped at the chance! In his research, he studies how to make many of the molecules in our immune system better at supporting our well-being. Outside of the lab, he loves to share his enthusiasm for science with students through programs like BASIS. In his free time, he is often exercising or reading!
Nutrition Science
Lindsey is a graduate student in Metabolic Biology. She has always had a knack for all things science since she was little and now enjoys sharing that enthusiasm with young minds via BASIS! In lab, Lindsey studies how proteins called nuclear receptors are involved in inflammatory bowel disease. Outside of lab, she enjoys hiking, yoga, cooking, and additional outreach through the Make a Wish and National Pancreas Foundations.
Electrical Engineering
Jose Guajardo is a PhD student at UC Berkeley studying electrical engineering. As someone who was first introduced to engineering quite late as a senior in high school, Jose Guajardo strongly believes in the importance of extending outreach to younger students, introducing the possibilities in STEM at an early age. To that end, Jose chose to join the BASIS program to volunteer at local Berkeley and Oakland elementary schools, and has been actively involved with the BASIS efforts and has been visiting schools since late 2022.
Nutrition Science
Amanda is from Jakarta, Indonesia. She is a graduate student in Metabolic Biology in the Nutritional Science and Toxicology department. She is interested in research related to diabetes and obesity treatments and in lab she studies how deficiency in a molecule called Coenzyme Q affects the function and morphology of adipose tissue. Outside of lab she enjoys trying new restaurants, doing yoga, reading and taking naps.
Chemistry
Richard Kang is a graduate student in Chemistry.
He looks into chemistry happening at the tiniest scale, electrons and atoms, using supercomputers at LBNL with the most fundamental principles of physics.
Richard is currently applying this approach to explore how metals dissolve under electricity, and that is one of the reasons he loves to teach BASIS lessons on circuits and to share this enthusiasm with others.
Outside of school, he loves wandering in nature, learning about birds, drinking coffee all the time, and singing along to the music from my earbuds when others are not around.
Neuroscience
Samira is a graduate student in Neuroscience studying how the structure of our brains changes when we age, and how those changes impact the brain's function. Outside the lab, she likes to hike, read, bake, paint, and explore museums. One of her favorite activities is sharing her enthusiasm for science and for the brain with students via BASIS.
Plant and Microbial Biology
Charli grew up in rural upstate NY and was inspired by teachers and science outreach programs to pursue a career in STEM. Charli is currently a graduate student in plant and microbial biology and enjoys programs like BASIS and Be a Scientist because they're an opportunity to pass along their enthusiasm for science. In lab, Charli studies how beneficial bacteria help soybean plants to acquire more nutrients and how these interactions can be enhanced by certain metals. When not working, they enjoy hiking beautiful trails in the Bay area, biking, swimming, and reading.
Chemical Engineering
Justin is a graduate student studying chemical engineering. He loves how science can be used to explain the world and hopes to share his enthusiasm through BASIS. His current research focuses on all of the reactions happening inside a battery, so future phones and electric vehicles can last longer. Outside of work, Justin enjoys urban and nature hikes, trying new restaurants, and spending time with friends.
Innovate Genomics Institute
Anna is a recent Berkeley graduate with degrees in Molecular and Cell Biology and Data Science. She first got involved with BASIS during her freshman year of college and has been an active volunteer ever since. She loves working and sharing her passion for science with students. Currently, Anna is a student research associate at the Innovative Genomics Institute, working on gene editing research for cures for otherwise untreatable diseases. She is also applying to medical schools this application cycle. Outside of work, Anna loves to learn languages and play instruments. She loves to write poetry, read books, and explore the city of Berkeley (especially the food!).