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Building the Next Generation of Scientists: EESA at STEM Career Awareness Day2 min read

by Kristine Wong on May 1, 2017

Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division Climate Sciences Department Energy Geosciences Division Events Hydrogeology Department
EESA exhibit at CSU East Bay STEM Career Awareness Day

Christina Patricola and Daniel Feldman at California State University East Bay’s STEM Career Awareness Day on April 27, 2017.

As a middle school student in eastern Massachusetts, Earth and Environmental Sciences Area (EESA) research scientist Christina Patricola became fascinated with the snowstorms that frequently blanketed her hometown—and quickly recognized her passion for atmospheric science.

But despite her early interest, Patricola says she doesn’t know if she would have continued on a scientific career path without having a mentor for inspiration.

That’s why she chose to spend time talking with East Bay students at California State University’s STEM Career Awareness Day (held on April 27 at the Aquatic Park Center in Berkeley) to let them know it’s possible to transform scientific curiosity into a career.

“It’s really important for students to see someone doing what they’re interested in and be able to talk to them about how you got there, what you needed to do, and about some of the challenges you experienced,” said Patricola, who has a doctorate in atmospheric science. She studies how hurricanes are affected by climate variability and global climate change using computational models for the CASCADE (a Berkeley Lab, University of California-Berkeley, and UC Davis) project.

Arctic surface and subsurface model created by EESA Research Associate Robin Lopez.

Arctic surface and subsurface model created by EESA Research Associate Robin Lopez.

EESA research scientist Daniel Feldman and Patricola set up an EESA informational table at STEM Career Awareness Day. They gave insight to many of the 300 participants (who came from Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond, and Emeryville) into what it’s like to be a scientist, talked about the research conducted at EESA and Berkeley Lab, and encouraged them to apply for the Lab’s student internship opportunities. Students also got a chance to learn more about the Arctic surface and subsurface by exploring a model built by EESA Research Associate Robin Lopez.

“The most common questions we got were about where we went to college, what classes we took, and what we do at work,” Patricola said. “The students were also curious about what climate models are and what sort of observations scientists collect in their research.”

Berkeley Lab’s Biosciences Area also participated in the daylong event, with the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) in Emeryville welcoming students for a tour of its research facilities. Jennifer Tang, Berkeley Lab’s Federal and Community Relations Director, served as an on-site tour chaperone. And the Lab’s Workforce Development & Education department contributed educational materials.

“There are a lot of students who might not have people at home who they can talk to about what it’s like to go to graduate school and become a scientist,” Patricola said. “It’s important for EESA to encourage the next generation of students to be interested in tackling problems related to earth and the environment, as issues like water security will continue to be important in the future.”

News & Events

Second International DECOVALEX Symposium Abstract Submission is Open1 min read

April 26, 2023

The Second International DECOVALEX Symposium on Coupled Processes in Radioactive Waste Disposal and Subsurface Engineering Applications is taking place in Troyes, France on November 14-16, 2023. The symposium is co-hosted by ANDRA, Berkeley Lab, and the DECOVALEX Initiative. The event will feature keynote speakers and researchers that study thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes in geological systems. Some…

A Q&A with Kripa Jagannathan6 min read

After interacting with coastal farming communities who experienced sea level rise and other direct impacts of climate change, Research Scientist Kripa Jagannathan recognized that environmental problems are livelihood issues for many communities around the world. This led her to EESA working as a social scientist, helping to facilitate the co-production of knowledge–a type of research…

New Look at Climate Data Shows Substantially Wetter Rain and Snow Days Ahead6 min read

April 24, 2023

Research shows that by the end of the century the biggest rain and snow days will be 20 to 30% wetter than they are today

Former Intern Emily Nagamoto Wins AGU Award1 min read

March 27, 2023

Former Science Undergraduate Laboratory Intern (SULI) Emily Nagamoto received an American Geophysical Union (AGU) Outstanding Presentation Award, which honors exceptional presentations given during AGU’s 2022 Fall meeting. She was mentored by Staff Scientist Charuleka Varadharajan and Postdoctoral Research Fellow Mohammed Ombadi during her Summer 2022 SULI term. Currently an undergraduate student in Duke University’s Nicholas…

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