JBEI researchers and staff participated at the annual East Bay STEM Career Awareness Day on April 27, 2017, at Wareham Development’s Aquatic Park Center in West Berkeley, home to Berkeley Lab’s Biosciences Operations @ Berkeley and several Area research groups.
The event is led by Cal State University East Bay’s Institute for STEM Education in partnership with local businesses and organizations, and is aimed at providing insight into potential STEM careers and educational opportunities in the region. Three hundred high school students from Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland and Richmond engaged in activities around this year’s theme:, “What problem(s) are you trying to solve?” Students had the opportunity to network with a variety of STEM professionals during tours, a working lunch and exhibitor tabling.
A team from JBEI that included Amin Zargar, Irina Silva, Jessica Trinh, Morgann Reilly, Timothy Lease and Veronica Benites, participated at the networking lunch. They worked with the students to map out their own career paths from high school aspirations to their current jobs and discussed what it means to be a professional. During the exhibitor tabling the JBEI team showcased the institute’s advanced biofuels pipeline and shared career advice and internship resources.