Volume 10, Issue 4
February 2016
making a world of difference
In this Issue
Caltech Professor and Emeritus President David Baltimore
was featured at a policy talk and dinner discussion for
genetic engineering hosted by the Caltech Y Social
Activism Speaker Series and the Science and Engineering
Policy at Caltech student group.
Caltech President David Baltimore
Discusses Genetic Engineering Policy
By Nate Thomas
Graduate Student, SASS Committee
The Caltech Y Social Activism Speaker Series (SASS)
teamed up with the Science and Engineering Policy at Caltech
(SEPAC) student group to host a policy talk and dinner
discussion with Caltech Professor and Emeritus President
David Baltimore on policy for genetic engineering. In
December 2015, Professor David Baltimore chaired the
organizing committee for the International Summit on Human
Gene Editing, which sought to outline how research and
clinical use of gene-editing technology should proceed in the
future.
Professor Baltimore asserted that humanity has been editing
Caltech President David Baltimore Discusses
Genetic Engineering Policy
1
The Y Honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s
Legacy
2
Caltech Y Finds Winter Adventure in Desert
3
Campaign Corner: Update on Centennial
Endowment Campaign & New Donors
4
Caltech Y ExComm Welcomes New Member
Emil Khabiboulline
5
Save the Date: A Caltech Physicist in Hollywood:
Kip Thorne
6
Undergrads Receive Travel Opportunities Via
Travel Fund
6
Lunch and a Lesson II: Home Cooking from France
7
Pathways through Politics & Power on National &
International Stage
7
Collecting Caltech Y Memories - One Photo at a
Time
8
animal genomes for millennia, most notably in the breeding of
dogs. Now, scientists can manipulate genes at the molecular
level. In the last five years, the CRISPR-Cas9 technology has
quickly developed to the point that scientists can make
changes to human genomes in vivo, opening up new
possibilities for gene therapies and cures for genetic disorders.
This ability to precisely change the human genome, and
thereby also change that of future generations, has sparked a
worldwide debate on its potential ramifications.
According to Professor Baltimore, the scientific community’s
main concern is the possible repercussions of using this
imcompletely matured technology. Although it is possible to
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make precise, intentional changes to genes in both
reproductive and non-reproductive cells, there might also be
unintentional changes to the genome with unforeseen
consequences. As a result, the summit released a statement
calling for a ban on the clinical use of gene editing in
reproductive cells, but allowing the clinical use of gene
editing in non-reproductive cells to continue. Nonreproductive cells will not affect future generations and as
such modifying those cells is much less dangerous. The
statement also stressed the importance of continuing
fundamental research and the international discussion on gene
editing.
February 2016
More than 100 participants attended the lecture. After the talk,
11 students joined Professor Baltimore for dinner and further
discussion. As CRISPR-Cas9 is a new development in
molecular biology, much of the discussion focused on recent
biological studies. The discussion also included how countries
regulate research on human embryos differently. For instance,
the United States does not allow research of any kind on
embryos with federal funds, but scientists in England and China
may study embryos up to 14 days old.
Special acknowledgement goes to SEPAC for organizing the
talk and dinner with Professor Baltimore. Support for the dinner
came from SEPAC, the Division of Biology and Biological
Engineering at Caltech, and the Caltech Y.
The Y Honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy
By Greg Fletcher
Program Director
Once again, the Caltech Y partnered with the Caltech Center
for Diversity to present a line-up of events commemorating the
legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Caltech Y also
promoted service opportunities during the week as a great way
to commemorate Dr. King’s legacy and make a tangible
difference in our community. Since 1958, when Dr. King came
to campus to speak as a part of the Caltech Y Leaders of
America Series, this week has held a special place in our
hearts.
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Caltech Y gathered
students to participate in a local service event, A Day On, Not
Off, as a part of our annual MLK Service day efforts. Public
service was a central tenet and value of Dr. King, and
performing service honors his legacy while making a tangible
difference in our community. Volunteers helped with planting
and clean-up tasks at Hamilton Elementary School, followed
by lunch, and entertainment provided by Hamilton students.
This service project was a collaboration between the Martin
Luther King Community Coalition and the Pasadena Unified
School District.
Our featured speaker, Dr. Anthony Asadullah Samad, delivered
the keynote address “The Keys to the Kingdom” to an
Caltech Trustee Dr. Shirley Malcom (center) led open
and honest discussion about issues of educational access,
broadening participation in STEM and related fields,
science policy, and diversity and equity from grade
school to Caltech at Gates Library.
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audience of almost 60 during lunch on Wednesday, January
27. Dr. Samad is an author, columnist, and scholar known for
his fiery analysis of political, social, and economic issues that
impact American society. Currently a Professor of Political
Science and African American Studies at East Los Angeles
College, he earned his Ph.D. in Political Science and a Master
of Arts degree in Political Economy from Claremont Graduate
University, and a second master’s degree from the University
of Southern California in Public Administration. Dr. Samad
served as NAACP Branch President - Los Angeles in 1988-89,
has provided commentary for Ebony Magazine, MSNBC and
C SPAN, and is the managing director and host of the Urban
Issues Forum of Greater Los Angeles, a monthly public affairs
forum. He has authored “Saving the Race: Empowerment
Through Wisdom”; “50 Years After Brown”; “The State of
Black Equality in America”; and “Souls for Sale: The Diary of
an Ex-Colored Man”.
In an open and honest dialogue with Caltech Trustee, Dr.
Shirley Malcom, discussed educational access, broadening
February 2016
participation in STEM and related fields, science policy, and
diversity and equity from grade school to Caltech. In addition
to being a Caltech trustee, Dr. Malcom is the head of
education and human resources at the American Association
for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). She works to
improve the quality and increase access to education and
careers in STEM fields as well as to enhance public science
literacy. She is a former member of the National Science
Board, the policymaking body of the National Science
Foundation, and she served on President Clinton’s Committee
of Advisors on Science and Technology. Internationally, she is
a leader in efforts to improve the access of girls and women to
education and careers in science and engineering, and to
increase use of science and technology to empower women
and address problems they face in their daily lives. She serves
as co-chair of the Gender Advisory Board of the UN
Commission on S&T for Development and Gender InSITE, a
global campaign to deploy S&T to help improve the lives and
status of girls and women. In 2003, Dr. Malcom received the
Public Welfare Medal for the National Academy of Sciences,
the highest award given by the academy.
"Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it."
~Salvador Dali
Caltech Y Finds Winter Adventures in the Desert
By Greg Fletcher
Program Director
Two of our newest members of the Y-Outdoors Committee,
Ariel Hasse and Michael Seaman, wasted no time taking the
lead in coordinating our first trip of the new year to Joshua
Tree National Park. Just a few months back, both joined us as
incoming students on the annual Y-Hike backpacking trip to
the Sierras. With the help of veteran leader Jeremey Brouillet,
the group of 18 braved cold temperatures for the opportunity
to hike and camp in the desert, and enjoy spectacular star
gazing at night. Our group spent several days hiking and a few
dauntless trekkers were undeterred by the plunging
temperatures to camp a couple of nights.
Y-Outdoors also put on our first Adventure 101 lunch talk
featuring Jeremy Sandler, Y-Outdoors Committee Chair,
discussing winter sports in Southern California. While the
usually moderate temperatures and dry climate open up
possibilities for camping and hiking not available in other
regions of the country, there are still plenty of snow related
activities as well that are well within reach. Jeremy’s overview
took us through downhill and cross country skiing, as well as
snowshoeing and winter camping, including tips for locations
and safety.
These two activities are just the gateway to more winter fun,
with trips to Yosemite, Catalina Island, and the Grand Canyon
all in the lineup.
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Campaign Corner: Update on the Centennial Endowment
Campaign and New Donors
By Portia B. Harris
Director of Marketing and Development
To date, the Caltech Y has raised $4,155,325 in gifts and
pledges towards our $5 million goal for our Centennial
Endowment Campaign, including a very generous bequest
commitment from Dr. Lajos Piko in honor of his long-time
friend Ingrid Gumpel. Ingrid faithfully served international
students and scholars in her role as staff member at Caltech’s
International Desk from 1966 until her retirement in 1991,
taking newly arrived families under her wing and helping
them with their transition to life at Caltech and in a foreign
land.
Dr. Piko is a native of Hungary who came to Caltech via
France in the spring of 1960 as a research fellow in what was
then the Division of Biology, leaving in 1965 to start a
developmental biology research lab at the Veteran’s
Administration Medical Center in Los Angeles. He first met
Ingrid at a social gathering that she organized for Caltech’s
InterNations Association and a 50-year friendship ensued.
Dr. Piko’s association with the Caltech Y began after Ingrid
passed away in 2011. As the executor of her estate, Dr. Piko
wanted to establish a fund to honor Ingrid’s memory in keeping
with her career-long interest of helping international students
and scholars at Caltech. After consulting with Ingrid’s good
friend Gunilla Hastrup, who suggested the Caltech Y and
Caltech’s International Offices as the most appropriate
beneficiaries for the gift, Dr. Piko established the Ingrid
Gumpel Memorial Fund—one through the Caltech Y and
another through Caltech’s International Offices—to fund social,
cultural, and general education opportunities for international
students and scholars during their stay at Caltech and JPL.
Programs involving the spouses of international students and
scholars are especially encouraged and supported.
Today, Dr. Piko stays connected with the international
community supported by the Ingrid Gumpel Fund. He regularly
attends the spring potluck and summer BBQ parties put on by
the Caltech International Spouses Club.
Continued
Dr. Lajos Piko (left) established a fund to
honor the memory of his long-time friend,
Ingrid Gumpel (right), in keeping with her
career-long interest of helping international
students and scholars at Caltech. Dr. Piko
established the Ingrid Gumpel Memorial
Fund—one through the Caltech Y and
another through Caltech’s International
Offices—to fund social, cultural, and
general education opportunities for
international students and scholars during
their stay at Caltech and JPL.
“The most I can do for my friend is simply be his friend.”
~Henry David Thoreau
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We would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the
following individuals who have contributed to our Centennial
Endowment Campaign this academic year. Thank you for
John Andelin
Richard Beatty
Don and Judy Collins
Frank and Marianne Dryden
Dan and Vicky Erickson
Harry and Shirley Gray
Lucy Guernsey
Rolf and Gunilla Hastrup
Pam Hemann
Patrick Hummel
Paul and Carla Hummel
Peter Hung
February 2016
being a special part of our centennial anniversary and for
ensuring that the Y will continue to provide the formative
experiences, trips, and programs that round out the first-rate
education at Caltech for many, many years to come!
Melany Hunt
Tony Leonard
Cierina Marks
Phil and Nancy Naecker
Lajos Piko
Bernard Schweitzer
Kelley Scott
Lee and Arlana Silver
William Whitney
Juliann Wolfgram
Daniel Wu
To view our complete donor honor roll, visit https://www.caltechy100.org/giving-to-the-caltech-y/.
The Caltech Y ExComm Welcomes New Member
Emil Khabiboulline
By Liz Jackman
Assistant Program Director
Join us in welcoming one of our newer members to the Caltech Y ExComm,
senior Emil Khabiboulline. Emil may be new to the ExComm, but he is by no
means new to the Caltech Y. Emil has been an active student leader with the
PasadenaLEARNs program for the past three years. Emil along with two other
Caltech students, Ben Lieber and Vansh Kumar, wanted to start a tutoring
program in Spanish to cultivate their Spanish skills. They came to the Caltech Y
to ask about possibilities. The Y partnered with the PasadenaLEARNS program
and all three of them started tutoring at Madison Elementary School because of
the large EFL (English as a Foreign Language) population. However, Emil
realized that tutoring in Spanish wasn’t feasible since not all the students spoke
Spanish, so he group switched to tutoring in English. They continued to
volunteer every week because they wanted to give back to the community.
The program is now in its third year and has expanded to three elementary
schools: Madison, Jackson and Altadena. The volunteers do individual tutoring,
interactive science demos, and coach the Science Olympiad Team. He prepares
the science demos. He decides the topic, collects the materials, and prepares the
team in presenting the material. Emil has presented demos on combustion,
electricity, liquid nitrogen, and many other topics to engage the young students.
He tries to select low cost materials so students can reproduce some of the
demos on their own. His enthusiasm and humor engage the students in the fun
learning experiences.
Emil’s other interests include soccer, basketball, guitar, hiking, and traveling.
He travelled to Chile and Argentina through the San Pietro Travel Prize and
followed the path of Che Guevara in “Motorcycle Diaries”. He is also busy with
Emil Khabiboulline introduces a fledgling
scientist to the static electricity.
Photo by Thalia Garibay
his academics. He has three years of SURF
research, has presented at international
conferences and even has published research.
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Emil has been affiliated with Caltech Y activities since his
freshman year and has assumed more responsibility over the
years. He decided to join the ExComm because he “wanted
to play a greater role and see the workings of a large nonprofit
organization”. He also “appreciates how the Y tries to engage
Techers in a diversity of ways”.
Undergraduate Students Receive Travel Opportunities from Travel Fund
By Portia B. Harris
Director of Marketing and Development
•
We are pleased to announce the inaugural recipients of the
newly established Patrick Hummel and Harry Gray Travel
Fund. The fund was established as a joint gift from Carla and
Paul Hummel, Patrick Hummel, and Shirley and Harry Gray,
and Arnold O. Beckmann, Professor of Chemistry and
Founding Director of the Beckman Institute. The endowed
fund supports undergraduate travel opportunities that
promote professional and leadership development and
broadens students' perspective as engaged, responsible
citizens of the world.
•
The following students were selected from an impressive
pool of applicants. Congratulations to all of them!
•
•
•
Kurtis Carsch*, a senior Chemistry major, will be
attending the American Chemical Society meeting in
San Diego.
William (Garrett) Levine*, a sophomore Chemical
Engineering major, will be attending the Lunar and
Planetary Science Conference in Houston.
Ida Huang, a sophomore Electrical Engineering and
Computer Science major, will be attending the
Women Engineers Code meeting in Boston.
Advitheey Chelikani, a sophomore Computer Science
major, will be attending the Hackcon IV meeting in
Colorado.
Anushka Rau, a sophomore Electrical Engineering
major, attended the Robogals Seminars Inducting
New Executives meeting in New York City.
* These students will be presenting their research.
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Lunch and a Lesson II: Home Cooking from France
By Greg Fletcher
Program Director
Early this year, nine lucky recipients helped us continue our
Lunch and a Lesson in Home Cooking series with our second
installment featuring the food of France. Chloe Montreer, a
member of the Caltech International Spouses Club, was our
guest chef. She led us through the preparation of Short Crust
and two types of La Quiche Lorraine. Our chef reviewed
ingredients, demonstrated techniques, and shared French
culture. She even helped us overcome unexpected obstacles;
there are no rolling pins at the Y. The solution lay in the menu
– wine – or at least, the bottles that held it. After all, what is
French food without a glass of wine? The apprentice chefs
enjoyed casual conversation over salad while waiting for the
meal to bake. And it was certainly worth the wait.
coordinated the logistics once again, have our next lunch
already in the works.
ExComm members Gloria Ha and Aileen Cheng, who
Next up: the culture and food of Taiwan.
Pathways through Politics and Power on the National and
International Stage
By Tess Saxton-Fox
SASS Chair
Ambassador Kathleen A. Doherty (center, left) and Dr.
Michael R. Nelson (center, right) spoke about national and
international politics at an event sponsored by The Caltech Y
Social Activism Speaker Series.
On Sunday, January, 10, the Caltech Y Social Activism
Speaker Series (SASS) hosted two distinguished speakers to
discuss national and international politics, Dr. Michael R.
Nelson and Kathleen A. Doherty, U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus.
Caltech alum Michael R. Nelson has been a fixture in the
world of science and technology policy for nearly three
decades with positions with the FCC, the White House Office
of Science and Technology Policy, and the Senate
Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Space; as well as
in the private sector with IBM, Bloomberg Government,
AAAS, and currently with Georgetown University and
CloudFare. Ambassador Doherty has also been immersed in
events on the world stage in the Foreign Service with the State
Department holding posts in the Dominican Republic, Brazil,
Rome, Russia, and London, as well as numerous roles in
Washington DC, all prior to her current post as the U.S.
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Ambassador to Cyprus. The two speakers provided a unique
perspective on the world of domestic and international policy.
Before the 50 attendees, they imparted insightful and witty
personal advice. Dr. Nelson spoke with enthusiasm about
Internet policy, the promise of technology, and the politics of
Washington. Ambassador Doherty spoke with candor and
intensity about her path through the Foreign Service, the
importance of negotiation, and the current political situation in
Cyprus. She and Dr. Nelson covered a range of topics,
including Internet policy, negotiating when you’re not in a
position of power, how Cyprus has been affected by the civil
war in Syria, and the experience of being a woman in the
Foreign Service. After the event, many students lingered for
further conversation with the speakers.
The lunch was a great success, both purposeful in message
and broad in scope. That success was a testament to the
strength of the two speakers and the engagement of the
attending students.
“There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is
here, it will instantly vanish and be replaced by something even more bizarre and incomprehensible.
There is another theory which states that this has already happened ...”
~Douglas Adams
Collecting Caltech Y Memories - One Photo at a Time
“On Make a Difference Day, the Caltech Robotics Team
hosted a science outreach event for 4th through 8th graders
through the Pasadena LEARNS program. Here, we're
helping the students to make balloon-powered cars out of
cardboard and CDs, which they raced against one another
to demonstrate Newton's third law.”
~Edward, 2016
Help us collect 100 stories of your experiences with programs
and/or the people of the Y. Post your favorite photo on
Instagram with the hashtag #CaltechY100 and tell us about that
memory in 500 characters or less. Not on Instagram? Don’t
worry! Email your photo and favorite memory to
[email protected]. We will post our favorite 100 stories on
Facebook.
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making a world of difference
The Caltech Y
The Caltech Y is an independent 501c3 organization formally affiliatd with the California Institute of Technology.
The Y mission is to enrich student life and challenge students to grow into responsible citizens of the world.
Contact Information
Phone: (626) 395-6163
Fax: (626) 395-8890
Email: [email protected]
Websites: http://www.caltechy.org
http://www.caltechy100.org
Postal Address:
Caltech
MC: C1-128
Pasadena, CA 91125
Location:
505 S. Wilson Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91125
Note: Also visit the Caltech Y Facebook page by clicking the link “Follow us on Facebook” on the Y website.
Caltech Y Staff
Athena Castro, Executive Director
Greg Fletcher, Student Activities & Community Service Director
Portia Harris, Director of Development & Marketing
Liz Jackman, Assistant Program Director
Camila Fernandez, Office Manager Administrative
Assistant
Caltech Y Board of Directors
Executive Committee
Kirk Dawson, Chair
Dan Erickson, Vice Chair
Peter Mason, Treasurer
Paula Stamp, Secretary
Peter Hung, Student ExComm President
Members (*indicates Student Executive Committee)
Aileen Cheng*
Christine Chou*
Donald Collins
Judy Collins
Marjory Dawson
Frank D. Dryden
Xiaomi Du*
Lee Fisher*
Steven Frautschi
Gloria Ha*
Rolf Hastrup
Gunilla Hastrup
Jenny He*
Pamela Hemann
Stephanie Hong*
Peter Hung*
Emil Khabibouline*
Nancy Lan
Tony Leonard
Alice Liu
David Liu
Thomas Mannion
Peter Mason
Doreen Mason
Susan Murakami
Tyler Okamoto*
Toni Perpall
Arlana Silver
Paula Stamp
Nick Trank
Stephen Toner
Charles L. Vorsanger
Max Wang*
Nicolas Wey-Gomez
Daniel Yoder
Kristie Yu*
Editorial
Victoria Erickson, Editor
Published monthly Oct-Jun (except Jan). Distributed via email (primary) or hardcopy (upon request).
To send comments, be added to or opt off the distribution list, contact the Caltech Y office or email to [email protected].
The Caltech Y respects all email addresses and will not share or spam your address.
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