Meet Beth
How long have you lived in the Bay Area?
I moved here from Philadelphia in 1976 to take a job as an Assistant Professor at UC Berkeley in the Department of Physiology and Anatomy. I was trained as a cell biologist.
How did you learn about Save Mount Diablo?
My next-door neighbor in Kensington was Meredith Thomas [Save Mount Diablo’s former Land Programs Director, Meredith Hendricks].
She talked to me about her work with Save Mount Diablo and asked if I would be interested in serving on the Dr. Mary Bowerman Science and Research Committee. I said yes.
When did you start volunteering with us and why did you get involved?
I think I joined the committee in 2018.
I had served as Vice Chancellor for Research at the University for nine years before I retired and had struggled with rather massive research projects like the Energy Biosciences Institute with multimillion dollar budgets and casts of thousands.
I was attracted by the scale of the committee’s mandate and the focus on environmental biology and geology.
I was interested in learning about research projects trying to understand and further the preservation of the specific natural environment around Mount Diablo.
I looked forward to learning a lot and contributing whatever perspective I might bring to the discussions. It has been a delight and revelation to me to see how much can be accomplished with modest resources well managed.
Which Save Mount Diablo programs are you involved in?
The Dr. Mary Bowerman Science and Research Committee.
What do you enjoy about the volunteer work you do?
I much enjoy reading the applications for the committee’s small grants, and discussing their objectives, and I particularly enjoy the annual colloquium in which many of the grantees report on their work and other speakers talk about issues impacting the Diablo Range.
What is the most challenging project you’ve worked on as a Save Mount Diablo volunteer?
Deciding priorities when there are multiple competing good requests for funding research projects.
Is there a memorable experience you’ve had as a Save Mount Diablo volunteer?
I would say that each of the Dr. Mary Bowerman Science and Research colloquia has been a memorable experience.
It has each time been a thrill to see the enthusiastic young scientists presenting their discoveries, to learn more about the biology and geology of the Diablo Range, and to hear from Save Mount Diablo’s thoughtful leadership about their efforts to understand and protect this environmental treasure.
How do you spend your time beyond your volunteer work with us?
After retiring from the university, I participated in the UC Botanical Garden’s Advisory Board for several years, leading an effort to create its current Strategic Plan, which is now in place.
I am also a Trustee of the Jepson Herbarium at the University. Right after retirement I served on the Board of Ashby Village for several years and participated in its early development. Lately I’ve been involved in trying to organize my local Kensington neighborhood for disaster preparedness.
