Search Results

Applications due January 3rd, 2019 The Caltech Y is excited to seek applicants for our 2019 Global Policy Trip. Join other Caltech students on one of our non-traditional spring break experiences in Geneva, Switzerland. The trip will include visits to international organizations as well as the opportunity to explore this global city… not to mention making new friends with other Caltech students. One of our stops will be CERN, which operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world and is one of the biggest international collaborations in science. Our seven-day trip includes lodgings and most meals; flights; educational discussions sessions; and of course, the opportunity to see this global city. Don’t miss this opportunity! To apply and for more information, please visit: https://www.caltechy.org/asb-global-policy-trip

On November 9, the Caltech Y hosted its annual Community Service and Advocacy (CSA) Fair featuring 27 service and advocacy organizations. The fair was an opportunity for students, staff, and faculty to learn about local volunteering opportunities as well as other ways to address the needs of our local community. Groups such as the American Red Cross, Foster Care Project, Girls on the Run, and Tree People presented various opportunities, such as tutoring, mentoring, and restoring natural habitats. To entice people to stop by, the Y offered free In ‘n Out burgers and grilled cheese. The Caltech Y CSA Fair can have lasting impacts on our students Emily Peters of Fire Acres was thrilled to be a part of the fair. She says, “Thank you for allowing Five Acres to be included at last week’s Caltech Y event! We were so pleased at how engaged the students were and had a lot of good conversations.” The Caltech Y CSA Fair can have lasting impacts on our students. Present again at our fair was Caltech Y partner, Mentors for L.I.F.E. Every week Caltech volunteers go to various Pasadena Unified Schools to mentor elementary, middle, or high school students. This weekly Y program was started by Caltech Undergrad, Noelle Davis. Noelle attended the CSA Fair last year and after stopping at the Mentors for L.I.F.E. table felt compelled to start volunteering. However, she didn’t stop there. She also recruited several of her friends to mentor and then approached the Y about helping to support the program. “There are parts (of mentoring) that totally make my day,” says Noelle. “How they call out to me when I arrive. How excited they were when our model volcano erupted in fiery-red froth, or when the robots they programmed sped across the floor. How, when we made invisible ink, one gave me a note with my name above a heart. Through mentoring, I hope to have inspired these girls to love science a little more, work together a little better, and dream a little bigger. They’ve done at least as much for me.” It is our hope that, through the Caltech Y CSA Fair and volunteer programs, Caltech students will continue to serve and engage with the community. Thank you to hardworking Caltech Y student leaders, Hazel Dilmore and Michelle Zhao, for coordinating the CSA Fair this year. Also a big thank you to all of our amazing student volunteers: Sunny Cui, LC Chen, Elisabeth Gallmeier, Kavya Sreedhar, and Evan Yeh. This event wouldn’t be possible without our wonderful student leaders and volunteers.

The Social Activism Speaker Series (SASS) hosted three events in October to kick off its fall term programming, attracting approximately 130 students, faculty, and staff. The first two events focused on scientists in public policy, and the last event was an overview and general discussion of local ballot issues for this year’s elections. The first event, a screening of the Merchants of Doubt documentary and Q&A with Jet Propulsion Laboratory historian Erik Conway, highlighted disinformation campaign case studies in climate change and the tobacco industry. The screening revealed tactics used by unscrupulous think tanks to control public opinion. Additionally, it addressed the culpability of media sources that give legitimacy to false claims like climate change denial by portraying such claims as having equal weight in a misplaced effort to present an opposing side. After the screening, Conway answered questions on how to effectively combat these campaigns and discussed the role of scientists as a source of legitimacy and consensus in society. He stressed that when scientists talk to the public at large, they need to help them see the meaning and impact of the research in their lives beyond the scientific jargon and highly technical detail. The second event was a lunch seminar with Jamie Tijerina, a Caltech scientist who began civic engagement after moving to Los Angeles. Jamie discussed her journey working directly toward the advancement of science, the arts, and community through her work as a scientific researcher and through her involvement in local government with the Neighborhood Council system in Los Angeles. She organized a local 314 Action group for Los Angeles County, encouraging other STEAM professionals to become civically engaged. In the third event, representatives of the Pasadena League of Women Voters discussed California and Los Angeles ballot propositions and initiatives. The League of Women Voters encourages informed and active participation in government. They proposed a methodology for analyzing ballot measures, discussing in detail what is proposed, how much it would cost, and analyzing who is supporting and opposing the bill. They stressed the importance of tracking the funding for support/opposition in order to understand the motivations of the groups. With a solid start, the year should continue to yield significant dialogue, engagement, and learning opportunities for all who attend.

My name is Alex Phillips and I am a fourth-year graduate student working on my PhD in geochemistry. I grew up in San Diego, volunteering at my local aquarium and falling in love with all things marine biology. While at UC Santa Barbara, I realized that my true passion was marine chemistry. I worked on lab projects and research at sea that took me everywhere from oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean in the submarine Alvin to bubbling methane Seeps in Southern California. My PhD at Caltech is a continuation of my marine chemistry background, focusing on the organic chemistry of ocean sediments and water. It was so great to show her that physics and math are intertwined – if she could conquer one, she could conquer the other. I have been volunteering with the Rise Program for two years now and really enjoy mentoring high school students and preparing them for college. One of my favorite moments was with my student who was studying calculus and physics. We had spent the last few months understanding derivatives, and she really had them down now, but when she looked at her physics homework there was so much dread on her face looking at the complicated equations for Newtonian mechanics. I put her book aside, and we derived the equations by taking derivatives and it was the most amazing “aha” moment to witness. It was so great to show her that physics and math are intertwined – if she could conquer one, she could conquer the other. I noticed that the Rise Program has a long hiatus over summer break and approached the Caltech Y staff about extending the program to include SAT prep over the summer for juniors and seniors. We had an 8-week pilot program this summer and already saw improved test scores! I am so thankful for the Caltech Y for listening to my idea and helping see it come to life. Many students in Rise come from families that cannot afford private SAT tutoring. This was a special chance to make that happen for them. I hope that more students and tutors will sign up in the future and more donors will consider sponsoring student’s SAT fees! It is so important that Rise provides role models for young students. I grew up with a mother who is an incredible scientist, and she really shaped my career. I wanted to provide a platform for others to see successful women in science, to show both future and current girls in school, so I started Women Doing Science @women.doing.science an Instagram account that features diverse women in STEM! This Instagram highlights women in the field or in the lab, actively doing science. I hope that this account will inspire future generations of scientists and engineers, as it has already inspired me more than I thought possible. The 2018-19 Rise Program is supported by The Roethke Family Funds. Rise student scholarships are funded by the Caltech Y Tom M. Apostol Fund for Science and Math Outreach. New Rise equipment is funded through a grant from The Tournament of Roses Foundation.

There is more than one way to support the Caltech Y. The following examples are some easy ways to make a difference. Giving Tuesday Save the date to join us for #GivingTuesday on November 27! #GivingTuesday is a global movement that brings individuals, communities, and organizations together to celebrate the power of giving. In support of #GivingTuesday Facebook is partnering with PayPal to match up to $7 million in donations made on Facebook. The match will start at 5am PST (8am EST) on November 27 and continue matching donations to nonprofits until the $7M match runs out. Facebook is also waiving all fees for every donation made on Giving Tuesday. Visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CaltechY/ AmazonSmile Black Friday is fast approaching and you can support the Caltech Y while you do your holiday shopping. When you shop at AmazonSmile, Amazon donates 0.5% of the purchase price to Caltech Y. You can designate the Caltech Y as your charitable organization of choice after signing in. Bookmark the link http://smile.amazon.com/ch/95-1684790 and support us every time you shop! Support the Caltech Y through the Ralphs Community Rewards Program If you have a Ralphs Rewards card you can now register your card to the Caltech Y and support us when you shop at Ralphs! To register your card, visit www.ralphs.com and once logged into your Ralphs account, search for CALTECH Y or by our nonprofit number TG312 and then click Enroll. Further instructions can be found here. Remember to swipe your registered Ralphs Rewards card or use the phone number related to your card when shopping to make each purchase count! If you do not have a Ralphs Rewards card, you can pick one up at the customer service desk of any Ralphs store. Save 20% on tickets to The Wonderful Winter of OZ at The Pasadena Civic! Offer ends November 30th The Caltech Y has partnered with The Lythgoe Family Panto to bring you a 20% discount on tickets to the Panto performance of The Wonderful Winter of OZ at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. Panto has become a must-do holiday tradition for California residents. The Wonderful Winter of OZ is the latest holiday spectacular presented by the Pasadena Civic Auditorium and The Lythgoe Family. This Panto style musical adventure is fun for the family and not one to miss. Experience the magic of OZ in this holiday version of a classic fairy tale. *Save 20% on tickets with the code: CTY20 https://www.ticketmaster.com/venueartist/90157/2517649 *Some conditions apply. Please refer to the flyer for full discount details.

On behalf of the Caltech Y Board of Directors, student members of the Executive Committee (ExComm), and the Caltech Y staff, we thank all our guests for participating in the Caltech Y’s 11th Annual Golf Tournament and Auction on October 22, 2018. We had more than 100 golfers take part in our tournament and more than 150 people at the reception and auction. Thank you for making this one of our most successful golf tournaments yet! We would especially like to thank the Golf Committee, co-chaired by Jonathan Webster and Don Brown. This group worked diligently and tirelessly to make this day possible. Maraea Johnston, Cynthia Ingle, Toni Perpall, Sue Crisp, Julie Hendricks, Agnes Tong and Anne Radimin, thank you for all of your hard work enthusiasm, and dedication to this event! Congratulations to the following winning golfers: 1st Place: David Swarts, Ken Klosterman, Dan Pearlman, Bruce McIntosh 2nd Place: Shawn Devine, Butch Shin, Bloomer Stegelvik, Jay Talah from PCL Construction 3rd Place: Mats Hellstrom, Rocky Khara, Nathan Parson, and CJ Wozniak from Enterprise Here are additional highlights of the day: Congratulations to the following contest winners: Women’s longest drive: Kathy Carroll Men’s longest drive: Brendan Horgan Closest to Hole #3: Henry Etheredge Closest to Hole #5: David Swarts Closest to Hole #11: Philip Boyd Closest to Hole #16: Matt Jean Putting Contest: Jordan Nedeff Congratulations to Johnny Fujikawa from Hotel Constance who won our raffle prize, a 50"LG TV! Photos taken by photographers Bob Paz and others are now on our Flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/caltechy/albums/72157699548030682 This event would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors and auction donors! A full listing of sponsors and donors can be viewed on our golf web page https://www.caltechy.org/golf-tournament-and-auction

The Caltech Y is honored to introduce our new Board members and welcome them to the Y family. Joining the Board of Directors are Emily Abbott, Victoria Arriola, Susan Clayton, Molly McKenzie-Swarts, Sandhya Ravichandran, Chris Smith, Scott Virgil and Silva Virgil. We also welcome back Kirk Dawson and Nancy Lan, who have returned to serve on the Board. Emily Abbott: Emily worked at Caltech (‘04 to ’13) in Corporate Relations before joining UC Riverside as the Director of Corporate & Strategic Partnerships. Prior to entering academia, she worked in the nonprofit sector on issues related to social justice, international sustainable development, and participatory democracy. Currently taking a sabbatical, Emily is a member of the Board of Fast Forward, the venture philanthropy arm of the National MS Society. Victoria Arriola: Victoria is a mixed-media Visual Artist, Designer, Creative/Art Director, and Adjunct Professor of Design/Art/VisCom at USC. She studied fine art in Denmark, earning a bachelor in Fine Art and a Masters in Advertising Design. She has worked for Caltech and JPL, is an arts educator and advocate, curator, board member, artist in residence administrator for nonprofit arts organizations, galleries and education foundations and is an ongoing volunteer at Inner City Arts in DTLA. An explorer of the world, she spends much of her creative time in Denmark and Iceland. Susan Clayton: Susan is a licensed property and casualty broker and Vice President at Lockton Insurance Brokers, LLC in Los Angeles where she manages the commercial insurance placements for her middle market business clients. Preceding her career in insurance, Susan attended the University of Southern California where she received a B.S. degree in Business Administration and was a member of USC’s Marshall Women’s Leadership Board. A stay-at-home mom for a number of years, Susan was active in the local schools, PTA and community groups. Sandhya Ravichandran: Sandhya is a lifelong volunteer. She has served as a PTA President, has served on the Board of The American Red Cross, Arcadia Chapter, as well as the Executive Director of Arcadia Child Health Council. She is also a past President of the Caltech Women’s Club. Molly McKenzie-Swarts: Molly retired from Hilton Hotels where she served as EVP, Global Head of Human Resources, Diversity and Administration until the company moved its headquarters from Beverly Hills to Virginia. After retiring, she was a Human Resources Consultant for Hathaway Sycamores. Chris Smith: Chris began working at Caltech in 1981 in the Division of Humanities and Social Science, where she took care of their graduate program. In 1986 she moved to the Div. of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. She holds an MA in English Literature from Cal State Fullerton and an MS in Human Resources Design from Claremont Graduate University. She retired in 2012 and currently volunteers at the Pasadena Humane Society and the Huntington Library. Kirk Dawson: Kirk (BS ‘61 and MS ’62) is a Caltech alum, majored in Electrical Engineering and was a member of Ruddock House. He worked at JPL for 39 years and retired in 2001. He has been an active volunteer in "YMCA of the Foothills" Board for 20 years - served as Board Chair and Interim CEO on two occasions. He was a past Board member and the Executive Committee of the San Gabriel Valley United Way. He is a Board member and past Chair of Caltech’s SURF Program (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship). Nancy Lan: Nancy was a senior research fellow in biology at Caltech; later she co-founded a pharmaceutical company with her colleagues at USC. Currently, she is a docent at USC Pacific Asia Museum and enjoys other volunteering work. She is a Caltech honorary alum. We are also pleased to announce that we recently elected a new slate of officers. Leading the board is newly elected chair, Peter Hung, who is the Communications Lead at The Aerospace Corporation. Peter is joined by a slate of officers including: Vice Chair – Fred Clayton Treasurer – Don Collins Secretary – Judy Collins Read more about our Board Members on our website - https://www.caltechy.org/who-we-are

Hi Friends of the Y! I’m Peter Hung and I’m excited to serve as the new chairperson of the Caltech Y. Having been a student at Caltech, I can personally attest to the impact the Y has had on me, teaching me to be a better community member and a better leader. While classes only started in October, the Y has already been working hard! We welcome some new members to the Caltech Y board and early in October, the Caltech Y Board of Directors had a wonderful retreat to strategize the Y’s goals for the next couple of years. Since then, we have hosted a social activism lunch with an overview of the California ballot. We have also been to the Union Station to prepare and serve the residents there. We ended the month with the start of our new leadership lunch series. I hope my experience of benefiting from the Y as a student will allow me to share a new perspective on how we can better serve our students while also serving the community. I look forward to a great year ahead!