On May 31, 2019, EnviroLab Asia organized an Alumni Reception in Tokyo, where a group of 41 students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni gathered to mingle and learn about the student-faculty research that took place during the EnviroLab Asia Japan Clinic Trip. After commencement weekend, seventeen students and five faculty left Claremont for Japan, arriving on May 21, and spent the subsequent days conducting their research. At the reception, students gave short presentations about their preliminary findings and also answered questions from alumni and parents.
Alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and students at the reception on May 31, 2019.
EnviroLab Asia Student Fellows prepared throughout the spring semester for the Clinic Trip. They enrolled in the course EA189, taught by Professor Wallace Meyer (Biology, POM), that introduced them to environmental issues of the region. They also met regularly in Labs with faculty who guided their scholarship.
The title slides of the student presentations reflect the variety of environmental topics students studied in Japan.
Professor Angelina Chin (History, POM) led the Lab that focused on Accessibility for Disabled People in Japan. The group conducted an accessibility study of a local park in Osaka and also worked with robotics students and faculty from the Osaka Institute of Technology on creating models of spaces that would be accessible to the elderly. Professor Albert Park (History, CMC) and Professor Marc Los Huertos (Environmental Analysis, POM) led the Food and Rural Issues Lab, which studied the carbon footprints of three education-based organic farms: Aino Agricultural High School, Asia Rural Institute, and Pomona College’s Organic Farm. Professor Warren Liu (English, SCR) guided students’ project to collect soundscapes in Kyoto, Hiroshima, Tokyo, and Osaka. Professor Wallace “Marty” Meyer’s lab analyzed particulate matter on leaves to assess trees’ capacities to work as bio-filters.
On May 30, 2019, students gather in their labs (Soundscapes, Trees, Food and Rural Issues, and Accessibility) to prepare for summarize their findings.
The Alumni Reception was hosted by Pomona alumni Hiro Taniguchi ’80 (谷口博一様) and Steven Doi ’83 (土居スティーブン様). Pomona College alumna Haruka Sano (’18) served as a co-emcee with Professor Angelina Chin. Special thanks to the Alumni & Parent Relations Office at CMC and Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement and Major Gifts at Pomona for their support in this event.
Students (Bailey Lai POM ’19, Suh Won Sarah Chang CMC ’21) and faculty (Wallace “Marty” Meyer, Biology, POM) answer questions from alumni and parents on May 31, 2019 at the Tokyo Alumni Reception.