1 August 2008
Irene Liao
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Dear Honorable Max Berry,
I would like to thank you for this incredible opportunity to be part
of the Research Training Program (RTP) at the Smithsonian Institution's
National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). My experience here has been
nothing short of amazing. During the ten weeks at the museum, whether
I was walking through the cabinets of the US National Herbarium or conversing
with leading experts in their respective fields, I could not believe
that I was granted with this extraordinary privilege.
As an intern in the RTP, I have had a glimpse of all the disciplines
that "natural history" covers, such as anthropology and entomology,
mainly from the tours of the collections or lectures from curators.
I was astounded by the amount of material that the museum owned, increasing
my appreciation for the enormous diversity in the world (and not just
organisms, but also cultures and languages). Despite being in awe of
everything I was able to see and learn, the one thing this museum has
impressed upon me is that the research done here makes an impact in
the daily lives of people whether they notice it or not. From identifying
prospective medicines from preserved specimens to examining current
day issues such as climate change and bird strikes, museums play an
important role in the acquisition and maintenance of knowledge as well
as the education of the general public.
Research-wise, I have been extremely fortunate to be working with
Dr. Robert Faden and his assistant Stanley Yankowski on three species
in Commelinaceae, a plant family that consists of dayflowers and spiderworts.
Having had some experience in obtaining DNA sequences, I was particularly
excited to learn other scientific techniques, sometimes considered more
traditional, and see how the results can be applied to answering the
same questions. The resources at the NMNH have been absolutely superb,
giving me the chance to take detailed images from a Scanning Electron
Microscope and to make observations of the three species in the Smithsonian
Institution's Greenhouse. Whether I was watching the flowers open right
before my eyes or looking through slides of leaf cross-sections, these
species never failed to surprise me with new and interesting details
that I may not have discovered.
Thank you again for your generous support in allowing me to participate
in this phenomenal program. This unforgettable experience has provided
me a broader perspective into interdisciplinary studies in the sciences
and its role in the community and will always influence my decisions
throughout my lifetime.
Sincerely,
Irene Liao
Research Training Program
Class of '08