The Kim Environmental Geochemistry (KEG) Laboratory celebrated its 15 year anniversary on Friday, May 10, 2019. Current lab members and alumni joined Dr. Chris Kim in the Robert Day Lounge on the 3rd floor of the Keck Center for dinner, drinks, and storytelling. 

Alumni who couldn’t attend were invited to share a slide with their life updates that were displayed at the event. Below are some of the alumni spotlights that were featured:

KEG LAB ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS

Tyler Anthony
In his 3rd year working on his Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley. He is studying the controls and mechanisms of greenhouse gas fluzes in actively-managed, degraded peatland ecosystems.

Mikaela Biavati
Medical student at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, Texas. After spending time as an EMT, she decided to pursue emergency medicine. 

Lena Buckendorf
Went on to the University of Pacific Dugoni School of Dentistry and is now an orthodontist. 

Leah Cowburn
Went on to obtain her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine in 2015. Currently in Maryland practicing emergency and general medicine for dogs and cats, and as a clinical consultant for pet supplement company.

Dydier Dominguez
Was one of the first community college students to be a member of the KEG Lab as part of the Summer Research Program. Currently works for Niagara Bottling in Research and Development, specifically material development. Hoping to make plastic bottles more environmentally friendly and biodegradable.

Kevan O’Connor
Received a life science-focused business education from the Keck Graduate Institute from 2015-2017. Currently working as a life science business strategy consultant for Promidian Consulting where he works with oncology companies to figure out how they can bring innovative immune-oncology therapies out of clinical research and into hospitals and clinics.

Tessa Oliaro Landgraf
Received a NIOSH grant in 2017 and pursued her Masters of Public Health in Industrial Hygiene from University of California, Berkeley. This past May, Tessa presented at the National American Industrial Hygiene Association Conference in Minneapolis. 

John Stegemeier
Went on to receive his Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 2016. Now loves teaching physics at a high school in Texas.

Eric Sugihara
Will be graduating from fellowship in otology, neurotology, and skull base surgery in July 2019. Planning to join an otolaryngology practice in Fullerton, CA.

Jonathan Woo
Finishing up his M.D. at University of Hawaii. In June, will start his Emergency Medicine Residency at Stanford.