Zachary Chestnut
IB Senior Academic Advisor
Hometown: Suwanee, GA
Education:
B.S. in Applied Biology from Georgia Tech
Ph.D. in Plant Biology from UC Davis
What I did/experiences before Cal: I'm passionate about science and working with students, but how I've managed that has changed over the years. During my undergrad years, I was involved in research, student life organizations, orientation, and teaching. Later, my dissertation research at UC Davis focused on grapevine disease resistance by studying protein-protein interactions and structures. During and after grad school I also taught intro biology and genetics courses. I transitioned to a biology academic advising role at Davis and am excited to keep it up here at Berkeley.
What you love about Cal and working in UAO: The campus is very engaging. Apart from the exceptional students, I enjoy working with a staff and faculty group that are so supportive of students. IB students are ambitious and intuitive and we have a staff to match.
Interests: cooking and eating (I'm always eating); playing and watching sports
Life motto: "All too often we are giving young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow their own plants." -John W. Gardner on education, 1964, in Self-Renewal: The Individual and the Innovative Society.
Advisor tip: Explore the world around you and your place in it. Think about how things are interconnected (scientifically or socially) and how that picture relates to your life, goals, and values.