Yang Chen, Environmental Science, Ohio State University
It is impossible to navigate without an adequate supply. Thanks to Peking University's rich resources, I have laid a broad and solid base in natural and social sciences, especially in mathematics, biology, chemistry, and computer. For example, when I took Environmental Biology I read intensively four references: Genetics and Biology: Life and Environment, Genetics, Vertebrate zoology and Invertebrate zoology. Wide scope is one of the sources of my confidence. I also have advanced research skills, which enable me to handle water issues at various levels. I can utilize spectrophotometry, chromatography and polography to analyze the water pollutants. Meanwhile I can monitor a large lake with the aid of GIS and RS.
Then I tentatively began my virgin voyage. Since I took part in The Water Usage of China international program in 1998, I have been involved in a number of national and international projects. I was the only undergraduate in the research group of Endangered Waterbirds Conservation and Their Habitat Management in Liaohe Delta Wetland. This year I worked as Research Assistant with Professor Jingyun Fang, a famous environmentalist in China. The research subjects in which I participated include bioremediation of wetlands, monitoring of the eutrophication of East Lake, and biodiversity along altitudinal gradients. Currently I am working in an international project - Changes in Habitats and Population Dynamics for Wetland Birds in Dongting Lake. Besides rich hands-on experience, the broad range of the topics and the variety of jobs I have taken provided me with ample opportunities to have insight into many aspects of geography, especially with environmental foci. Not long ago I independently proposed a project: The Economic Loss of the Destruction to Beijing's Historic Buildings Caused by Air Pollution, and it has won the sponsership from our university.
To a navigator, a big problem is to find his destination on the broad sea. Fortunately through these projects I have found mine among the numerous areas of geography - to be a specialist in biogeography. As we ascended Mt Changbai to survey the biodiversity there, the vegetation changed gradually from temperate forest to coniferous forest to the tundra at 2691 m above sea level. We seemed to have made a journey from temperate zone to the Arctic! Further analysis revealed that there coexist both Arctic components and tropical components. How have they migrated into the same place?
The most common answer is the invasion and retreat of the prehistorical glaciers. But when did they happen? Which one came earlier? How could the tropical component stand the cold when the glacier invaded or vice versa? Another riddle is that Betula ermanii jumps from 2000m to 1500m on Mt Changbai, showing different ecotypes. Such questions regarding "Where and Why" drive me to find the answers with an ecological and evolutionary approach. What's more, study of the distribution of biological material over the earth's surface and the influencing factors logically provides a starting point for our understanding of the role of man in relation to the ecological context.
Yet, on the way to my destination await many obstacles. For example, to get a clue out of tons of seemingly unrelated geographic data is as difficult as to look for a needle in a haystack. During the program of Liaohe Delta, I was initially at a loss, but this awkwardness soon changed into excitement after my advisor showed me the compass of GIS. With its aid, we successfully predicted three possible scenarios of the Delta in 20 years. GIS relates the location with its attributes and thus can provide many potential usages, such as a self-driving car, environmental monitoring etc. To me it is very crucial because biogeography usually has to be dealt with on a large scale. I am more than sure that with the compass of GIS, I would attain my goal as a successful biogeographer regardless of the thick fog.
But where should I go? Pennsylvania State University, with its No. 1 rank in geography, free atmosphere, and distinguished scholars, is unsurprisingly, my first choice. I am also very happy to see that Pennsylvania State University offers both depth and flexibility to its graduate students. Thus I can design programs tailored to my interest. With the rich resources of Pennsylvania State University, and my devotion, formal background and perseverance, I am confident that I will reach my shore of success in the foreseeable future.
