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I remember falling into rapture at the notion of 'monkey cups',
Nepenthes pitcher plants hanging high in trees, laden with endosymbiotic ants. Or at the thought
of orangutans sleeping soundly in their arboreal nests. My earliest memories are, in this way, pervaded
by a love of biology, ecology, and the tropics.
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Having come to Harvard as part of the Class of 2011, I am
concentrating in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology. I'm also working on my own line of
entomological research in the Pierce Lab, which I plan to continue throughout the coming years.
However, so far in my continuing studies of species (including ours) and their interactions,
there has been no better academic experience for me than attending the Biodiversity of Borneo course this past summer.
As I’d never been outside of the United States before this trip, tales of tropical adventure and enlightenment rang bittersweet in my jealous ears. Doctors Naomi Pierce, Noah Whiteman, and Andrew Berry cited their early visits to the tropics as some of the most formative experiences in their biological careers, and they all strongly urged me to immerse myself in that unique biome as quickly as possible. Hearing of this Harvard Study Abroad opportunity, I wished desperately to be able to follow their guidance and expand my horizons by attending, so I canceled my other plans and got on board. It was worth it. - Noor Beckwith |
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Quick Fact! Noor's pasttimes include photography, skiing, lacrosse, meditation, chi cultivation, chess, and (occasionally) sleep. |
