The Program in Human Biology | Stanford University
Human Biology Newsletter
The Program in Human Biology | Stanford University
Fall 2006
Tracking Amazon Deforestation
A Human Biology student’s research project explores the impact of selective logging
System (CLAS), which processes images from three
NASA satellites—Landsat 7, Terra and Earth Observing 1—through a powerful supercomputer. This
approach has improved the accuracy of previous
methods by about 50%.
“One of the challenges is measuring selective
logging over such a vast area,” said Raybin. “Our
laboratory had previously, over several years,
continued on page 2
Directors’ Messages: Old & New
Farewell from Prof. Wine: As I end my three-year
tenure as the director of Stanford’s Program in
Human Biology,
I’ve had a
chance to reflect
on what makes
this program so
extraordinary.
At the heart of
its success is the
Jeffery Wine
Carol Boggs faculty’s commitment to teaching Human Biology at a higher
level. We recognize that the complex scientific issues
of our day—from stem cell
What’s Inside
research to global warmTuvalu Intern......... 3
ing—cannot be addressed
Inside the Core.... 4
from a purely academic point
Faculty News........ 5
of view. An understanding of
Reading Lists......... 6
the relationship between
Alumni Pubs.......... 6
human biology and our
Student Awards.... 7
If a tree falls in the Amazon forest and no one sees it,
then how do we know it really fell?
“Satellite remote sensing,” said Rebecca Raybin
(HumBio ’07), who learned the answer to that riddle
during her undergraduate research project at the
Carnegie Institution’s Department of Global Ecology. Using satellite imaging and some powerful
computational techniques, Raybin worked with a
team of scientists to develop a better way to measure
deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, the source of
about 20% of Earth’s annual oxygen supply.
While previous satellite imaging techniques only
measured burned or clear-cut areas, Director Greg
Asner’s team developed a way to track the selective
logging of rare hardwoods, an activity where the removal of a few trees is often concealed beneath the
forest canopy. Their technique uses a sophisticated
computer program with unique pattern-recognition
algorithms called the Carnegie Landsat Analysis
[Photo: Greg Asner]
continued on page 8
1
Donor List............. 8
The Program in Human Biology | Stanford University
Amazon Deforestation
turning forests into open fields; the damage from
selective loggers is just as great.
continued from page 1
“What we observed was a massive underestimation
collected ground data from a series of field studies,
of rainforest destruction, due to the omission of selecthen used the data to develop a computational
tive logging, that has broad reaching policy implicaalgorithm that could be applied to satellite images to
tions,” said Raybin. “The results were reported all
create a more accurate picture of what’s going on
over the world, which helped
across the Amazon Basin.”
facilitate policy changes in
The Amazon Basin conBrazil.”
tains the largest contiguous
Recently, the Brazilian
rainforest on Earth—a vast
Federal Government invested
region nearly as big the
1.4 million Reals (about
continental United States
$622,000) for monitoring of
that includes portions of
selective logging in the
Brazil and seven other
Amazon.
South American countries.
Raybin first learned
“We discovered that
about this research opportuannually a forest area
nity during her sophomore
about the size of Conyear in the Human Biology
necticut is disturbed,”
Core classes and in the Reexplained Asner. “Selecsearch Exploration Program,
tive logging negatively
HB-REX. This undergraduimpacts many plants and
ate research program helps
animals and increases eroThe Amazon Basin, with heavily logged areas in red.
sophomore students find
sion and fires. Additionally,
summer research projects, mentors, and funding. It
up to 25% more carbon dioxide is released to the atallows participants to immerse themselves in a submosphere each year, above that
ject, gaining real world experience
from deforestation, from the dein the process of inquiry, investigacomposition of what the loggers
tion, and discovery that is at the
leave behind.”
heart of Stanford’s Program in
By analyzing this data over the
Human Biology.
last five years, the researchers also
“My favorite thing about the
developed an algorithm for estiHB-REX program is getting to
mating future deforestation; they
work with a group of brilliant scifound that about a third of forests
entists,” said Raybin. “And since I
within 3 to 15.5 miles of roads are
came in during the final stages of
clear-cut within four years of being
the deforestation project, I was
selectively logged. These findings
able to see the impact that this
have changed the thinking of both
The Asner lab’s image processing enhances research had around the globe.
scientists and government regula- the ability to track Amazon deforestation.
Having the chance to do this level
tors, as they realize that deforestaof research as an undergraduate
tion isn’t solely driven by cattle ranchers and farmers
is incredible.” §
[Photos courtesy of Google Earth and the Carnegie Institution.]
>>For more: http://asnerlab.stanford.edu
2
The Program in Human Biology | Stanford University
U.N. Intern Works to Save
Island Nation
Morgan was first exposed to climate change issues
at a seminar during his freshman year at Stanford. He
learned a lot about the human and scientific aspects of
global warming while attending the Environmental
and Health Policy Analysis class within the Human
Biology Core.
During his internship, he attended a number of
meetings that provided him with a unique view of environmental policy on a global scale. He went to the
Convention on the Law of the Sea, where countries
discussed international fishery laws and ways to best
protect marine biodiversity. He also attended a meeting chaired by Jan Eliasson, the president of the
General Assembly, where they discussed how to
reform the UN's institutional framework for dealing
with the environment.
Outside of meetings, Morgan helped Tuvalu’s ambassador, Enele Sopoaga, develop “talking points” for
their opening statement at the General Assembly. In
this statement, they will emphasize global warming,
rising sea levels, and the importance of sustainable
development. If trends around the world continue at
present rates, climate change experts predict that over
the next hundred years, the sea level will rise between
six inches and three feet.
“Tuvalu’s main goal is to emphasize cleaner alternatives to fossil fuels, which will in turn reduce the
greenhouse gases that contribute to rising sea levels,”
said Morgan. “This is truly an international problem
that can’t be solved by one country. Tuvalu may be
Mark Douglas Morgan (HumBio ’08) spent his summer working at the United Nations Mission of Tuvalu,
one of the smallest and most remote countries on
Earth, helping to educate members about this Pacific
island nation’s biggest concern—global warming.
Tuvalu Deputy Ambassador, Minute Taupo, Mark Douglas
Morgan, and Ambassador Enele Sopoaga.
“Tuvalu will be the first country to suffer as ocean
levels rise due to global warming,” said Morgan.”
“On this coral atoll nation, the highest point is only 5
meters above sea level, and even a few inches rise in
water would cover a large percentage of its habitable
land.”
Located in the Pacific Ocean midway between
Hawaii and Australia, Tuvalu is the second smallest
sovereign country in the world, behind Vatican City.
Though Morgan has never visited Tuvalu, he had personal reasons for wanting to work with their U.N.
delegation.
“My uncle moved to Tuvalu 16 years ago during
his tenure with the Peace Corps and decided to stay.
He now he advises their Minister of Finance,” said
Morgan. “Because my uncle knew that I was interested in environmental policy, he suggested that I
might like to help represent Tuvalu’s concerns at the
United Nations.”
small, but it has the same vote as the big countries
when it comes to addressing environmental issues.” §
3
The Program in Human Biology | Stanford University
Inside
the Core
fectively implement positive changes at a societal
level.
This year the environmental policy classes within
the Core will be taught by Lawrence Goulder, the
Shuzo Nishihara Professor of Environmental and Resource Economics and the Kennedy-Grossman Fellow
in Human Biology. “HumBio 4B: Environmental and
Health Policy” helps students understand underlying
causes of environmental and health problems, recognize potential policy options, and provide students
with tools to understand and evaluate alternative environmental and health policies.
“This year we look forward to discussing the many
new developments on the climate-change policy and
marine-life protection fronts,” said Goulder. While
many universities offer undergraduate courses in environmental and health policy analysis, HB 4B is distinguished because it offers more attention to the
natural science issues relevant to environmental pol-
Foundation in Environmental Policy
Addressing the many problems facing our world—
from environmental issues to AIDS, cancer, and
health care costs—requires a multidisciplinary
approach. As our alumni know, Stanford’s Human
Biology “Core” is a yearlong series of six classes,
taken in the sophomore year, which covers genetics,
evolution, ecology, society, human biology, the
human predicament, and more. The Core provides a
solid foundation from which students can launch
careers in biological or social science, medicine, pub-
Human Biology Core Curriculum at a Glance
HB 2A:
HB 3A:
HB 4A:
Genetics, Evolution, Ecology
Cell & Developmental Biology
The Human Organism
HB 2B:
Culture, Evolution, Society
Fall
HB 3B:
Behavior & its Development
Winter
lic health, law, education, business, or government.
One of the strengths of this program is the commitment by Stanford faculty from diverse departments to offer an innovative, interdisciplinary undergraduate education. Many of the professors have extensive experience in public health and health care
policy. This allows the faculty to bridge the academic
human biology subjects with the real world, better
preparing students for understanding how to more ef-
HB 4B: Environmental &
Health Policy Analysis
Spring
icy analysis. This reflects the strong natural science
interest among the HumBio students, and the attempts
to link the material in Environmental and Health Policy, with the ideas and topics in HB 4A: The Human
Organism.
With his unique contributions to the Human Biology Core, Goulder hopes that HumBio 4B broadens
the students’ career possibilities beyond the traditional. He noted, “Several students have told me the
course has inspired them to focus on environmental
policy analysis in their careers.” §
4
The Program in Human Biology | Stanford University
Faculty News
children into schools, creating
policies for disabled homeless,
and providing clinical services. §
Zaroff Named
Teacher of the Year
Barr Selected for
2006 Roland Prize
Fuller Elected to
“the Academy”
Margaret (Minx) Fuller, Ph.D.,
Chair of Developmental Biology,
the Reed Hodgson Professor of
Human Biology, and Professor of
Genetics, was recently elected to
the American Academy of Arts
and Sciences (AAAS). AAAS is
an international society composed
of the world's leading scientists,
scholars, artists, business people,
and public leaders. Fuller’s research at Stanford explores the
mechanisms that regulate and
mediate male gamete differentiation and stem cell behavior using
the laboratory fruit fly Drosophila
as a model system. Understanding
the mechanisms of stem cell selfrenewal and differentiation is
crucial for realizing the potential
of stem cells for regenerative
medicine. §
Don Barr, associate teaching professor of Sociology and Human
Biology and a staff physician at
the Palo Alto Medical Foundation,
was selected as one of two winners of the 2006 Miriam Aaron
Roland Volunteer Service Prize.
This prize recognizes Stanford
faculty who involve students in
integrating academic scholarship
with significant and meaningful
volunteer service to society.
Barr spent the past five years
working on the newly opened
Opportunity Center of the Midpeninsula, which provides housing
and comprehensive services to the
homeless people living in and
around Palo Alto, CA. The center
also provides service-learning
opportunities for Stanford students
and faculty, through the class
HUMBIO 160 Healthcare in
America. In this class, Barr works
with students on research topics,
such as integrating homeless
5
Human Biology professor
Lawrence Zaroff was named
“ASSU Teacher of the Year.”
This award is Stanford’s only
teaching award completely
determined by the student
body. Students nominate their
professors and the Associated
Students of
Stanford University (ASSU)
judging panel reads, discusses
and then votes on the recipient.
Zaroff was nominated by
student Beth Graham, who
commended his friendliness
and accessibility as a professor.
“Larry has been a very
memorable part of our lives
here at Stanford,” added cosponsor Tyler Dumm. “His
friendly advice and intellectual
and personal mentorship have
truly influenced our lives.”
This year Zaroff will teach
Becoming a Doctor: Readings
From Medical School, Medical
Training, Medical Practice;
Health Care as Seen Through
Medical History, Literature,
and the Arts,; and The Literature of Health Care: Novels
and Theater of Illness. §
The Program in Human Biology | Stanford University
Visiting Professor
to Teach “Illness
Narratives”
The concept of “Narrative Medicine,” described in
a 2001 JAMA article by physician Rita Charon, provides an initial context for examining a variety of issues and works. Reading will include writings by
patient-authors, such as William Styron and Reynolds
Price; and physician-authors, such as William Carlos
Williams, Richard Selzer, and Oliver Sacks. These
readings will be paired with classical articles from
medical journals and narrative theorists.
Morris has written two prize-winning books on
British literature—The Religious Sublime (1972) and
Alexander Pope: The Genius of Sense (1984). His
first book on illness, The Culture of Pain (1991) won
a PEN prize. More recent books are Earth Warrior
(1995) and Illness and Culture in the Postmodern Age
(1998). He is currently working a third volume that
will explore illness and the desire to heal. §
Human Biology welcomes its
first recipient of the Stanford
Fellowship in Medical Humanities, David B. Morris—a
writer, scholar, and a professor
from the University of Virginia.
This year he will teach “Illness
Narratives,” an interdisciplinary course that explores illness and its impact on individuals and society. Designed for students considering careers in the health sciences or humanities, it
delves into literary-cultural representations of the illness experience.
HumBio Reading List
Book recommendations by the
Human Biology faculty.
MonkeyLuv
by Robert M Sapolsky
The human animal and all its
fascinating quirks are showcased in this thoughtful and entertaining essay collection from
America's most beloved neurobiologist and primatologist.
Sand County Almanac:
Outdoor Essays & Reflections
by Aldo Leopold
A classic of nature writing,
widely cited as one of the most
influential nature books ever
published.
Cadillac Desert
by Marc Reisner
In this stunning work of history
and investigative journalism,
Reisner tells the story of conflicts over water policy in the
West and the resulting damage
to the land, wildlife and Indians.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: A Memoir of Life in Death
by Jean-Dominique Bauby
The extraordinary real-life story
of a French magazine editor
paralysed by a stroke, who dictated his memoir letter by letter
with one eyelid.
6
Alumni Publications
Charles Quinn, (’94) along with
coauthor Rebecca Chaplin ’02),
have a new book out, A Nature
Guide to the Southwest Tahoe Basin. This guide covers more than
450 species and is supplemented
by relevant essays and more than
350 photographs and drawings.
Quinn is Stanford Sierra Camp’s
longest-serving naturalist. He has
spent more than ten years working
for The Nature Conservancy. §
The Program in Human Biology | Stanford University
STUDENT AWARDS
Four HumBio
Grads Named Public
Service Fellows
HumBio graduates Brian
Bergmark, Regan Johnson, Felipe
Perez received John Gardner Public Service Fellowships. Rachel
Niederman was awarded a Tom
ices. He will also be applying to
medical school.
Regan Johnson (’06) plans on
pursuing a joint degree in medicine and public health following
her Gardner Fellowship placement
at the international health organization, Population Services
International, in Washington DC.
Felipe Perez (’06), who is interested in lessening the disparity
2006 Gardner Fellows: Felipe Perez, Brian Bergmark and Regan Johnson.
Ford Fellowship in Philanthropy.
Recipients of the John Gardner
Public Service Fellowship Program work with a mentor—a senior figure in a government or nonprofit agency—who can help
foster professional development in
students devoting their talent, energy and training to public
service.
Brian Bergmark (’06) is working on national disability policies
as a John Gardner Fellow with the
Deputy Director of the Office of
Disability, in the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
in access to health care to underserved communities, is working
with the Commissioner of Health
for the city of Baltimore.
The Tom Ford Fellowship in
Philanthropy aims to bring more
young people into philanthropic
work by providing the opportunity
to work with a mentor at a U.S.
foundation.
Rachel Niederman (’06) will be
working with the Annie E. Casey
Foundation, a group dedicated to
benefiting disadvantaged children.
She will contribute to a yearlong
project evaluating the effective7
ness of the foundation’s past 15
years of work. Through literature
review and interviews, Rachel
hopes to compile information correlating outcomes with influencing
factors in order to guide future
system reform efforts. §
Takayama Receives
“Nobel Purpose”
Honor
Brennan Takayama (HumBio ’06)
received an Honorable Mention
from the Intercollegiate Studies
Institute (ISI) for his application to
the 2006 William E. Simon Fellowship for Noble Purpose. This
fellowship is designed to encourage undergraduate students to pursue lives that will benefit themselves and their fellow men and
women. Along with this honor, he
received a grant for $5,000, which
Takayama will use to expand the
Laupahoehoe Tutoring Program, a
project he initiated during a 2004
Haas Summer Fellowship, then
continued in Hilo, Hawai’i
through a summer 2005 Community Service Work-Study project. He will also use the award to
begin a matching scholarship fund
for the students of Laupahoehoe.
Comings & Goings
Nathan Selden, M.D., Ph.D.
(HumBio ’86), who heads pediatric neurosurgery at Doernbecher
Children’s Hospital in Portland,
Oregon, was named as the first
Campagna Professor at the Oregon
Health & Science University
(OHSU) School of Medicine. §
The Program in Human Biology | Stanford University
Director’s Message
continued from page 1
human societies is essential. So
our courses provide students with
a diverse set of problem-solving
tools, essentially a Swiss Army
knife of skills and and knowledge,
to help them affect change in our
dynamic world.
By any number of measures,
this approach has been extremely
successful. First, our program
attracts some of the best and the
brightest students, and last year we
graduated more students than any
other Stanford program. Each year
our students are recognized at a
national level, being honored with
Rhodes scholarships, Fulbright
grants, among others. And because
of our excellent HB-REX undergraduate research program, a record number of our students had
articles published in scientific
journals last year.
As the very capable Carol
Boggs assumes the role of program director, she starts the
academic year with a newly revised program mission statement
and a simpler course numbering
system. Besides managing the
day-to-day operations of the program, I know she will continue to
evolve and build upon the Program in Human Biology’s fine
traditions. And as always, to meet
these challenges, she will turn to
you, its graduates—past, present,
and future—for continued support
and insight.
This newsletter is available online:
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/humbio
/alumni.html
Welcome from
Professor Boggs:
The Program in Human Biology is an extraordinarily rich tapestry. It not only interweaves concepts and approaches from the
natural and social sciences, but
addresses problems at these disciplinary interfaces, bringing together diverse faculty and students. With the surge in interest in
interdisciplinary approaches to
teaching, research, and problem
solving, Human Biology plays an
increasingly vital educational role
at Stanford.
In this context, I am excited and
honored to take on the directorship
of the Program for the next three
years. The Program is vibrant and
healthy, but we are always looking
for ways to improve. One of my
goals is to maintain Human Biology’s strengths in health and human development, while increasing strengths in the environment
and health arenas. Another is to
increase the effectiveness of interactions among students, faculty
and alumni, in part to help students with qualms about “life after
Stanford,” but also to enrich the
student experience.
Teaching in the Program in
Human Biology has been incredibly rewarding for me over the past
20 or so years. I’m looking forward to returning some small part
of that appreciation to the program. I also hope that I’ll hear
from you, as alumni, students,
parents and friends, with your
ideas and support for our efforts. §
8
How You Can Help
Our alumni, students, and faculty
are a community focused on making a difference in the world.Your
contributions to our research,
education, people, and programs
help make Human Biology graduates a driving force in tackling the
many problems facing humanity.
You can help build on this
tradition with contributions and
the sharing of your stories.
Donations
from 12-30-05 to 9-25-06
Ms. Marilyn D. Abrams
Mr. William F. Abrams
Colonel Russel Kyle Catterlin
Ms. Alice Julia Chow
Mr. John Lun Hom
Ms. Lauren Kiyoko Inouye
Mr. Tyler Robert Johnston
The Barbro Osher Pro Suecia
Foundation
Dr. Bernard B. Shuer
Ms. Estelle R. Shuer
Lynne S. Steinbach, M.D.
Dr. John Wen-Wei Wu
(We apologize for any omissions.)
Send contributions and corrections to:
Robyn Duby rduby@stanford.edu
Contact Info
The Program in Human Biology
Stanford University, Building 80,
Stanford CA 94305-2160
Director: Carol Boggs
Associate Director: Shirley Feldman
Program Administrator: Linda Barghi
Program Secretary: Robyn Duby
Program Support Coordinator: Marie Le
Student Services: Lia Cacciari
Newsletter: Kris Newby §