At UC Berkeley, Tia studied ecology and human health, conducting research on urban wildlife behavior in Northern California and coral health in Malaysia. Originally from Singapore, she often visits family in Southeast Asia and obtained her Open Water Scuba Diving Certification in Pulau Tioman, Malaysia. Currently, Tia serves as a volunteer Tropical Animal Husbandry and Horticulture Specialist at the California Academy of Sciences while also contributing to food security initiatives for elderly Asian immigrants through the Sisterhood Community Garden. She is a clinical research manager at UC San Francisco, where she develops neuroimaging tools for Alzheimer’s disease screening. Passionate about education, Tia founded and taught a course on bio-inspired design at UC Berkeley, integrating her biodiversity knowledge with diverse academic disciplines to address global challenges. She also teaches various dance styles, tutors high school students in math and science, and, last summer, she led Putney’s Service Vietnam program. As an avid birdwatcher and hiker, Tia finds joy in exploring the natural world wherever she goes.