Leadership Pasadena Gets Inside Look at Caltech Science… and Toilets

Leadership Pasadena’s Science and Arts session never fails to leave class participants amazed and dazzled and the 2020 session was amazing. The first full day of Caltech and JPL brilliance included hearing from Caltech leaders and Leadership Pasadena alums Gordon K. Squires, Ph.D, Senior Astronomer; Director of Workforce, Education, Public Outreach and Communications, Caltech/IPAC; Leslie Maxfield, Ph.D, Director of Academic Media Technologies and Communications, Caltech; and Liz Jackman, Associate Director of Student Programs, Caltech Y plus Varoujan Gorjian, Ph. D., Research Astronomer, Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Melany Hunt, Ph. D., Professor, Dotty and Dick Hayman Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Engineering & Applied Science Division, Caltech and Clément Cid, Ph. D., Senior Research Engineer in Environmental Science and Engineering, Caltech.

Dr. Cid is part of the Caltech research team who won the $100,000 Grand Challenge Prize awarded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in August 2012 for Reinventing The Toilet and the class got to see the actual solar-powered toilet that breaks down water and human waste into fertilizer and hydrogen, which can be stored in hydrogen fuel cells as energy. The treated water can then be reused to flush the toilet or for irrigation. The toilet operates “off the grid” without connections to water, sewer, or electrical lines. “I had no idea this existed. It can change the world and it is right here in Pasadena!” class participant Elizabeth Eichhorn exclaimed.

Rupesh Jeyarum, Senior Undergraduate Student in Computer Science and Environmental Science, Caltech and Sarah Sam, 4th Year Graduate Student in Neurobiology, Caltech spoke about the impact of the Caltech Y on their lives and lessons learned beyond the Caltech campus.

Beth Kuchar, President, Innovate Pasadena, educated the class on the immense success and impact of Innovate Pasadena in just a few short years.

”Leadership Pasadena is so fortunate to have remarkable LP alums who are gracious enough to give back to the community by hosting us at Caltech each year. We are tremendously thankful to Caltech leadership for opening up their campus to us for a very special day none of us could otherwise every experience,” according to Cindy Bengtson of Leadership Pasadena.

Leadership Pasadena is a hands-on, community leadership program that immerses you in Pasadena’s rich history, government and world renowned organizations and institutions. This is a unique program for those who want to play an active role in Pasadena’s future. The program provides participants with 60 hours of personal leadership training, a 2-day offsite Ropes course experience, 2 hours of one on one executive coaching, 60 hours of Pasadena community education and 40 hours of community service learning. Participants build meaningful connections with the area’s business, government and community decision-makers. With its many civic, non-profit and community organizations and its diverse communities, there is a large need for empowered and connected community leaders to address the concerns and issues of the Pasadena area together with respect and determination and results. Leadership Pasadena creates these leaders.

Applications for the Sept 2020-April 2021 class are now being taken.