Name: Leslie Peacock
Class Level: Junior
Major: ERS

Why did you select this major? I love the earth sciences! And I heard UC Davis had an awesome department in that subject (which sure enough holds true!). Besides, with the current population boom and rapidly diminishing nonrenewable resources, the time to help make a difference is now. What better way than study the very being of it all: our planet Earth.

Favorite course(s) and why? ERS 60 rocks my socks. I learned so much and had a lot of fun (in a college class, can you believe it?). I got a great overview of what my major is all about. Randy Southard and Bob Zasoski are both awesome profs.

Best college experience so far? Living in a house with my best friends! We decorated our house like the inside of a pirate ship since we are all obsessed with pirates, and we travel often on weekends, never ceasing to create adventure…indeed, we’ve had some good times together!

Extra-curricular activities? I play the violin in the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra and run long distance for the UC Davis track team. I also intern in the soil department, working as a lab assistant studying greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soils.

Your advice to new students in this major? Get involved! Especially with this major, learning is so much more than just the textbook. Get outside and get dirty! Interning is a great way to work hands-on with what you are studying. It makes the learning material from lecture much more meaningful, and you make great connections within the department. And of course, the LAWR Club is an awesome way to meet others with your same interests, be introduced to all there is that this major has to offer, and simply get out and have fun!

What are your long-term goals and how do they relate to this major? I hope to teach earth science, specifically agriculture’s connection. Whether a teacher or a farm advisor or whatever other path I choose to take, I hope to not only share with others my passion for this subject, but to help our Home with the spreading of this knowledge.