Jieyu Zheng

Finally, a column about the turtles! The turtles have been an integral part of the Caltech community, and much of this connection is made by the enthusiastic Caltech students themselves.

I received this writing assignment some time ago, but while trying to leave graduate school in one piece, it took longer than expected to sit down and write it. This opinion piece is aimed primarily at fellow Caltech undergraduates who are considering or applying to Ph.D. programs. Junior graduate students in their first few years, especially those interested in an academic research path, may also find it relevant, or at least unsettling.

Happy New Year to the loyal readers of my wildlife column! With ample winter rain and a lower likelihood of wildfires this year, it feels fitting to begin the term by turning our attention to aquatic animals and the ecosystems they inhabit.

If you don’t know yet, Caltech’s sex discrimination policy includes a specific clause (Article 15.5) prohibiting any relationship between employees—meaning faculty, postdocs, and staff—and undergraduate students. It also advises caution and professionalism in any relationship where a power imbalance exists.

Who’s the smartest creature on the Caltech campus? You might think of a brilliant classmate who is always on top of everything, or a witty professor known for sharp remarks during your torturing candidacy exams. But at the pinnacle of the non-human world are a group of birds you might easily mistake for shadows—members of the corvid family: American crows and common ravens.

To the new students at Caltech: welcome! And to returning readers of the Tech: you may have seen my occasional obscure (and sometimes nerdy) coverage of animal lives on campus.

As Commencement draws near, your nerdy wildlife columnist decided to explore a timely topic: what does “graduation” mean in the animal world? How do young creatures transition out of their juvenile phase—and what counts as “adulthood”?

Among the mammals of Caltech, they’re arguably the happiest and freest. While Homo sapiens are burdened with homework and deadlines, and coyotes stick to moonlit hours to avoid the crowd, the fox squirrels roam wherever their paws take them. Stroll across campus and you’re guaranteed to spot one: foraging randomly in the grass (no, they don’t remember where they bury their nuts), lounging on a branch, or chasing a friend in spirals around tree trunks, like a dazzling ribbon in the hand of a gymnast. Even if you don’t see one, just look up: the treetops are decorated with their nests, ready for year-round breeding.

Pasadena alone has a surprising number of foreign bird species. Look closely and you can spot these feathered visitors daily at Caltech—including some that are endangered. This week’s wildlife column is about these special bird immigrants.

Spring at Caltech is a season of rapid transformation. Step away for just a few days, and you’ll return to a campus bursting with changes: the once-bare branches are now decorated with colorful flowers. The drastic changes aren’t limited to flora – migrating wildlife also contributes to the seasonal dynamics.