When Dr. Chia Tan (Vice President) is not conducting research studies or saving endangered species in some remote locations in the world, she dedicates much of her time to teaching and mentoring. She relishes every opportunity to interact with students because that is how she gives back and continues to pave the way for future change. Dr. Tan recently gave a guest lecture about her work at San Diego State University where she serves as an Adjunct Professor in Anthropology. Close to 80% of the students in the class (ANTH-355, Exploring Primate Behavior) were non-anthropology majors. Beyond expanding their scientific knowledge and global perspectives, Dr. Tan succeeded in raising the students’ aspirations by encouraging them to pursue what they love in life. The students were hugely impressed with her passion for conservation and exemplary leadership of LVDI International. Their comments (see below) speak volumes about Dr. Tan’s ability to connect with young people and create a ripple effect that surely will lead to a brighter conservation outlook.
“Dr. Tan is an inspiring woman. She is very engaging and her passion is sincere. I was very impressed by the work her organization is doing and would love to be part of something like that one day. I believe it is so important we educate people, both young and old, about the environment and the animals living within that environment.”
“Dr. Tan’s lecture was amazingly presented. I really enjoyed this lecture because it was very moving and it was convincing to the point that I want to minor in anthropology! It was so fun to learn about her projects and to see how devoted she is makes me really happy that someone is doing what most of us wish we’d do. I was really interested about volunteering and doing research overseas. I still plan on doing some more research on that matter.”
“I liked the fact that she was able to connect her work in conservation across the world to us students here in the US. She was very enthusiastic about conservation education and made it clear that what we are learning is not only important for ourselves but to preserve species and help across the world. It was also very interesting that the conservation she does was not aimed directly at primates but other species worldwide.”
“I liked how Dr. Tan took initiative to help with conservation efforts by starting LVDI International. I think educating the people who live near/around these endangered species will have a direct impact on and improvement in conservation efforts in the countries where the odd-nosed monkeys live.”
“I am a fan of her non-profit, I believe that it is an amazing thing what she is doing and that more people should be aware of the conservation problem.”
“I loved the message she left with us about following one’s passion. She puts her heart and soul into this worthy cause and it shows in her work and enthusiasm. Her knowledge of the species and the ways in which she explained her study methods and analysis made me feel as if I could go into the field with her. I sympathize with the cause as well as want to do what I can to stop the rapid endangerment of wildlife.”
“I think the best lectures come from people or professors who are clearly passionate about their topic and Dr. Tan definitely exhibited her passion of conservation in her lecture. She made it a point to describe how easy it could be to volunteer for certain charity foundations in different fields, as long as the volunteer has passion for it. I would love to sit in on another of her lectures or pick her brain about why it is so important to hope for the future of these endangered animals.”
“I loved the inclusiveness of the talk and that she made it a point to tell us that all majors, and I mean all people, can be involved and can aid in animal conservation. I also enjoyed personal stories she shared, it made the lecture more personable and approachable, and most importantly I think it made the lecture more engaging for students.”
“I liked that Dr. Tan brought up other animals not just primates. When she spoke on the fact that people around the world are in need of being educated on their surroundings and that is including us here in America. She seems to truly love her work and loves inspiring others. It is amazing to hear from the people who are impacting the world so positively.”
“I enjoyed how well structured and organized her lecture was, very informative and evident about how passionate she is about her career. Also, I admired her decision to start her own non-profit organization and how she gave us the opportunity to study abroad with her.”
“Dr. Tan’s lecture was about the preservation of primates, especially snub-nosed monkeys and bamboo lemurs; she does this through her organizations LVDI International Inc and Little Green Guards. I loved her energy and could tell and appreciate her love for primates.”
“I loved her conclusion because she was very inspiring when she spoke about how we should do what we love. She also said that no matter what you love doing you can join her group in order to educate people about endangered species. I just thoroughly enjoyed the lecture and I could tell that she was passionate about the subject and her research.”
“What I liked the most about the presentation was that it was obvious that Dr. Tan has great knowledge on the material she was sharing with us and you can really tell that this is her passion. Her lecture was really motivational and the speech at the end where she was talking about doing what you love the most really resonated with me.”
“I really enjoyed how, at the end of her lecture, Dr. Tan introduced a way for students to become more involved in the research or study of sustainability with an emphasis on the environment and species. The volunteer opportunity was extremely intriguing and I am glad she introduced it because I feel it tied the entire lecture together.”
“The lecture was well-structured and clear throughout and kept me engaged for the duration of class. I appreciated the closing remarks, especially the part about educating local people with the group since I want to be an educator.”
“I am interested in working with the Little Green Guards.”
“I really enjoyed the presentation and Dr. Tan is very knowledgeable! I liked how she informed the class on the variety of ways they can learn more about these primates through internships and ways to actually become involved in the work that is being done, particularly in other parts of the world such as China. I have always wanted to travel the world and see new places and people. She offered ways we could do this while learning about these animals and the areas they inhabit.”
“I think it’s admirable how Dr. Tan was able to endure extreme weather conditions and managed to follow the monkey groups and categorize them for observations. Her groups were very large and changed from time to time, and the environment in which she navigated through was a challenge too. Her work is important because she understands Asian society and the struggles they face every day, like lacking proper education and good jobs, and she is shining a light on what’s going on outside our country and trying to change things for the better.”
“She was genuinely very passionate about her work, which always helps me become more interested in a subject.”
“I was inspired by Dr. Tan’s closing note about the importance of education, and how we as students in our field can make a change in our environment and communities.”
“I thought she was very knowledgeable about the topic since she has worked out in the field numerous times. Therefore, she has firsthand experience working with different communities and observing primate behavior. What I enjoyed about the lecture was the discussion of the monkeys with the unique noses such as the proboscis monkey.”
“It wasn’t ‘preachy’; she told us about an issue, then she told us a solution. She didn’t make us feel guilty about not wanting to help, just showed us a way we could if we wanted to.”
“I liked her passion towards her cause and how well educated she is about the dangers and effects humans have in the primate population. The last part of her speech was very motivating and moving, I really felt her passion and how much awareness she wants to bring to all.”
“Dr. Tan was enthusiastic and fun to listen to. You could tell that she genuinely wanted people to get involved. I liked how the lecture wasn’t just informative but offered opportunities to be able to participate in the type of research and outreach she is doing around the world. I enjoyed learning about her non-profit. It piqued my interest and made me want to look into volunteering.”
“Dr. Tan’s presentation was extremely insightful and I truly enjoyed the presentation. My favorite part was when she began speaking about LVDI International and her obvious passion for the subject shone through. I think that Dr. Tan should come back as a guest lecturer for every class. She really made the class feel motivated to get involved.”
“I genuinely loved every bit of Dr. Tan’s lecture, but specifically the last 20 minutes or so when she emotionally expressed the urgent need for more conservation, not only for primate species, but also for all of the other endangered and vulnerable species. Keep up the amazing and inspiring work Dr. Tan!”