Life Sciences in Japan
Larry Morand
Molecular & Cellular Biology
Larry Morand has been intrigued with the natural world and the daily life of people. He attended Humboldt State University (BA Chemistry) and Purdue University (PhD Biochemistry), and conducted nine years of research at UC Davis. Afterwards, he has taught biochemistry and related courses in Molecular & Cellular Biology at UC Davis. His main enjoyment in teaching has been MCB 120L (Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Laboratory) on campus, and BIS 102 in Japan, since each has class size of 30 or so, allowing for a didactic learning environment. Also, he gets to know his students fairly well and supports their post-graduate endeavors as best he can.
Larry’s other campus activities reflect his student-centered focus. He served on the Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee at UC Davis, providing advice and encouragement. He frequently served on student-run panels, such as “How to get letters of recommendation from a professor” and credited for his candor and reassurance. He is the faculty advisor for the UC Davis student chapter of the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), a professional national organization to promote research careers. He has facilitated guest lectures and social events for students of both UC Davis and Ritsumeikan University, hoping to foster friendships between the two schools.
A Message to Students and Parents
Larry became connected to Japan over the years via university work and from being a host family for Japanese college students studying at UC Davis. He traveled to Japan for science conferences and for vacations, and during these trips he visited many friends and their families. The opportunity to participate in the Summer Abroad program in Japan fulfills his aspirations to broaden his teaching career, to reconnect with Japan, to make new friends at Ritsumeikan, and to experience daily life to some degree in another culture. Mostly, the Summer Abroad program allows him to provide the opportunity for UC students to experience the beauty of Japan within an educational program, which he hopes will include some of his students making good friends with students at the host university.