Alpha Sigma Phi - University of Washington

6 one else wanted to eat boiled goat for a month. So the whole trip it was just me and Dr. Rosenbaum." "This is one of my favorite stories. We traveled for two days from New York to L.A., then from Beijing, China, to Ulaan- baatar, the capital of Mongolia. Then, we took a two-hour flight to Western Mongolia and drove 13 hours to our research area in the Bayan-Olgii region on the Russian border. We were in the mountains that were a minimum of 10,000 feet. It was in the 60s and 70s during the day, but very cold at night." "When Dr. Rosenbaum and I got to Osgar, the herder we were staying with," continues Micah, "our host took us to a flock of goats and said, 'Which one do you want?' We deferred that to him and he picked out our goat for our meals for the next three weeks we would be with him. His family slaughtered and pre- pared the goat for us. AND, they eat and use everything—the blood, the pelts, the horns—everything! Some was hard to eat, but I ate it. The locals were impressed when they saw me eat the fat and all." "Our job was to put tracking collars on four argali sheep. This was to help determine where the animals spend their time so the Mongolian government could set up boundaries of protection for these animals. We spent two and a half weeks determining where the sheep go. Then, we installed a series of nets held up by wooden stakes. As the flock moves the first get caught in the net. This is all done humanely and no animals are harmed. The tracker is put on them and they are immediately released. Argali sheep get easily overheated when stressed which could kill them or disorient them so that they can't find their flock, so we used water to cool them down while we attached the tracker to them. We spent two and a half weeks tracking the sheep, four days setting up, and 10 minutes with the animals. Yes, just ten minutes with the animal and it is over. Kind of surreal!" "We also did tracking of snow leopards to set up protective zones," continues Micah. "I collected the memory cards in the cameras and we caught a snow leopard on film. It is still my cover picture on Facebook. This was a major highlight of my life." When asked why he became a biology major, Micah said, "I have a passion for animal behavior, and I want to do research on large wild animals for reserves and conservationists that rehabilitate animals and release them quickly. I want to improve the lives of animals and help protect them. I am very adamant about climate change and the impact it has on the natural world around us, and want to do what I can to mitigate the changes that humans are causing." Micah, His Professional Family and Lots of Travel Micah Adams comes from a line of professionals. His mother, Linda Tafapolsky, and father, James Adams III, met while attending Princeton. Linda is a clinical psychologist. James is a statistician who had spent a large part of his life in the advertising industry in New York City. Today, he commutes weekly to Tampa, Florida, where he works for the Laser Spine Institute. The Institute does sophisticated non-invasive laser back surgery that allows the patient to be up and walking the day after surgery. Micah's older brother, Andre, is a senior at Columbia University studying political science and statistics. "As a family," begins Micah, "we have had an endless number of memorable family vacations. Some families get a boat or a summer house. We travel!" "We have gone to Barcelona, Spain, twice. This is one of my favor- ite cities in the world. I personally run on a Spanish schedule, which is being productive then taking a nap. I am a great proponent of the nap. And, I love the Spanish language and culture. The food is great. Late dinners and staying up late works for me." "We've traveled to France. My mother speaks French. As a family, we have been all over France from the Riviera, to the French Alsace wine country, to Paris, Normandy, and Versailles." "We have traveled to Denmark, England, and Switzerland, and to Istanbul and Anatolia in Turkey. We have also traveled to Japan visiting Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and other interesting cities." "In the U.S., we travel to Boston a lot because my mom is from there and to Tampa because my dad works there. But we have taken family vacations to San Francisco, where my uncle and his family live." Why the University of Washington? It Is So Far Away! When asked why he chose to go so far from home to go to school, Micah said, "I was looking for a great biology program. UW has one of the best in the country. I got accepted immediately to the UW Honors Program that gave me a four-year undergraduate Purple and Gold Scholarship because of my resume. They knew my major was biology. UW is very focused on the major you take. The Honors Program provides an interdisciplinary approach to completing your major with a broader liberal arts base. "Being so far from home was an adjustment," said Micah. "I like it here (Seattle), but it is definitely a slower pace than New York. And the weather in Seattle is not as nasty as winter in New York, despite what Seattleites would tell you about their winter. No one in Seattle My philosophy is always being opened-minded to new opportunities and to not be afraid to let go of what's familiar. photo by Bob Bronson

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