About
Speaking at Burapha University, Thailand. 2011
CV is available for download as a PDF (updated 5/26/12).
Education
Master of Science in Biology, 2011
University of California, San Diego
Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, 2009
University of California, San Diego
Employment
Computer Resources Specialist* at Academic Computing & Media Services
University of California, San Diego
2006 – Present
Teaching Assistant** at Division of Biological Sciences
University of California, San Diego
2009-2011
*Promoted from Residential Computing Consultant -> Lead Technician -> Computer Resources Specialist II-> Programmer Analyst II (Summer 2012)
**Undergraduate in 2009, Graudate in 2010 and 2011
Daren Eiri was raised in Sacramento, California and moved to Southern California to attend college at the University of California, San Diego. Originally interested in virology, he declared his major in Human Biology with the goal of studying diseases in medical laboratories. Surprisingly, after taking an undergraduate introductory course in ecology, he switched his major to Ecology, Behavior and Evolution. Additional classes in marine biology and an introductory ecology course solidified his interests.
After spending a year working with grassroots environmental organizations, he began to volunteer in a lab that focuses on the behavior and communication of honey bees, stingless bees and bumblebees. Working with a Masters student in the lab, he studied bumble bee foraging behavior and acoustic communication. Shortly after, Daren began his own independent research project, researching the effects of pesticides on honey bee behavior.
With a year of participating in independent research, Daren received his B.S. in Ecology, Behavior and Evolution in 2009 and was given the opportunity to continue his research topic by enrolling in the integrated BS/MS program at UC San Diego. He received his Master of Science degree in 2011. As a graduate student, he worked as a teaching assistant in the Division of Biological Sciences for upper division courses, including:
- Animal Behavior and Communication
- Animal Behavior and Communication Lab
- Conservation and the Human Predicament
- Ecology Lab
After he graduated with his MS degree, Daren was offered a research fellowship at Burapha University in Thailand. There, he continued to work with honey bees (a different species) and studied how propolis, which is collected by some bees from natural resin sources and has antimicrobial properties, affects the infectivity of the disease nosemeosis on honey bees. Inspired and encouraged from his time spent in Thailand, he will be pursuing a PhD program in the near future.
Outside of school, Daren is an avid runner and backpacker. He started running long distance events in middle school until the end of high school, running cross country and track and field. It wasn’t until after his undergraduate program that he started running again. In 2010 he started off running the Carlsbad Marathon, and ran 4 additional half marathons in California.
Daren is currently employed with the on-campus computer and network help desk at UC San Diego, Academic Computing and Media Services. For most of his time as an undergraduate student, he fixed computers and provided technical support for faculty, students and staff, and also assisted in managing the Help Desk. As a graduate student, he stopped working at Academic Computing and Media Services until he completed his Master’s program. He is now a Computer Resources Specialist, primarily assisting in the management of the Help Desk and its staff.
