Around Oakley: 'Survivor' star highlights Science Week

FANS OF THE popular "Survivor" television series may be interested in taking part in this year's annual Oakley Science Week. As a feature to the program, the city has invited "Survivor: Fiji" star Yau-Man Chan to speak at the Oakley Library on May 14.

Chan, 56, was a fourth-place finisher in the reality television show's Fiji episodes in 2007, and he participated in some of the 2008 series as well. He was considered the most popular contestant on the show during the 2007 series, according to the show's Web site voting poll.

During his speaking engagement at the library, Chan will speak on the history of science. The Martinez resident has titled his program "From Copernicus to GPS: Highlights of the Development of Modern Science."

"He is a very interesting speaker," said Cindy Coehlo, coordinator of Oakley Science Week. "This program is geared toward teens and adults, but anyone interested in attending is welcome to come."

Chan is a chemistry professor at UC Berkeley. He is currently a chief technology officer for computing services, network services and telecommunications, and holds a bachelor of science degree in physics from MIT and a master's from UC Santa Barbara.

Chan, who was born in Malaysia, is described as having a charming personality, and usually draws large crowds at his speaking engagements. Coehlo said Chan has a" nontech" way of speaking that makes the presentation interesting and enjoyable.

"He reviews different aspects of the sciences," she said. "It is a very fun presentation."
The program will take place at the Oakley Library, which is located at Freedom High School on Neroly Road, at 7 p.m.

Coehlo said a few new activities can be found at this year's Oakley Science Week. "We've tried to pack in a lot of stuff during the short time we have available to us," she said.

One of the new features will be "Marine Mammals," which is scheduled to take place Wednesday. Unfortunately, the event will not feature any real marine wildlife, only the stuffed and photographed variety, but Coehlo assures that the kids will have a great time learning about this fun topic.

"The speaker uses a lot of fun handouts and visual aides," Coehlo said. "There will also be some environmental information, a lot of stuffed animals, and perhaps a slide show."

As with many of the activities during Science Week, this event will take place after school. The 3:30 p.m. event will be at Geheringer School. For those who can't make the weekday activities, the program will be held over two weekends with several activities that include hikes and kite flying.

A passport to all activities is free and available at the city offices. Some of the events need advanced reservations because they are so popular, and there isn't always enough space to accommodate everyone.

Oakley Science Week begins Friday and continues until May 16. It is open to the public, and offers something for all ages.

"We have a good mix this year," Coehlo said. "We're hoping that everyone comes out and enjoys as many of the events as they can get to."