Interview 40

we do fundraising events for athletics and alumni, and then also just kind of general events for the President’s office meetings, celebrations, ceremonies, stuff like that.

S: Okay. I think me and my my students and I had also invited to the President’s associates events.

S: Okay, I saw a beautiful posture. It’s a really huge and I really like that post because it includes my face. And also, my, you know my suited. Kept it in my room. Is that the poster you are creating.

So the actual like programming side of it. We don’t have that much to do with it. But then, like the actual events like the meet and greet and the recept recognition dinner, my team. We plan that so. Imitations, design. All the decorations, all that stuff, food.

S: Okay. Does your work? Have some flexibility to work indoors or outdoors.

S: What if the day when we have an event like President’s associates? It has a heavy win, and it picks up lots of dust are. Does your team consider to reschedule that event?

Last year it was super super windy, so windy that it knocked down a tree. Actually. So we moved it inside, and we held it in the December reading room. So not necessarily because of the wind, but because it could have been a hazard.

S: Okay, because it could hurt people physically, right?

S: Okay, can you walk us through a typical day, including your working hours, and after your work.

S: Okay. How long have you lived in Bakersfield?

S: 8 years. And what brought you here.

S: That’s wonderful. Well, my wife also worked at Csv. As a lecture, appointed as a assistant professor here.

S: So it’s really good to have both jobs in the same organization.

S: How do you feel about the air quality in San Joaquin Valley?

S: So compared to the place before you came to Bakersfield. Can you compare the air quality.

There’s a lot of opportunities to get out of the city and into like the fresh air and the fresh air. There is very nice, so I would say, the air quality here is much worse than where I came from.

S: Did you and your husband realize that the air quality here is this bad?

S: Hmm, okay, dr. Lee and I also have our Phd. Degree at illinois champaign.

S: Oh, really.

S: Okay? Oh, wow. So we we both thought that, you know, air quality issue is not the thing we need to concern in United States. But once we move to California, you know it’s hot and the ozone level is quite high during the day, and there’s a valley fever here. Thought that those kind of issues there’s a concern from the developing country, not in the United States, but now.

That’s fine. Yeah. So maybe we were like.

H: What do you? What do you guys, Major in.

H: What a cool coincidence! Okay.

S: I really like the Biology Building. It’s a really fancy one.

S: It was newer when we moved there. So yeah, they have a great, it’s a beautiful campus.

S: Yeah. Hoon’s wife also graduated from Illinois, and my wife also graduated from Illinois.

S: Okay, oh dear!

H: When I was a little kid. So I mean.

S: Oh, do you know that Doctor Che in our department? He got his Phd. Degree at Michigan State.

S: For his postal. Okay? Oh, what a coincidence! Yeah.

S: So for 8 years in Bakersfield, had your perspective on air quality has been changed during that time.

So I grew up having exercise induced asthma, and I sort of just grew out of it. But it has come back actually, in the last couple of years, so I wouldn’t say like I could definitely blame it on the air quality, but I don’t think that it has helped my breathing.jkmm

S: So it seems like, Participant #40, your views on air quality has been evolved over time, especially since you know, 8 years ago you moved to Bakersfield. But were there any specific moment or event or conversation with your colleague that really caused your change in your thought of air, quality.

S: Okay, good. In what ways air quality in Bakersfield affect your daily activities.

I mean, I’m not again, not like a super outdoorsy person. So it’s not like it’s like keeping me from going on long hikes or anything. But I do also think it doesn’t encourage me to get outside any more than I would have and especially like we have a swimming pool. I try to not really spend more than an hour or 2 out in the pool. Just because the sun there’s like too much sun exposure. The air is not good. It just doesn’t feel supportive to be outside. I understand.

S: So other than you know, reducing your exposure to the outdoor. You know the air. What actions have you taken to deal with the challenges of air, quality.

S: Okay, have you noticed that the air quality also impacted others around you?

S: Okay, it seems like you are sharing your symptoms or air quality concerns with. Your colleagues. How comfortable are people in your workplace in your team with discussing air quality issues or concerns.

S: Hmm, have your colleagues ever shared their personal or family concerns related to air quality issues with you.

S: Oh, that’s totally okay. Okay, have you, have you ever wanted to wear mask, but felt hesitant, due to social you know, pressure.

S: Sometimes people feel a sense of connection with others when they face common challenges, like, you know, dealing with the poor air quality or valley fever. I think that happens in Bakersfield when you learn that others share similar, you know concerns about air quality issues. How do you feel about that?

S: Do you feel so? I feel like you also feel grateful for your for the resources you can enjoy in order to overcome the air quality issues. But not all people have those kind of resources. So do you feel thankful or grateful for your current condition.

S: Have you ever felt isolated, due to the environmental health concerns.

S: Okay, were there any specific moments when you felt alone with these concerns.

S: So you said, there are some some moment. You feel like you are more sensitive than others regarding air quality issue. So what kind of Have you ever felt like your concerns about air quality issues might be dismissed as overreacting or being sensitive.

my mindset is kind of always going there, whether people really think that or not, it’s hard to say, or if we’re just projecting. But definitely, you know, I also have to be really careful about contracting diseases, because I take, you know, immune suppressing medication. So like, if it is really windy outside, and I’m having to walk between buildings at work like I will put on a mask. Everybody does that. And so there are probably a percentage of people who see that and think that it’s an overreaction. But it’s really me understanding. You know, my limitations.

S: Okay, regarding your experience, your symptoms, and that could also impact it by the air quality issues. Did you share about those kind of difficulties with your colleagues.

S: Yeah, I’m interviewing several team members in your office, and I feel like I would like to change my.

S: As a staff member in your department.

S: Yeah, I’m quite curious. What would it feel like to have a colleague to truly understand your health concerns?

S: Those those transparent relationship. And having colleagues who could understand my situation. Does that help your team’s work? Productivity.

S: actually, the your experiences you just shared is quite aligned with our core, you know, object of our research. So this research topic is about how people deal with the air quality issue. But it’s more toward how toward looking at the difference between the between the person, how their sensitivity to the air quality is different. And if there’s a difference in the sensitivity in some organization, they understand each other, but in some organization they don’t understand each other, and actually that disrupts their team. You know chemistry. So I think your team is on the the exemplar side. from some very few interview. They don’t want to disclose their health difficulties because one of their teammates or managers would use that to penalize them and hurt their career success.But actually, you are doing the opposite thing. You are transparent. What is the secret recipe to having those kind of great team culture? Can you recommend us how we can create those kind of team culture.

we can all expect Heath to support and understand us, then wouldn’t it make sense that we could all support and understand each other? So I think, having good leadership is super important and people feel uncomfortable, so I kind of always am who I am, and a little bit loudly, and that works out great in some offices, but not everywhere.but the culture in our office is that everybody does have that room to be themselves and receive understanding from other people. So I think it is. Yeah, it starts at the top, and then everybody has to actively engage coming into every situation, giving the respect you’d hope to receive. I don’t think there’s anybody in our division that I couldn’t go to and ask for help or and I wouldn’t deny any other person help if they came to me. So yeah, I think it’s just, you know, kind of silly Golden Rule stuff. Treat others how you want to be treated. Follow the example of the leaders and realizing that we’re all really working toward a common goal. So there’s no room in there for us to be adversarial with each other. It’s just a waste of time. H: As a follow up question. Sorry? Yeah. Forgive me. But did you say that you were the director or the or I’m sorry.

H: Oh, cool. Okay. So as for your team, your specific 3, I mean what it I mean, what in what ways does your director help you help create that environment as well. I mean.

H: Okay? So does she provide? And what to what extent does she provide flexibility in your job? Then, I mean, in terms of work schedule, you know. Autonomy, all these stuff right?

you know I’m at my house right now, working instead of at the office, you know. It’s not about necessarily being physically in the office, but being available and being productive. So definitely, he makes it okay. And then her, as my direct report, very, very flexible. So she understands she has kids. I don’t have kids, but you know she has kids. So they take her away. Things like that. She gets what it’s like to have other obligations really respects work, life balance. I know she takes that very seriously, so that allows us to do the same.

H: Okay, thanks for sharing.

S: Okay, do you think that your team or our organization provide any support or any practices to deal with the air quality issues?

I know that they provide some of the facilities people with, you know face masks and things like that which I think is great. But I also know that they don’t require anybody to wear anything like that ever. So I think a policy in place, maybe for safety, like what on? But see, it’s hard to quantify like on. If a day is X windy, then everybody should wear a mask like it’s hard to say that, but some kind of way to encourage that to keep those people who don’t have the full flexibility of being inside or working from home for the day. Something that could, you know, protect them, even extra breaks to bring them indoors would be, I think, appreciated.

S: What are your general thought about? You know Csuv’s or your team’s inactions regarding air quality. I guess I’ve never really thought about it, but I would. My the inaction on my team is not that serious to me? Because we do have so much autonomy and like personal responsibility that if I take it seriously and it’s serious to me, I can make it serious. I do worry more about people in other departments who don’t have that flexibility. So I would like to see more action on the part of the University to help those people, or at least encourage education of like knowing when it’s important to wear a mask. You know, to protect against valley fever and all that stuff.

S: Yeah, I think we begin to talk about Valley Fever, University wide. So I found that we are distributing newsletter regarding valley fever. But I think that’s quite new. I think before, we haven’t talked about it we only talk about the temperature. So I think we might extend our focus to the people who’s very really sensitive to the air quality issues, who has asthma and who had, you know, experienced belly fever before, because they are really vulnerable people. Okay, so let’s talk about your long-term plans. So I know you are planning your career success with your husband. But considering the current air quality issues, do you see yourself continuing to live and work and Bakersfield for long term?

LA Or Chicago, or back home, but for right now we’re we’re pretty firm on Baker’s.

S: Okay, what factors most influence your decisions about staying in Bakersfield.

So guess economic factors. Probably more than anything but also, you know, we’ve been here for 8 years. So we have friends and a network here. Now we’re not blood family. But you know, activities that we’re a part of. I teach Pilates studio near here. So we have lots of other things tying us to the community that we’ve been kind of leaning into for those 8 years.

S: it’s a similar question. But it’s different. I just wanted to give. So what changes would make you feel more optimistic about living and working in Bakersfield for long term.

S: Just general.

S: It takes time.

S: But still we have hope, because the population here is growing compared to other cities.

S: Hmm, okay.

S: Last question is, do you have any recommending questions that I can give to the future interviewees?

S: Okay, thank you very much. It was nice nice to talking with you, and we found lots of, you know, valuable perspective, unique perspective from you. So I really appreciate that. Thank you so much for your time. This is really fun.

H: Thank you so much. It was great meeting another,

S: Okay. Yeah.