Anita Oberbauer, Professor and Chair of the Department of Animal Science at the University of California, Davis, spent Wednesday evening with local students from Bear River and Nevada Union high schools as a guest speaker of the Nevada County Fairgrounds Foundation’s Speaker Series.  The series, now in its second season, brings business education – through access to business leaders and real-life leadership experiences – to local high school students.

Oberbauer shared stories from her “long and winding road” that led to her career path. Words of advice included to stretch yourself and be daring (but be safe and wear protective armor); always seek balance and goals (don’t be afraid to ask for things, but also be willing to give); and never be afraid to recalculate (a career path isn’t always straight, so recalculate as necessary).  She also shared a quote from Louis Pasteur – “Chance favors the prepared mind; and opportunity favors the bold” – and encouraged students to be bold in their choices.

Oberbauer joined the UC Davis faculty in 1989, and was appointed as the Chair of the Department of Animal Science in 2009.  She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology from the University of California, Davis, and her Ph.D. in Animal Physiology at Cornell University. She also completed post-doctoral fellowships in Perinatal Biology at Loma Linda University and Biological Chemistry at University of California, Los Angeles. She was honored in 2002 with a prestigious UC Davis Distinguished Teaching Award, as well as the American Society of Animal Science Corbin Award in Companion Animal Biology (2004), the Distinguished Teacher Award for the Western Section of the American Society of Animal Science (2006), and the Outstanding Mentor Award from the UC Davis Consortium for Women & Research (2011).  

The second season of the Speaker Series features six speakers, one each month, and will run through April.  Upcoming speakers include Caroline Beteta, CEO of Visit California; and Julie Baker, Executive Director of Center for the Arts.  

About the Nevada County Fairgrounds Foundation: The Nevada County Fairgrounds Foundation’s mission is to support and improve the community’s Fairgrounds, and to support youth in agriculture. For information, visit here.