The Program Office would like to recognize the many contributions of longtime ABE Los Angeles Site Coordinator and Lab Technician Dr. Jo Wu. Over the years, Jo has made an impact on countless teachers, students, and LA site staff, and continues to do so.

Jo is always ready and willing to share her deep knowledge and wide bank of resources with others. She received grant funding to bring a biotech pathway to the community colleges and high schools in the Orange County area, and created the Orange County Biotech Education Hub. To bring ABE to middle school students, she developed several extension labs, such as CSI Dog Drool, Kitten Paternity, and Microplate Art. Marty Ikkanda, one of the founders of the ABE program and former ABE-LA site director, jokes, “[Jo] made us all look like slackers!” Her colleagues describe her as “professional, kind, and thoughtful,” and say she is “resourceful, selfless, and a joy to work with.” Jo’s commitment to equity and access for all her students and her tireless efforts to provide seamless pathways to career readiness and the workforce have been hallmarks of her work. She is known for sharing networking, internship, and scholarship opportunities, and her student lab assistant program has become a model for many sites.

Thank you, Jo, for being a constant source of support to teachers and students alike. We’re proud to have you as part of the ABE-LA team and the global ABE community.