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CONTACT US

Pacific Garden Program
209.932.2991
RobbGarden@pacific.edu
Communication Building, Room 4

FACILITIES, Sustainability
1050 Brookside Road
Stockton, CA 95211

CONTACT US

University of the Pacific
3601 Pacific Avenue
Stockton, California 95211
209.946.2011

Who's in the Garden?



The garden is designed and maintained with the help of garden interns and volunteers. Interns are from all different academic disciplines. Some have experience growing food but many do not. Any student with an interest in learning to grow food should consider an internship!

Professional Staff

Nick Tamayo
Garden Coordinator

Nick received his bachelor’s degree in history from UC Davis and spent over three years as a student worker at the UC Davis Student Farm. At Pacific, Nick is most excited to continue working with the dedicated and passionate students that spend every day tending the Ted and Chris Robb Garden.

He has worked to overhaul the composting system in the garden and began a crop rotation built around the growing seasons. He also introduced the use of cover cropping to rebuild and regenerate soil health. He sees the garden as an outdoor classroom that links students to the communities around them.

2019-20 Robb Garden Interns

Samuel Gonzalez

Samuel Gomez
Sophomore
Political Science, Environmental Studies

Samuel is a Stockton native. He enjoys applying what he has learned in his horticulture classes to the Ted and Chris Robb Garden. He has used permaculture principles to transform the orchard area, mastered sheet mulching, installed drip irrigation and grew a heritage variety cucumber (Mexican Sour Gherkins) in the garden this summer.

Philomena Jombo
Junior
Biomedical Engineering

Philomena has roots in Nigeria and the UK and came to Pacific to study biomedical engineering. She has a particular talent for raising vegetables; her garden beds are beautifully designed, well-tended and have been very productive. Philomena is a Walter Robb Scholarship awardee and attended Ecology Action’s 2-month Grow Biointensive Summer Internship in 2019.

Harmen Kaur
Senior
Business

Harmen has been with the Pacific Garden Program for two and a half years. When she first started, Harmen worked as an administrative intern for the program, improving the expense accounting system. She designed and tended the working flower beds and loves to invite students to explore the wonders of the garden and taste some of its edible flowers.

Vivien Mial
Senior
Geological and Environmental Sciences

Vivien hails from Texas. She views her studies in the sciences and studio to art as the perfect combination of science and design that lends itself well to gardening. Vivien reinvigorated the herb spiral and the strawberry spirals near one of the garden entrances. She is a Walter Robb Scholarship awardee and attended Ecology Action’s 2-month Grow Biointensive Summer Internship in 2019. 

Jonel Ochoa Picture

Jonel Ochoa
Senior
Biology

Jonel’s gardening experience began when she would help her grandmother with small tasks at home. Last year she decided to sign up as a garden volunteer and introduced fellow gardeners to a watermelon drink made with the juice from watermelon she grew. In her spare time, Jonel enjoys aquascaping her aquariums and thinks it is quite different from gardening.

 

2018-19 Robb Garden Interns

Lilian Alcain is blooming right where she was planted - she's a Stockton native, studying Geological and Environmental Sciences at Pacific. Lilian was originally hired as our Volunteer Coordinator, and has helped us establish a viable volunteer training program this year - she has registered and trained 16 new volunteers! But she was itching to get her fingers in the soil, so at the start of the spring semester, she shifted some of her hours to garden work. She has proven to be utterly unafraid of hard work and absolutely brilliant in the green thumb department.
Philomena Jombo has roots in Nigeria and the UK, and came to Pacific to study Biomedical Engineering. Philomena has a particular talent for raising vegetables; her garden beds are beautifully designed and well tended, and have been very productive. She's making the transition over to summer vegetables now, but you can still see her bumper crop of big bulb onions that she planted last fall.
Harmen Kaur has been with the Pacific Garden Program for two full years now. Last year she worked as an Administrative Intern for the program, and she revolutionized our expense accounting system with her custom-designed set of interconnected spreadsheets. But like Lilian, the green growing things of the garden called to her. This year, she was put in charge of our Working Flowers Project, in which she transformed a desolate patch of compacted soil into a verdant patchwork of flower beds, each one featuring flowers whose beauty is also functional. She also mastered the art of clever drip irrigation configurations. Harmen plans to stick with the Robb Garden next year, and she'd better - we need her energy and creativity!
Kyle Kha is a Pharmacy student from southern California. Kyle claims to have had no gardening experience when he joined us, but he handles seeds and seedlings like a pro, and puts ingenuity and creativity into his garden bed designs. After getting a bit of woodworking experience at the start of the year when he helped Prof. Dan Kasser finish the composting boxes started by his 3D Design students, Kyle (on his own initiative) undertook to build raised beds in his assigned section. He selected redwood boards from the leftover stockpile, coordinated with Prof. Kasser to cut his boards to length in the studio, and installed the beds on his own using corner joining stones we bought for him.
Vivien Mial hails from Texas. She is a Geological and Environmental Sciences major, but is also studying Studio Arts - a perfect combination of science and design that lends itself well to gardening. Vivien tackled our two garden spirals: the herb spiral and the strawberry spiral. Both needed a tremendous amount of work, and Vivien's labors have turned a weedy eyesore into a charming garden entryway.
Jesse Thornton commutes to campus from his home in Lodi, and is yet another Geological and Environmental Sciences major (we love GEOS!). Jesse took Dr. Gray's Spring 2018 PACS 2 course, "Sustainable Gardening," and decided he wanted to come to work in the garden. Jesse comes from a family of gardeners, so he brings lots of ideas to help us improve things in the Robb Garden. He installed a post-and-rail system in his garden beds to support cool season peas and warm season cucumbers, and he's raising watermelon seedlings to add to his beds for summer.
Mason Webber Is our only graduate student in the Robb Garden (he's studying pharmacology), and given the demands of graduate study, he has limited time to work in the Robb Garden. But his impact has been anything but limited: he has installed several of the fancy square bed frames you see lining the main walkway of the Robb Garden, and he planted them all in the fall with beautiful arrangements of winter greens. Along with Harmen and Kyle, he helped put the finishing touches on our four sturdy composting boxes. Originally from Alabama, Mason has spent time learning field botany and horticulture in the past. In the garden, Mason has done woodwork, installed beds, and worked with irrigation alongside all of the daily gardening work.
Chelsea Lidy was a Fall 2018 academic intern in the Robb Garden, earning Environmental Studies credit in the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences. Her goal was to learn how to organically grow food crops in a small space, as her career aspiration is to address food insecurity in low-income communities. She was given two large beds in the Robb Garden that had gone fallow and were badly compacted, and she brought them back to life. Early every morning she could be found tending her crops, inspecting for insects, pulling weeds, and coaxing her young plants along until she had an incredibly abundant crop. "I felt that as my crops were growing, I was also growing as a gardener," writes Chelsea of her experience. "This internship ... taught me how everything works together. I saw the symbiotic relationships in my garden and hope to extend that in my future by having my own garden."

Justin Ho Picture Justin Ho is a third-year biological sciences student focused on pursuing a career in medicinal studies. He enjoys spending his free time in nature swimming, hiking, biking, etc. He aims to use his time in the garden to learn about the various vegetables grown in the garden and their individual nutritional benefits.

 

2017-18 Robb Garden Interns

Garden Bio

Laura Navarro, Garden Planning & Planting Lead

  • Graduation Year: 2020
  • Hometown: Castro Valley, CA
  • Major: Environmental Science
  • Why this job? I enjoy working in the garden because I like to see the interactions between plants and insects as well as see how the garden facilitates life. 
Garden Bio

Valeriy Shiplov, Irrigation & Technical Lead

  • Graduation year: 2020
  • Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
  • Major: Pre-Pharmacy 3+3 program
  • Why this job? Working in the Robb Garden allows me to be outside and has taught me how to grow my own produce.
Garden Bio

Kripesh Pokhrel, Composting Lead

  • Graduation year: 2021
  • Hometown: Sacramento, CA
  • Major: Environmental Engineering 
  • Why this job? It is a time when I get to connect with nature while at the same time I am helping the environment.
Garden Bio

Dabbi Alsuhaymi, Farmers Market Lead

  • Graduation year: 2017
  • Hometown: Sacramento, CA
  • Major: Civil Engineering; Minor: Japanese
  • Why this job? I spent a summer volunteering with an urban farming organization in Oakland and discovered how therapeutic gardening is. I figured working in Pacific's Robb Garden would be a nice stress reliever.
Bio Garden

Becca Panarra, Outreach & Communications

  • Graduation year: 2018
  • Hometown: Turlock, CA
  • Major: Communications; Minor: Pre-law
  • Why this job? I enjoy working for the Robb Garden because it give me an opportunity outside the classroom to grow my education, while I watch things grow.
Garden Bio

Alaya Hubbard, Outreach & Communications 

  • Graduation year: 2020
  • Hometown: Turlock, CA
  • Major: Business Administration; Minor: Marketing
  • Why this job? This is my first time that I have ever had the opportunity to do work of this kind. I also like working in the Robb Garden because I get to learn something new about food everyday.
Garden Bio

Harmen Kaur, Administrative Intern

  • Graduation year: 2021
  • Hometown: San Jose, CA
  • Major: Business Accounting; Minor: Economic
  • Why this job? I like working in the Robb Garden Because it is the closest to an outdoor experience that is right out my door. I like the satisfaction of seeing something grow  and then be used/eaten.
Garden Bio

Ahmed Othman, Administrative Intern 

  • Graduation year: 2020
  • Hometown: Manteca, CA
  • Major: Business Law; Minor: Pre-law
  • Why this job? Working for the Pacific Garden Program has provided me with a group of people who I enjoy learning and working with. 

2016-17 Robb Garden Interns

       Cheyanne Harris works in the Robb Garden

Cheyanne Harris

  • Graduation year: 2017
  • Hometown: Sacramento, CA
  • Major: Civil Engineering; Minor: Japanese
  • Why work in the garden? I spent a summer volunteering with an urban farming organization in Oakland and discovered how therapeutic gardening is. I figured working in Pacific's garden would be a nice stress reliever.

Shannon Lucas (Vice-President, Robb Garden Club)

  • Graduation Year: 2019
  • Hometown: Modesto, CA
  • Major: Speech-Language Pathology
  • Why work in the garden? I love spending time in nature. I also want to learn an abundance of information about organic gardening.

Laura Navarro in her garden quadrant

Laura Navarro

  • Graduation Year: 2020
  • Hometown: Castro Valley, CA
  • Major: Environmental Science
  • Why work in the garden? The garden is amazing! I love working with the plants and helping everything grow.

Sam Salas

  • Graduation Year: 2018
  • Hometown: Pleasant Hill, CA
  • Major: Engineering Physics
  • Why work in the garden? I really wanted to be outside a little more and the garden is a really calming and enjoyable environment that I enjoy working in. 

Valeriy Shipilov works in the Robb Garden

Valeriy Shipilov (President, Robb Garden Club)

  • Graduation year: 2022.
  • Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
  • Major: Pre-Pharmacy (3+3)
  • Why work in the garden? I joined the garden program to learn about gardening and learn how to do so, and to gain work experience as it is my first job. 

Past Robb Garden Interns

Ethan Castro, Coordinator of Marketing and Business Ethan Castro
  • Graduates 2017
  • Role: Past Garden Marketing and Business Coordinator
  • From Claremont, California
  • Major: Music Management
  • He has built planter boxes, grown artichokes, and even installed a sprinkler system

Jessica Robertson, Coordinator of Education and Garden Training
Jessica Robertson
  • Graduates 2017
  • Role: Past Garden Training and Education Coordinator
  • From Torrance, California
  • Major: Environmental Studies
  • Volunteered at a marsh preserve with the task of maintaining the grounds and also spends a month every summer as a camp counselor for Pilgrim Pines camp

Nainesh Taylor, Coordinator of Planting and Grounds
Nainesh Tailor
  • Graduated 2015
  • Role: Past Garden Planting and Grounds Coordinator
  • From Orlando, Florida
  • Major: Pre-Dental (2+3)
  • Has gardened with his family all of his life, and has grown chilis and Japanese plums in his yard back home

Matt Bertken
  • Graduated 2015
  • From San Mateo, California 
  • Major: Environmental Sciences
  • Interest stemmed from mother's garden and fascination with the outdoors. Dr. Brunell's California Flora course sealed the deal to work in the garden.
       

Megan Fong
  • Graduated 2015
  • From Sunnyvale, California 
  • Major: Pre-Dental (3+3)
  • Ate her whole parents' garden when she was a child

Daniel Na

Kevin Ha
  • Graduated 2016
  • From Elk Grove, CA
  • Major: Biological Sciences
  • Likes throwing snails outside the garden so they do not eat the crops.

Ariadna Hernandez

Ariadna Hernandez
  • Graduated 2014
  • From Stockton, California
  • Major: Environmental Sciences
  • Has been working in the Robb Garden as a research student since 2012 and was inspired to begin volunteering after taking Dr. Mark Brunell's California Flora course her junior year

 

Crystal Lee
  • Graduated 2015
  • From Diamond Bar, California 
  • Major: Pre-Dental (3+3)
  • Loves sunflowers a lot and wants to eventually learn how to have a whole garden of them

 

Emily Marien
  • Graduated 2015
  • From Pacific Grove, California 
  • Major: Pre-Pharmacy and Biology
  • Loves seeing small seeds grow into something beautiful

Traci Mori

Traci Mori
  • Graduated 2015
  • From Fremont, California 
  • Major: Pre-Pharmacy and Biology
  • Favorite part about gardening is watching the plants grow

Daniel Na
Daniel Na 
  • Graduated 2014
  • From Vancouver, British Columbia
  • Major: Pre-Dentistry
  • Loves learning about the complex planning that goes on behind a garden. For example, you cannot plant tall plants eastward of smaller ones and you never want to plant fancy-looking gourds too close to the fence because people will jump over and steal your precious vegetables.

So Park

So Park
  • Year Graduated 2014
  • From Korea
  • Major: Pre-Dentistry
  • Favorite part about gardening is how she could harvest the fruit they had grown!

Morgan Sato
  • Graduated 2015
  • From Sacramento, California 
  • Major: Pre-Pharmacy (3+3)
  • Gardens with her mom in the backyard to try to work on fear of bugs

Daniel Na

Yunsik Sung
  • Graduated 2015
  • From Korea
  • Major: Pre-Dentistry
  • One of my favorite parts of gardening was getting to taste the harvest :)

Yun-Hsuan Wu
  • Graduated 2015
  • From Modesto, California 
  • Major: Pre-Dental
  • Family has a farm and her mom loves to plant different things