Meet Wei Wang
Sitting unobtrusively at the front of the room at every Avalon DWBC meeting is volunteer Wei Wang. Her technical skills with Zoom and camera equipment smooth the operation of our programs. It’s no exaggeration to say, “We are successful because Wei has our back,” when it comes to video conferencing DWBC events.
Ballerina interrupted.
Sit down for a conversation with Wei and you are immediately impressed with the journey that brought her to Colorado. About 30 years ago, Wei arrived in the U.S. by way of northern China and Shanghai. Before arriving in Boulder 15 years ago, she conducted scientific research and taught in northeast China, Massachusetts, and Virginia.
She speaks candidly about leaving behind her childhood fantasy of becoming a ballerina and choosing to study natural sciences. It offered a safer intellectual pursuit than the humanities at a time when the country was emerging from the shadow of a period of ideological oppression that permeated all aspects of social and everyday life, she says. Today, as an atmospheric scientist, Wei works to better understand the bidirectional influence between air pollutants and plants in the biosphere.
Loyalty to Principles.
Wei is thoughtful about where she casts her vote. That stems from living in China when everyone was required to be loyal to one party and punished for disagreeing openly. Most often she chooses Democrats who want to improve people’s lives, she says. Other activist groups that have benefitted from her energy and attention include the Chinese-American Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, Boulder Suzuki Strings and Boulder public schools. She also participates in the Blue Wave Postcard Movement, Indivisible and Boulder County Democratic Party.
Crucial Contributor.
Wei modestly considers her DWBC role as behind the scenes, scarcely rating an acknowledgment. DWBC members know otherwise. Helping Zoom callers to login, monitoring the chat room, and heading off potential technical glitches–we know that her contribution is front and center to making our meetings a success.
