SEPAL MS Graduate won SFSU level of the CSU Student Research Competition

The CSU Student Research Competition is a system-wide competition that helps showcase the innovative research and creative activities that both Graduates and Undergraduates partake in. The nominees are all from a wide variety of educational programs offered by their respective CSU. They will give oral presentations to professionals from major organizations, corporations, foundations, public agencies, colleges and Universities of California.

This competition is held every year, and seeks to promote excellence in scholarly research and creative activity. It will recognize outstanding student accomplishments from the 23 CSU campuses.

Our very own SEPAL MS Grad, Alex Cabrera was a winner of the SFSU level CSU Student Research Competition in the area of Behavioral and Social Sciences. She will be heading to CSU Fullerton for the state-level competition. Her research was focused on office hours, it is essentially her thesis looking at how undergraduates and Biology faculty experience advising/office hours. She has discovered that the #1 thing students mentioned is they would like a personal approach before discussing the actual subject matter. While that was one outcome of this, she found that 43% mentioned a bad experience with their advisor/Biology Faculty, many of which do not return. Alex is not trying to understand why individuals are not returning to office hours.

Keep doing this work Alex!!!!

Scientist Spotlight’s are helping change student perceptions

Jeff Schinske like many across the globe comes to think of himself as a scientist. He would soon look at his own class and notice that minorities were not doing as well as their privileged peers. He embarked on a mission to figure out why this is, and see how to change this. He developed a hypothesis; Students have to be able to envision themselves as being a part of the field to succeed. There are so many stereotypes out there about scientist, many of which can be very powerful. However, Jeff helped develop a way to test his hypothesis. It is a way for students to help see themselves as scientists. This would be known as Scientist Spotlights. The assignment itself is getting students to read about scientist who don’t fit the stereotypes, they can be a woman, a woman of color, or even a woman of color who is queer and grew up poor. From here the students answer some questions regarding the scientist’s research. These assignments will relate to the course curriculum. He discovered that these very assignments helped changed their views of who can be a scientist, and would lead them to identify as a scientist.

Jeff Schinske alongside a colleague of his from San Francisco State University were recently awarded a grant, which were based on these findings; this will seek to create assignments for students in middle and high schools around the Bay Area. He hopes to one day expand this globally, and this way people from around the world can access these homework assignments talking about diverse scientists.

KEEP DOING THIS WORK!!!!!!!

Superstar spotlight: Torey (Tj) Jacques!

Congratulations to Torey D. Jacques (Tj). He is the new Metro Transfer Academy of Science Coordinator at CCSF Ocean campus.  He is also a CCSF alum before transferring to San Francisco State University where he received his Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science in Cellular/Molecular Biology.  His initial goals were to pursue a career in research until he began teaching during his years in grad school.  Teaching is where he really found his passion for instructing, mentoring, and encouraging students to find their calling in life through education.

Metro Transfer Academy provides him with the opportunity to continue his passion of helping students from underrepresented communities find success in STEM disciplines AND transfer to a four year university.  He is also provided with the opportunity to empower students by helping them recognize systems that play a significant role in their under-representation in STEM and provide them with the tools to combat those systems.

SFSU SPIKE and SFSU Biology Alumnus received UCSF Disability Service Award

Laurence Henson was a Biology Undergraduate Honoree, and obtained a BS in Physiology from San Francisco State University. While here, he too was deeply involved in lots of activities and community service. Henson just received the UCSF Disability Service Award from the UCSF Chancellor’s Office. This award seeks to highlight the tremendous efforts of those who demonstrate a strong dedication to diversity. The individuals recognized are leaders and pioneers in their respective fields and to the communities which they serve.

Keep doing this work !

Postdoctoral Position Available

13 Members Honored as ASCB Fellows in 2018

These thirteen members have been named Fellows in recognition of their remarkable contributions to the field of cell biology, and the community of cell biologist through their service at ASCB. These members are nominated by their peers or through self-nomination, followed by evaluation and selection by a Fellows Nomination Review Committee. The list of those approved Fellow nominees is reviewed and approved by the ASCB Council. One of those outstanding members, was none other than Kimberly Tanner.

Keep doing this work!

Congratulations to all of those who made it!

Foothill College and San Francisco State University are to share a $1.1 million Federal Grant

Jeff Schinske in action

Foothill College and San Francisco State University will share a $1.1 million federal grant, for this grant seeks to help highlight scientist with different: ethnic, racial, sexual, and gender identities. This is being spearheaded by Foothill College’s Jeff Schinske, and San Francisco State University’s Kimberly Tanner. The National Institutes of Health grant will help undergraduates at both institutions create “Scientist Spotlights,” or short assignments which are centered on scientist from underrepresented populations. The lessons will teach course concepts, and include personal information regarding the scientist. Schinske stated that, students need to see themselves in a discipline to not only succeed, but learn the material.  Schinske and Tanner are both working on integrating the lessons into SFSU Biology courses. They also have a partnered with instructors from different institutions like middle school, high school, and community college to help evaluate the lessons efficacy in a classroom setting. The lessons will be compiled into an online database, for others around the country to access. Eventually, one can see these lessons being implemented into K-12 classrooms around the Bay Area. As Tanner put it, this collaboration will help change the curriculum which often shows that only certain types of individuals can do science.

Kimberly in action

KEEP DOING THIS WORK!!!!

CampusMemo about Science Education

CampusMemo is a San Francisco State University newsletter for faculty and staff. It is produced weekly during the fall and spring semesters and monthly during the summer. CampusMemo is distributed via email to faculty and staff on Monday. It can be accessed here, https://campusmemo.sfsu.edu/2018/october-1-2018#hof

Four Faculty members honored for Teaching, Service and Professional Achievement… and one of them was Kimberly Tanner

Photo courtesy of SFSU

This award here recognizes faculty excellence and contributions to San Francisco State University (SFSU). This award, has been awarded annually since 2007. It seeks to recognize faculty who go above and beyond in teaching, service and professional achievement.  The Excellence in Teaching Award was awarded to Kimberly Tanner. A tremendous feat for one of our very own. She has been here at SFSU since 2004, and helped found the Science Education Partnership and Assessment Laboratory. She has been very invested in what goes on in classrooms, for she helps shed light on how students learn science, and develops methods to help science be taught better. Kimberly strives to make classrooms more “equitable, fair, and inclusive of students from different backgrounds and perspectives,” This is tied to Kimberly being a first-generation college student.

To look at the other recipients click here

We here at SEPAL want to spread this amazing news, and congratulate our Director.

Keep Doing this Work !

SFSU Alum and SEPAL Alum begins the journey of Medical School

It is always great to hear when other Students/Instructors move onto bigger and better things. This is the case for Chris Canlas. Chris not only was an SFSU Alum, but he once graced the position of SEPAL Resource Center Assistant. Now he embarks on a new path, and that is medical school. He recently started his first week at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine in New Jersey. It is one big change for him; both in terms of the environment and being a student once again. However, he is ready!

Image of Chris from his White Coat Ceremony

Chris was very appreciative of his SEPAL family, and relationships he established while working here at SEPAL. The continuous support he received helped him get to where he stands today.

We here at SEPAL want to congratulate Chris on his accomplishment !  Keep doing this work!