Kimberly Tanner Named Semi-Finalist for Cherry Award

The Cherry Award from Baylor University is a distinguished award given to outstanding teachers from various institutions by recognizing their ability to communicate and connect with students in the classroom through discussion and civil engagement. Kimberly Tanner, a very well recognized SFSU faculty member, most notable as her role as an instructor for BIO 230, was named as one of the six semi-finalist out of a pool of 114 nominations! Her ability to communicate and engage students in discussion in regard to the sciences was already well noted by several positive feedback from former students, and this award further recognizes her exemplary skills as being a professor.

Read more about the award here, and the other semi-finalist here.

Alumna to Attend UC Berkeley for PhD

Justine Ramos – a recent SFSU Biology alum who took Bio 230 course in 2014, has just been admitted to UC Berkeley to study for her PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology. With several SFSU alumni currently attending UC Berkley, Justine should have no problem navigating her new life in this prestigious school with their support.

Alumnus to Attend UC Berkeley for MPH

Sam Holland – a recent SFSU Biology alum who took the Bio 230 course in 2016, has just been admitted to ALL 7 MPH (Master of Public Health) programs to which he applied for. Sam will be attending his first choice at UC Berkeley in their MPH Program, concentrating on infectious disease and vaccinology!

Alumna to Attend UCSF Pharmacy School

Sahar Miry – a recent SFSU Biology alum who took Bio 230 during 2014, and who was also a SEPAL LEADS: Learners Advocating for Diversity in Science biology student leader – has just been admitted to her first choice Pharmacy School at UC San Francisco!

Alumnus Becomes Assistant Professor at CSU East Bay

Dr. Thomas Jenkinson is an alumnus of our Masters program and did his research in Dennis Desjardin’s laboratory, a fungi research lab, at San Francisco State University in the Biology Department. In addition, the SFSU Biology faculty has worked closely with Thomas as one of our NSF GK-12 Fellows who partnered with a middle school teacher and their students. He went on to get his doctorate and now we have the great news that he is a new Assistant Professor at CSU East Bay.

One Alumna Accepted to Dental School, Another Accepted Job at CDC

Great news to two of our SEPAL and SFSU alumni.

Hnin Hlaing – a recent SFSU BS Physiology alum and SEPAL PALS: Peer Assistants for Learning Science student leader – has just been admitted to her first choice Dental School at the University of Maryland.

And Genesis Vasconez, MS, PMHNP-BC, who was a 2016 SFSU BS Physiology alum and SEPAL SPIKE: Science Partners in K-12 Education student leader – has a new position as a Quarantine Medical Officer and Nurse Practitioner at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Congratulations you two for your hard work!

Alumna Receives Cross Future Leaders Award

Esteemed SFSU MS Biology and Lecturer alumna, Tati Russo-Tait has just been awarded the prestigious 2021 K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award from the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). Tati earned the award for her scholarly efforts in promoting equity, justice, and inclusion in science education, and she is currently pursuing her PhD in Science Education at the University of Texas, Austin. Tati started collaborating with SEPAL groups while she was a graduate student here in SFSU.

Additionally, she served as a Biology Lecturer teaching a course in Stem Cell Biology. She went on to work with the SFSU METRO Academies, and then pursued her doctoral studies at UT Austin.

Alumnus Accepted to Dominican University Physician Assistant Program

Elmer Lopez is one of our own SFSU Biology alum who, like many of us, participated in Bio 230: Introductory Biology in Spring 2017. 

Additionally, Elmer was 1 of 16 pioneering biology majors who were selected for the Fall 2017 LEADS: Learners Engaged in Advocating for Diversity in Science effort, authoring multiple Scientist Spotlights that you can see at www.scientistspotlghts.org published with Elmer as author!

Over the years, Elmer has been doing great things since finishing his BS in Physiology from SFSU. He was recently accepted into the Dominican University Physician Assistant Program!

Alumna Promotes Access/Equity in Health Care

Jennifer Chinchilla, an SFSU Biology alum, was a pioneering SFSU SEPAL Spectrum Scientist, promoting the interest of middle school girls of color in biomedical science at both Giannini and Everett Middle Schools during her two years with the program as an undergraduate biology major.

Over the years, she has been doing many great things since finishing her BS Physiology from SFSU. She is a 2022 MD Candidate at Michigan State College of Human Medicine on the Leadership in Underserved Medicine Track. Last year, she was President of her school’s Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) and is now Policy Chair for the LMSA Midwest Region.

She was also involved involved in a quality improvement research project that focuses on evaluating physician perspectives and knowledge on using interpreter services. Since there are people that don’t know how to speak English fluently, strengthening the physician-interpreter relationship can further improve patient care and health equity, especially Limited English Proficiency (LEP) groups. You can read more about her involvement in this research study here.

These are just the many efforts she is involved in to promote access, equity, and social justice in health care as an emerging leader in her profession, with many more triumphs to come.

Alumni News: Christopher Canlas

One of our own SFSU Biology alum, Christopher Canlas was a SEPAL BIO 652: SPIKE – Science Partners in K-12 Education – student leader, as well as a SEPAL Resource Center Assistant! And like many undergraduates, he took BIO 230: Introductory to Biology, in the fall of 2010.

Needless to say, Christopher Canlas has been doing great things since finishing his BS Physiology from SFSU. He is a third year osteopathic medical student at Rowan School of Medicine in New Jersey. Having passed his board exams for both the DO and MD degrees, he is currently on track to graduate in 2022. Additionally, he is educating his community about health disparities faced by the LGBTQIA+ community and always giving back to underrepresented minorities in medicine through his involvement in HCOP: Health Career Opportunities Program. With resurfaced stigma against DO’s, he’s happy to clarify any misconceptions about DO’s that arise among our current students.