SEPAL Alumni – Grad Student ’04-13
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Stephen Kielar, 2013-15Current Position, Title, & Institution Director of Education at Call of the Sea; Adjunct Faculty at California State University Maritime Academy What are you up to now professionally? I’m working everyday to elevate the field of experiential education. What do you continue to use most from your time at SEPAL? The 5E model…. and the importance of air hockey breaks! |
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Brianna McCoy, 2013-15Current Position, Title, & Institution School Partnership Supervisor, Education Department at the Oregon Zoo What are you up to now professionally? Creating a long-term partnership program with schools in Portland to inspire conservation action. What do you continue to use most from your time at SEPAL? So much, but lately, evaluation practices–I have been involved in multiple qualitative and quantitative studies in my career and I owe that skillset to SEPAL. |
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Ellen Young, 2013-15Current Position, Title, & Institution Professor of Biology at Cañada College What are you up to now professionally? I teach non-majors biology and coordinate professional development. What do you continue to use most from your time at SEPAL? I continue to prioritize building a community of learners in my classroom using strategies I learned at SEPAL. |
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Hibba Ashraf, 2012-14Current Position, Title, & Institution Part-Time Biology Faculty at Las Positas College What are you up to now professionally? I just accepted an offer to work as an adjunct A&P instructor after taking a 3 year break! What do you continue to use most from your time at SEPAL? I revisit my CCB Fest binder at the beginning of every academic year to remind myself of different active learning techniques that I can use throughout my course. |
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Stephanie Malmgren, 2012-14Current Position, Title, & Institution Professor, Biology, South Puget Sound Community College What are you up to now professionally? I am currently teaching general and majors biology, marine biology and environmental science. What do you continue to use most from your time at SEPAL? I use so many things that I learned during my time at SEPAL but the pieces I continue to use are the active learning tools I was introduced to. |
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Lisa Potter, 2012-14Current Position, Title, & Institution Research Communications Specialist, University of Utah What are you up to now professionally? I work at the University of Utah’s communications office, focusing on the research happening across campus by creating content geared towards a lay audience, and also pitch our experts to media. What do you continue to use most from your time at SEPAL? Meeting my audience where they are. When I interview scientist, I use language to prod their answers towards a general audience. For non-scientists, I adjust my language to address the public’s potential unfamiliarity with a given topic. |
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Paul Nagami, 2010-13paul.nagami@missioncollege.edu Current Position, Title, & Institution My current title is Full-Time Instructor, and I’m tenure-track faculty at Mission College. What are you up to now professionally? I’m currently updating and redesigning our Bio 001AB series of majors courses! What do you continue to use most from your time at SEPAL? Currently, the biggest resource I draw from SEPAL is our network of alumni, and I’ll be reaching out to more alumni soon once I settle in! |
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Kathryn Danielson, 2010-13Current Position, Title, & Institution Experience Research Manager, Nike What are you up to now professionally? I’m a product design researcher and strategist investigating how people interact with digital and physical experiences. What do you continue to use most from your time at SEPAL? How to transform qualitative data into compelling insights, stories, and recommendations. |
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Lakisha Witzel, 2008-11Current Position, Title, & Institution Academic Coordinator for the Science & Health Education Partnership at University of California, San Francisco |
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Carol Umanzor, 2008-11Current Position, Title, & Institution Agent of Change Specialist at SF BUILD, San Francisco State University What are you up to now professionally? I work full time with SF BUILD on creating opportunities for students to pursue community engaged biomedical research. Along with that I am leading a study funded by the NSF on Improving Undergraduate Science Education through an intersectional lens. On my own time I am working on a project to support my community in building a practice of emotional wellness. What do you continue to use most from your time at SEPAL? My thesis work continues to be one of the main things that I integrate into all of the work I do. The pedagogical practices that I learned in SEPAL also continue to serve me in the work that I do. |
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Courtney Scott, 2007-10Current Position, Title, & Institution Program Director, Foundation for Community Vitality What are you up to now professionally? I run a foundation in Southeast Montana, focused on trust-based partnerships with Native leaders who are building community solutions to sovereignty and generational resilience. What do you continue to use most from your time at SEPAL? How to ask questions, being purposefully thoughtful and analytically curious. |
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Elizabeth Polito, 2007-2010Current Position, Title, & Institution I am currently at home with my four children – ages 11, 10, 4, and 1.5. What are you up to now professionally? My job is to love tiny humans, keep them alive and help them to thrive. What do you continue to use most from your time at SEPAL? I ask questions every day. I try to keep my hands in my pocket, so that my children explore for themselves. |
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Michelle Wooten, 2007-2010Current Position, Title, & Institution Assistant Professor in Astronomy Education at the University of Alabama Birmingham What are you up to now professionally? I teach large enrollment astronomy courses for non-science majors. What do you continue to use most from your time at SEPAL? My time in SEPAL encouraged me to create instruction attuned to the diversity of backgrounds and experiences students bring to the classroom, and to use these as starting points for instruction. |
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Rebecca Fulop, 2009Current Position, Title, & Institution Science Teacher, Life Academy for Health and Bioscience in OUSD (Oakland Unified School District) What are you up to now professionally? I am teaching physiology at a health and bioscience academy. What do you continue to use most from your time at SEPAL? I continue to use an inquiry-based approach to teaching and continue to ask my students what changes happen in their brains when they learn something! |
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Briana McCarthy, 2006-08Current Position, Title, & Institution Professor of Biological Sciences, Los Medanos College What are you up to now professionally? Currently, I am teaching a full load of classes, co-running the Pedagogy Innovation Project, and planning the STEM Research Symposium. What do you continue to use most from your time at SEPAL? What I’ve applied most directly from my time in SEPAL: agendas on boards during class, timed agenda items during meetings, and a pioneering attitudes towards trying new pedagogical moves. |
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Jamie Chan, 2005-06Current Position, Title, & Institution Director of Programs and Partnerships at The Gardens of Golden Gate Park and Adjunct Faculty, Graduate College of Education What are you up to now professionally? Jamie currently serves as a leader at the Gardens of Golden Gate Park, supervising all educational initiatives, public programming, and large scale events. She also serves on the board of several urban agriculture focused non-profits and continues to teach future educators through SFSU. What do you continue to use most from your time at SEPAL? I use my experience in educational research and evaluation in all my non-profit work. |
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Jonathan Boxerman, 2005-2006Current Position, Title, & Institution Research Associate, WestEd What are you up to now professionally? I conduct research alongside Indigenous communities about educators’ and students’ identities and sense of belonging to STEM and to their heritage backgrounds. What do you continue to use most from your time at SEPAL? The most meaningful experience from my years participating in SEPAL was co-teaching Earth Sciences with a veteran school teacher, which allowed me to understand first hand what science education is and the value of STEM education research. |
