Department of Applied Environmental Science
AES Lecturer is Dedicated to Student Success and Science Education/Access for All
Jane Silberstein joined the CSUMB community in 2016 and is a valued lecturer in the AES Department. She has taught various classes throughout the AES Department, including Environmental Interpretation and Outreach (ENSTU 349S) and Monterey Bay: A Case Study in Environmental Science and Policy (ENVS 282). She is known for her passion for science education and communication and her dedication to student success.
We reached out to Jane to learn more about what led her to CSUMB and her career overall. Check out her interview below!
What led you to CSUMB?
Quite literally, it was the fabulous Dr.Suzy Worcester, who first brought me to CSUMB! I was a longtime staff member of the Interpretive Programs department (33 years!) at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and was friends with Suzy. I was a certified Interpretive Trainer through the National Association for Interpretation so, for many years, I volunteered several days each fall working with the students on their CIG talks. When Suzy took on other roles at the university, I was hired to co-teach ENSTU 349S with the amazing Laura Lee Lienk (LLL) each fall. When I lost my job at the aquarium in 2019 due to COVID-19, I was so grateful to be invited to teach more classes. I absolutely love the mission of CSUMB and have grown as a teacher/facilitator and person immensely working with LLL, Suzy, Susan, Steven Goings, and others.
What is your favorite part of being a lecturer?
I enjoy working with the diverse group of students here at CSUMB and find great joy in helping them find their spark. My greatest accomplishment is when I hear from students years later who say how much my class helped them in some way. I feel very supported by the AES department chair and colleagues, and the FLP program in my second year here has changed the way I teach immensely and has helped me connect with even my larger lecture classes.
What are the courses that you've taught/are currently teaching, and how do they tie to your educational and professional background?
I’ve taught ENSTU 349S (Environmental Interpretation and Outreach) for the past 8+ years, ENVS 282 (Monterey Bay: A Case Study in Environmental Science and Policy) for many years now, and ENVS 382S – Climate Justice Communication in the past. I just love sharing my passion for marine science, environmental science, and conservation with the students here. I think that the 30+ years teaching the volunteers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, my degree from UC Santa Cruz for my BA (Honors biology with Marine Concentration) and Master’s at MLML in Estuarian Invertebrate Ecology, and being a TA for 2 summers at Hopkins Marine Lab (Dr. Eugene Haderlie) has given me a rich source of stories to share with students in my classes. Nothing gives me more pleasure than seeing the excitement in the students when they really understand the natural world just a little bit more.
What hobbies do you like to participate in during your free time?
I like to tell my students that not only did I get my graduate degree in the mudflats of Elkhorn Slough, but I found my husband there as well! Raising our identical twin boys here in the bay has been such a joy. My husband is the founding director for the Elkhorn Slough Foundation, which enabled us to get them out in nature throughout their lives. One is in Environment Science at Glacier National Park (Montana), and the other is an environmental engineer in San Francisco.
You will find me glued to my compound microscope every Friday night, following the class I teach at Cabrillo College that is a no credit/no fee long term plankton monitoring program.
I am on the board of Save Our Shores and love getting our students out on the local beaches to help me with beach clean-ups. In my free time, I love to hike the local woods (Wilder State Park, Nicene Marks, Land of the Medicine Buddha), do artwork, bike ride, paddleboard, and spend time with Mark, Josh, and Ian.
Thank you for all that you do for our students, Jane!