Department of Applied Environmental Science
AES Lecturer is Passionate About Earth Science and Education
Dr. Julie Martin, a lecturer in the AES Department, has been a member of the CSUMB community since 2014 and is a values lecturer in the AES Department. She has taught numerous classes throughout AES, including Integrated Physical Science (PHYS 121) and Intro to Earth Science (GEOL 210). She is known for her interactive and creative projects throughout her classes.
We reached out to Julie to learn more about what led her to CSUMB and her career overall. Check out her interview below.
What led you to CSUMB?
CSUMB is a wonderful community. I love that the campus serves so many local students. The Monterey Bay region is a beautiful place to live and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to work here and serve this community.
What is your favorite part of being a lecturer?
The best part of being a lecturer is helping students to appreciate and enjoy science. I really enjoy seeing students finally understand a concept that maybe they never really “got” in the past. Many of my students are planning on going on to become teachers, so I’m hopeful that they pass along a new found enthusiasm for the sciences to their future students.
What are the courses that you've taught/are currently teaching?
I teach introductory level physical and earth science. Most of my students are studying to become teachers so I try to incorporate a lot of hands-on activities and real-world applications throughout the course.
What is your background? (Educational, professional)
I have been studying earth sciences, unofficially, since I was a kid (really, we all have been!), and formally for the past 20 years. My passion for the sciences began in high school with an oceanography class. I continued on to study oceanography at Humboldt State before attending graduate school in Rhode Island. During the 6 years I spent on the East Coast, I earned a PhD in Oceanography. I am proud to be able to say that I have lived on all three coasts of the continental United States, because after graduate school I spent a year teaching geology in New Orleans. Returning to the West Coast, I spent 3 years as a research tech at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and now I am teaching here at CSUMB.
What hobbies do you like to participate in during your free time?
When I’m not busy teaching, I love spending time with my family exploring the numerous natural parks we have in the area. I especially like to visit the coast to go tidepooling. I have been fortunate to be able to travel all over the US and visit many of the National Parks. My goal is to have visited all of them (or at least a good portion of them) someday. Much of my time is now devoted to being a mom, but this is a tremendously rewarding experience. It is so much fun to see the world through their eyes. I think that we all start as little scientists, trying to make sense of this vast world, but somewhere along the line we forget how to be curious.
What has been your greatest professional accomplishment thus far?
My greatest professional accomplishment has to be earning my PhD. The experiences gained during my degree program opened the door to many wonderful opportunities, including being able to participate in many seagoing science expeditions and working as a researcher at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.
Thank you for all that you do for our students, Julie!