Department of Applied Environmental Science
Planting Seeds of Change: An AES Faculty Member’s Legacy at CSUMB
.jpg)
Dr. Sharon Anderson joined the CSUMB community in 1997 and is a valued faculty member in the AES Department. Sharon has held many positions at the university, including Professor, Department Chair, Department Vice Chair, Interim Dean of the College of Science, and Associate Dean for Advising, Career, and Student Success. She has taught over 20 courses in her time at CSUMB. In her many years on campus, she was instrumental in establishing and developing several degree programs on campus including Earth Systems Science and Policy B.S. (currently Environmental Science, Technology, and Policy), Coastal and Watershed Science and Policy M.S. (now known as Environmental Science), Environmental Studies, and the Agricultural Plant and Soil Sciences programs.
We reached out to Sharon to learn more about her career at CSUMB and what led her to campus. Check out her interview below!
What led you to CSUMB?
I was attracted to CSUMB because of the founding Vision Statement: "The campus will be distinctive in serving the diverse people of California, especially the working class and historically undereducated and low-income populations." I also liked the idea of major-based service learning as a way for students to learn about and get involved in their communities. I was also really excited about the ONE science major on campus, then called Earth Systems Science and Policy, because of the interdisciplinary approach to education and the goal of helping students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that would help them work on real-world, complex problems when they graduated. I helped the campus grow, with the launch of the M.S. program in 2005 (now the Environmental Science M.S., but originally called Coastal and Watershed Science and Policy M.S.) . I also was involved with other efforts to grow and evolve, including changing the degree name from Earth Systems Science and Policy to Environmental Science, Technology, and Policy (2008), and spinning off several degrees that had been concentrations within ESSP: 1) Biology B.S. (2008); 2) Marine Science B.S. (2011); Environmental Studies B.A. (2013), and developing the new Agricultural Plant and Soil Sciences B.S. (2019).
What is your favorite part of being a faculty member?
My favorite part of being a faculty member is working with students and supporting their journey of growth and discovery. I love the chance to help students develop new skills and understanding, and help them become resilient and develop habits that will help them be successful both at CSUMB and after they graduate. I have also been heavily involved in advising, and really enjoy that work too. During the pandemic, I was in one-on-one Zoom meetings with students 8 or 10 hours a day, so I was the farthest thing from being socially isolated, but it was devastating to hear first-hand all the things that students were suffering.
What are the courses that you've taught/are currently teaching?
Courses I’ve taught semi-recently: I currently teach freshman/sophomore environmental science courses that are taken by majors and non-majors. I am also teaching ENSTU 384S Social and Ecological Justice Service Learning in the fall, and am really grateful for the chance to teach this course, since service learning and social justice are two of the reasons I was originally attracted to CSUMB. I have taught about 20 different courses during my time here. The other course I currently teach is an online course (GEOL 310) focused on natural disasters. I have really enjoyed the challenge of trying to build community in an online course. The content for the course will change every semester as scientists develop new understanding about the connections between climate change and severe weather events, and brave people continue to document the very real ways that natural disasters affect low-income communities more severely (even if there is less federal funding or there is censorship of the words that describe these challenges. I am also teaching ENVS 282, ENVS 201 Lab, CHEM 110 lab and AGPS 128.
What is your educational/professional background?
I have a B.S. in Geology, with a minor in chemistry, a M.S. in Soil Science (focus on plant-soil relations) and a Ph.D. in Soil Science (Soil Chemistry focus). I was an assistant and associate professor of Soil Chemistry & Mineralogy in Michigan State's Department of Crop and Soil Sciences (1989-1997). At CSUMB, I have been department chair, vice chair, Interim Dean of the College of Science (twice), Interim Associate Dean of the College of Science, Interim Advising Director, and Associate Dean for Advising, Career, and Student Success, and now a lecturer.
What hobbies do you like to participate in during your free time?
My main leisure (and commuter) activity is biking and Hiking on Fort Ord. I try to get in a one-hour ride on my way to work and another on my way home every day, and I try to get a 6 or 8 mile hike every weekend. I am also involved in my church and try to engage with various social justice organizations.
What has been your greatest professional accomplishment thus far?
I enjoy doing a lot of stuff behind the scenes, and have made a lot of small changes and improvements to better support student success. I have done a lot of curriculum development work, including work that helped launch new degree programs, However, I think that my greatest professional accomplishment was to hire and support the success of some really amazing lecturer and even tenure-track faculty (when I was chair) and advisors (in my Advising role) who are committed to holistic support of students, developing engaging pedagogies that support different learning styles and needs, and who share their passion for their jobs with students.
Thank you so much for your incredible work and dedication to our department and campus! We truly appreciate you!