College of Science

Department of Applied Environmental Science

AES Staff Supports Courses with Expertise and Care

Mother and baby on a forest trail, with another person and two dogs in the background.

 

Jessica Valdez-Schulz joined the CSUMB community in 2009 and is a valued member of our Instructional Support Technician (IST) staff. She completed her BS in Biology here at CSUMB before joining as staff.

Jessica supports students and faculty by preparing, coordinating, & delivering equipment and materials for numerous courses in AES & BIOC. She collects teaching specimens, repairs field and lab equipment, works on inventory, and coordinates the use of vans for field trips. Outside of her work as an IST, Jessica can be found serving on various committees throughout the College of Science. 

 

We recently touched base with Jessica to learn more about what led her to CSUMB and her career. Check out her interview below! 

 

What do you do within the AES Department? 

Instructional Support Technician

What led you to CSUMB? 

Good karma and luck. I wanted to continue working in science and live in the Monterey region. As an antisocial queer, the Monterey Bay Sanctuary extends past the tide line if you catch my drift.

What is your favorite part of your job?  

Helping all kinds of folks in my supportive role. Making people genuinely smile is a hug for my brain. I also like the people I work with! 

What courses are you supporting? 

This semester: BIO 340 (Ecology), ENVS 360 (Natural History of California Wildlife)  ENVS 240 (Environmental Biology), ENVS 350 (Quantitative Field Methods), ENVS 436 (Remote Sensing), and a few classes who need just van keys and minimal tech use, such as  AGPS 389S (Agricultural Service Learning), ENVS 185 (Field Adventures in Applied Environmental Science), ENSTU 349S (Environmental Interpretation and Outreach), ENSTU 350 (Research Methods for Environmental Studies), ENSTU 365 (Critical Pedagogy for Environmental Education), and ENSTU 471 (Projects for Sustainable City Year).

What is your educational/professional background? 

BS Biology CSUMB 2013, followed by the UC Naturalist Program through the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History Museum (PGNHM).

What hobbies do you like to participate in during your free time? 

 It depends on how much free time I have at once. If it's an hour, I'll water the plants and tend to my little garden. If it's half a day, I'm dragging the family to the beach, relaxing with family, or taking the dogs for adventures (aka off-campus hikes). Fresh air is far better company than a screen :). 

What is your favorite part of CSUMB? 

The location and surrounding wildlife! 

Anything else you'd like to share? 

PLEASE VOTE!  

 

Thank you for all that you do for our students, staff, faculty, and department! We truly appreciate it!