College of Science

Wine with a Scientist

Dr. Cheryl Logan discusses the impact of climate change on coral reefs.
Dr. John Goeltz explains the inner workings of rechargeable batteries.

The “Wine with a Scientist” series is an opportunity for members of the community to become better acquainted with the College of Science in an interactive setting. These events are meant to highlight faculty research, student success, and College programs.

The inaugural “Wine with a Scientist” event took place on September 19 at the Windy Oaks Carmel Tasting Room where Dr. Cheryl Logan, an Associate Professor in the Department of Marine Science, discussed her research on corals in the Galapagos Islands. Her talk, “Galapagos corals: Canaries in the coal mine” explored the use of corals as indicators of the health of the ocean; similar to the role Canaries historically played in coal mines. Dr. Logan is currently conducting research on coral resilience to heat stress from ocean warming events such as a changing climate and El Nino Southern Oscillations (ENSO).

During the second “Wine with a Scientist” event on October 30th, Dr. John Goeltz presented on “Charging Fast and Slow: Towards Safer, Cheaper, Longer Lasting Batteries”. Dr. Goeltz is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry in the Department of Biology and Chemistry. In his talk, Dr. Goeltz discussed the research he and his students are conducting to improve the longevity of rechargeable batteries. Batteries can become damaged every time they are charged; damage that ultimately reduces a batteries capacity to hold a charge and shortens the life of the battery itself. His research could be applied to batteries of all sizes; from cell phones to electric cars. Goeltz Lab is composed entirely of undergraduate students, two of whom have gone directly on to PhD programs for chemistry, despite CSU Monterey Bay currently not offering a chemistry major program.

If you are interested in learning more about their research you can visit Logan Lab at “The Logan Lab @CSU Monterey Bay” and Goeltz Lab at “Applied Electrochemistry @ CSUMB”.