Academic Staff

Faculty Director

David Gold, Ph.D.
dgold@ucdavis.edu; (530) 754-5361

Dr. David Gold graduated with a B.S. in Ecology and Evolution from UC Irvine (2007) and a Ph.D. in Biology from UCLA (2014). He went on to do postdoctoral research at MIT and Caltech before joining the faculty at UC Davis. The Gold lab uses molecular paleontology — or the combination of geologic, genetic, and developmental tools — to study the early evolution of animal life. The lab is currently involved in two areas of research. The first focuses on the evolution of genes relevant to important geobiological processes, including biomineralization and geochemical biomarkers. The second direction involves studying early-branching animals, such as jellyfish and sea sponges, to see how these animals develop and respond to changing environmental conditions. In particular, the lab uses the moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) as a model organism for questions surrounding animal development, tissue regeneration, and cell type evolution. Dr. Gold has significant experience working with first-generation students and others from diverse backgrounds, and is interested in developing teaching and mentoring techniques that increase representation in the sciences.

Academic Coordinator/Lecturer

Susann Pinter
spinter@ucdavis.edu; (530) 754-1056

Lecturer: Conceptual Integrated Science, Mast III

Susann Pinter is the Academic Coordinator for the CalTeach/MAST program. Her expertise is in teaching science concepts and inquiry based science to pre-service teachers. She has taught integrated science, earth-science and chemistry in Illinois schools and at Southern Illinois University Carbondale for almost two decades. She is committed to instill passion and a deeper understanding of teaching science and mathematics to her students here at UC Davis.

CalTeach/MAST Lecturers

Geoff Benn, Ph.D.
gkbenn@ucdavis.edu

Geoff Benn is an Academic Coordinator in the Department of Plant Biology, where he is the course coordinator for BIS2C. As part of his position he trains and supervises undergraduate learning assistants (LAs) in the BIS2C labs. Geoff is also involved with several education research projects in collaboration with faculty in Plant Biology and other departments.

Julia Chamberlain, Ph.D.
Chemistry
jchamberlain@ucdavis.edu

Julia Chamberlain is a Lecturer with Potential Security of Employment (LPSOE) in the UC Davis Department of Chemistry.  She completed her doctorate in solid state inorganic chemistry at Northwestern University in 2010, and postdoctoral studies in Chemical Education Research at the University of Colorado Boulder.  Dr. Chamberlain’s postdoctoral research on PhET Interactive Simulations included interface design, effects of guidance on students’ simulation interaction, and pedagogical roles and best practices for simulation use in large lecture learning environments.  At UC Davis, her research focuses on course transformation in three significant areas: curricular change, instructional formats, and program-level supports for student engagement in active learning.  Dr. Chamberlain teaches General Chemistry and coordinates a growing cohort of undergraduate Learning Assistants (LAs) for her courses.

Ozcan Gulacar, PhD.
Chemistry
ogulacar@ucdavis.edu

Ozcan Gulacar has a Master’s degree in Physical Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Science Education. For the last 18 years, he has worked at different educational settings including international high schools and doctorate and Master’s granting institutions. He has designed and taught several graduate and undergraduate chemistry and science education courses for a wide range of audience. Because of his strong interest in investigating the effectiveness of different teaching methods and tools, he has applied and received grants and established collaborations with colleagues from different fields and different countries. Besides teaching and running research projects, he has also developed and organized workshops about implementation of social constructivist methods and effective use of technological tools in science classrooms.

Kathlan Latimer
kklatimer@ucdavis.edu
Lecturer: MAST I

Kathlan Latimer has been a lecturer at UC Davis with the CalTeach/MAST program since 2008. Having over 30 years of experience in elementary education, she has served as a classroom teacher, mathematics strategy coach, mentor teacher and teacher on special assignment. Kathlan served as Teacher-in-Residence at the UC Office of the President, working with the California Subject Matter Projects, for a year as well as worked at the California Department of Education in what was then their Math and Science Leadership Office. Kathlan continues to provide professional development, collaborate on curricular projects, and remains active with the California Mathematics Council.

Timothy Lewis, Ph.D.
tjlewis@ucdavis.edu
Co-lecturer: LA Program - Mathematics

Tim Lewis is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics at UC Davis, where he has been since 2004. Currently, he is the Vice-Chair for Undergraduate Matters in the Math Department. He is an active researcher in the field of Mathematical Biology and is deeply involved with several projects in Math Education.

Alvin Mendle
ammendle@ucdavis.edu
Lecturer: MAST I

Al Mendle has been a Lecturer at UC Davis since 1993. Working in the School of Education, he has taught Mathematics Methods and Educational Technology. He has contributed to books for the College Preparatory Mathematics and Activity Resources Publishing companies. Having 25 years of teaching experience at the elementary and secondary levels in public schools, he has also served as Director of the University of California at Davis Mathematics Project. His presentations have included speaking engagements at conferences for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the California Mathematics Council.

Pat Randolph, Ph.D.
rrandolph@ucdavis.edu
Lecturer: LA program – BIS 2B

Pat Randolph manages and helps teach the introductory course on Evolution and Ecology (BIS 2B). Even though this is a very large introductory class, he wants his students to come out feeling they were treated as individuals. His other goal is to get students to see that the topics of evolution and ecology have real world implications and that these are not just strictly academic pursuits. He also wants students to think about their education as set of tools they are acquiring that will help them in their own pursuits and as citizens of this world.

Ingrid Salim
ihsalim@ucdavis.edu
Lecturer: MAST II

Ingrid Salim is a 33 year veteran STEM teacher in Davis Joint Unified School District. She currently teaches science to students in grades 4-7, and is also the Science Coordinator for the district. She serves as Teacher Leader with the Sacramento Science Project, providing NGSS Professional Development Training to Regional teachers, and teaches our 181 EDU MAST course. In her downtime, she loves hiking and reading, and watching Sci Fi shows.

Mary-Betty Stevenson
mbstevenson@ucdavis.edu; (530) 754-9148
Lecturer: LA program

An alumna of the UC Davis Math Department, Mary-Betty Stevenson is a career teacher having taught math in local high schools and community colleges. She has been active in K-12 mathematics education issues, specializing in problem solving and inquiry based learning. When not teaching she encourages students to drop by the CalTeach/MAST office and discuss math and science teaching opportunities.

Dina Zhabinskaya, Ph.D.
Physics
dzhabinskaya@ucdavis.edu

Dr. Zhabinskaya is a Lecturer in the Department of Physics at UC Davis since 2013.  She is committed to curriculum development and improvement of the Physics 7 series, an introductory physics course for biological science students.  Her goal is to maximize student learning through an interactive and collaborative classroom experience.  She is involved in projects in Physics Education such as developing an interactive online textbook and helping undergraduates gain teaching experience in a physics classroom.