Professional Responsibilities & Contributions to the District, Department, and Community
| Faculty are obligated to perform professional service duties, comply with District policies, submit paperwork on time, attend convocation, participate in required number of Flex activities, hold required number of office hours, and attend department meetings. In addition to your obligations, identify other professional responsibilities and contributions, which may include: A. Service to the department and discipline (e.g. department collaboration, curriculum development, course revision, updating of curricular materials, participation in library collection development, outreach, department projects) B. Service to the District (e.g. evaluation of part-time faculty, committee work, student advising, accreditation work, strategic planning) C. Participation in funds development (e.g., grant writing) D. Implementation of Institutional Research & Development projects E. Facilitate Flex workshops F. Facilitate department or discipline events G. Assesses Student Learning Outcomes H. Community participation opportunities, such as tabling for COM and COM groups at county-wide events, working at COM special events, concerts, sporting events, K-12 events, outreach for COM, and public speaking engagements related to your work for COM I. Enhancing student engagement and belonging, such as faculty advisor/mentor, student groups, learning communities, college-wide events |
Year One
In addition to fulfilling my core faculty responsibilities – teaching assigned courses, holding office hours, attending department meetings, participating in Flex activities, and complying with District policies – I actively contribute to the College of Marin through shared governance, faculty development, student mentorship, and community engagement.
Service to the District and Shared Governance
I currently serve on the Governance Review Committee (GRC). During this academic year, the committee’s primary charge has been to guide College of Marin committees through a structured self-evaluation process focused on effectiveness, clarity of charge, and alignment with institutional goals. Through this work, I contribute to strengthening shared governance structures and supporting effective committee practices across the College.
I also serve on the AI Collective during the 2025–2026 academic year. This grant-funded community of practice brings together faculty and staff to explore institutional approaches to artificial intelligence, including policy development, ethical considerations, and pedagogical implications. As part of this work, we are vetting AI tools for instructional use, considering security and privacy requirements, and developing guidance for supporting student learning with AI in ways that maintain academic integrity and equity.
Faculty Development, Professional Learning, and Innovation
I am actively involved in faculty and staff professional development related to teaching, learning, and emerging technologies. During Spring Flex 2026, I co-presented a Flex Week session with Stacey Lince and Anna Mills focused on equitable and ethical uses of artificial intelligence in education. As part of this session, I developed and shared a practical tool to help faculty craft clear, transparent syllabus language related to AI use in their courses.
Building on this work, I will continue collaborating with colleagues on professional development initiatives related to AI. During the Spring semester, I will co-present a related session with Stacey Lince for classified employees, exploring ways AI tools might be used on or off the job in supportive and ethical ways.
Looking ahead to Fall Flex 2026, I will co-present a session with Music faculty member Laura Wiebe on the anatomy of singing. This interdisciplinary workshop will combine an overview of vocal biology with a participatory singing experience, reflecting my interest in accessible, engaging faculty learning across disciplines.
I am also continuing my involvement with the Transformative Inclusion in Postsecondary STEM (TIPS) program, collaborating with faculty in the California State University system. Through this work, I aim to bring lessons from TIPS more directly to the College of Marin by collaborating with the College’s Culturally Responsive Pedagogy initiative to support equity-minded STEM teaching.
In addition, I am collaborating with Mary Gomes and Stacey Bosick (Sonoma State University) on the early development of a summer sustainability workshop at Sonoma State’s Galbreath Preserve in Mendocino County. While the workshop is tentatively planned for Summer 2027, my current focus is on curriculum development and logistical planning.
Service to Students and Student Organizations
I support student leadership and community-building through my advisory roles with student organizations. I am a co-advisor for the Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society, working with student leaders to support fundraising, outreach, and social activities that benefit both the club and the broader College community.
During Fall 2026, I served as the interim advisor for the Audubon Nature Conservation Club while the faculty advisor was on sabbatical. In Spring 2026, I will continue supporting the club’s activities, including outreach, conservation and habitat restoration efforts, field trips, social events, and recruitment of new members.
Beyond advising, I sponsor and organize optional field-based experiences for students, including birding, mushrooming, tidepooling, and other outdoor learning opportunities. These experiences foster community, support environmental literacy, and provide access to experiential learning for students who may not otherwise have opportunities to engage with local ecosystems.
Discipline-Based and Experiential Learning Initiatives
I am involved in several initiatives that expand access to field-based and experiential learning in biology and environmental science. I participate in The Virtual Field, a national network of educators and field stations working to develop virtual and hybrid materials that approximate field experiences for students who lack access to wilderness spaces or are preparing for in-person fieldwork. I have piloted Ecosystem Exploration activities in my courses and am working to facilitate the inclusion of the Bolinas Field Station in The Virtual Field network, along with the development of associated educational materials.
Through a related project, Live From the Field, I collaborated with Sonoma State University’s Center for Environmental Inquiry to arrange a live interactive session for approximately 110 students. Students engaged directly with field researchers working on forest restoration projects in Costa Rica, Hawaiʻi, and Indonesia, including researchers affiliated with Las Cruces Research Station, the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, and Universitas Gadjah Mada. These experiences connected students to global research efforts and emphasized the relevance of ecological science across cultural and geographic contexts.
I also sponsored an optional field excursion to the Fairfield Osborn Preserve for 15 students, where we focused on observational skills, field sketching, and a coverboard survey, reinforcing course concepts through hands-on practice.
Additionally, I am working with other College of Marin faculty and Friends of Corte Madera Creek to develop a campus-based water quality monitoring program. This initiative aims to involve students in data collection, analysis, and conservation and restoration activities in a local ecosystem directly adjacent to campus.
Community Engagement and Public-Facing Work
Representing the College of Marin, I volunteered to lead a guided birding expedition at Ellis Creek in Petaluma as part of a fundraising auction for Petaluma Cool. This public-facing event was advertised as a bird walk led by a wildlife biology professor and provided an opportunity to connect community members with local biodiversity while highlighting the College’s faculty expertise.
I also serve as an iNaturalist Ambassador, hosting events that invite students and community members to participate in community science by making and sharing wildlife observations. Through this role, I support public engagement with science and encourage broader participation in ecological observation and data collection.
Campus Community Engagement
In addition to formal service roles, I seek out opportunities to engage with the broader campus community. I have joined the Marin Oratorio, the College’s large choral ensemble, which has expanded my relationships beyond the sciences and strengthened my sense of belonging within the College community.