- Phone: 619-388-2605
- Office: I3-406
- Mailbox: K-202
- Email: jschad@sdccd.edu
- Website:
- Department: Physical Sciences
- Education:
- A.B., University of California, Berkeley
- M.S., San Diego State University
Jerry Schad received a bachelors degree in astronomy from U.C. Berkeley in 1971 and a masters degree in astronomy from San Diego State University in 1975. He taught astronomy and physics at San Diego City and Mesa colleges for many years, and currently teaches physical science and astronomy at Mesa. His favorite courses are: * Physical Science 100. "Survey of Physical Science." This course, designed to fulfill general-education requirements, gives students a broad-based understanding of the world around them through an integrated treatment of physics, chemistry, astronomy, and the earth sciences. * Astronomy 109. "Practice in Observing." This field course, which is offered only during fall semester (at Mesa), offers students abundant opportunities to observe and study the night sky from various dark-sky locations within San Diego County.
Jerry Schad, a fifth-generation Californian, identifies strongly with his home state and his adopted region, San Diego. Jerry has been writing and illustrating hiking and bicycling guidebooks covering California locales since the mid-1970s. His "Afoot and Afield" hiking books covering San Diego, Los Angeles, and Orange counties are recognized leaders in their field. Among Schad's 12 published books is:Physical Science: A Unified Approach, a textbook written for conceptual-level courses similar to Schad's "Survey of Physical Science" at Mesa College.
Schad's articles on the subjects of science, travel, and outdoor sports have appeared in more than 30 national and regional publications, including the San Diego Reader, which currently carries his biweekly outdoor column titled "Roam-O-Rama." Schad has been a specialist in astronomical photography since he was in his teens; his photos of the night sky have appeared more than 600 times in books and magazines published worldwide. Schad's web site displaying astronomical photographs can be viewed at http://www.skyphoto.com
Schad has served as host and consultant for the KPBS-TV series "Afoot and Afield in San Diego" (based on his book of the same name). He has co-written and was featured in the KPBS documentary "San Diego Night Sky."