San Diego Mesa College professor, Dr. Waverly Ray, has recently returned from a nine-day voyage from Seattle to Honolulu on the R/V Thomas G. Thompson, an oceanographic research vessel, with STEMSEAS. Dr. Ray joined community college faculty from 13 schools and the Office of Naval Research’s Research Facilities Program Manager Robert Sparrock. Dr. Ray was chosen to participate out of hundreds of applicants.

Often, it’s not what students are learning, but how they are learning that determines their success in education. This metacognitive approach to teaching forms the basis of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers’ project, “Supporting and Advancing Geoscience Education at Two-Year Colleges,” or SAGE 2YC, which empowers faculty members to improve STEM education through the adoption of student-centered pedagogy. Following a one-year collaboration with SAGE 2YC, three Mesa College geoscience professors, Don Barrie (Geology), Bulent Bas (Geology), and Waverly Ray (Geography), bring refreshed intention to their teaching, leadership, and professional development approaches to better serve Mesa College’s students and ultimately, prepare them for success in the STEM workforce.