Otto Figueroa
Associate Professor, Geology
Education and Background
I started college as a liberal arts major at Cypress College and
spent the first year taking courses in many different
disciplines. I took my first geology course during my
second year and found that it combined many of my academic
interests because geology is a field that draws on an
understanding of the physical sciences, biological science,
history, economics and political science. I used this
diverse background to focus on environmental sciences and water
resources.
Amy C. Fredericks
Associate Professor, Astronomy
Education and Background
I am a third generation California native, hailing from Surf City (Huntington Beach). I was also a Navy civil service brat, so I moved away at a young age. My family spent time in Guam, Spain, and Florida before settling in the Washington DC area, which I consider a second home. But I couldn’t resist the siren call of Southern California: I graduated in 1996 from USC with a B.S. in Astronomy. The East Coast tugged back and I received my M.S. in Astronomy from the University of Maryland in 1999.
Joanna Haan
Associate Professor, Chemistry
Education and Background
My fascination with chemistry goes all the way back to childhood,
when my mom taught me how to bake and then gave me freedom to mix
and cook in the kitchen. My dad made a game out of finding
solids, liquids, and gases, and he brought puzzles and problem
solving into just about every adventure he took us on. Both
of my parents taught me that learning was really fun, and was
just a part of everyday life.
