This week we caught up with Krista Lucas, a PhD student working with Dr. Danielle Harlow in STEM education in the Department of Education. Krista has a B.A. in biology from Occidental College, a master’s in teaching secondary science from UNC-Chapel Hill, and an M.A. in education from UCSB. She is interested in postsecondary science education, specifically for non-science majors, and the development of scientific literacy and science identity work in this group. Krista also works at Pepperdine University where she has been teaching a nonmajors biology course for 5 years, and enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons at Disneyland (hence the photo). (Note this 5?s format is taken from one of the School's internal communications, and is meant to help the Gevirtz community get to know itself better.)
GGSE: Who (living or dead) do you most admire?
Lucas: It’s hard to choose one person, but in general I admire all the women in science and mathematics who broke barriers and made a difference. Women like Katherine Johnson, Marie Curie, Rosalind Franklin, and Rachel Carson all worked at times when women were not welcome or respected in their fields. Their contributions have been vital to both furthering our knowledge of science or accomplishing goals, and have resulted in so many little girls seeing their examples and wanting to be scientists or mathematicians.
GGSE: What is your favorite place in Santa Barbara?
Lucas: I love MOXI—it’s such a fun place for both kids and adults to explore and play and learn, and the views from the roof are spectacular.
GGSE: When (besides now) would you like to live?
Lucas: I would say the 1950s. I think it would be interesting to have been alive to witness the scientific and technological advances that were happening at that time, along with being able to engage with the social movements and politics of that era.
GGSE: Where (besides Santa Barbara) would you want to live if money/job were not an issue?
Lucas: I would absolutely live in Heidelberg, Germany—my family lived there for 8 months several years ago and I would love to go back. It’s the sweetest town and cappuccinos are only one euro almost everywhere!
GGSE: Why do you do the job you do?
Lucas: As a non-majors science instructor, I hear undergrads tell me that “they are not science people” or “science isn’t their thing” quite frequently. My aim is to change this mindset, and help them see that we are all science people and need some level of scientific literacy to be well-rounded 21st century citizens. My research focuses on how to encourage the development of scientific literacy in this population of undergrads, and as an instructor I hope that they also see how much fun science can (and should) be.