Biology & Health Science

Meet the Faculty

Tania Beliz, Professor of Biology
Telephone: (650) 574-6248
Office: 36-205A
Email: beliz@smccd.edu
Office Hours
Website

Tania Beliz holds a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley. Her training as a biologist/naturalist started at an early age growing up at her grandparents' farm. Gardening, photography, nature walks, cooking, and reading murder mysteries are some of her hobbies.




Michael Bucher, Professor of Biology, emeritus
Telephone: (650) 574-6516
Office: 36 - 205C
Email: bucher@smccd.edu
Office Hours
Website

Beginning his studies in zoology at Santa Monica College in the town of his birth, Michael Bucher developed a taste for field rambles, tide-pooling and other less littoral-minded pursuits like limericks and doggerel, drove to Costa Rica to board a sailing ship for the Galapagos Archipelago before completing two degrees in zoology at UCLA, and has returned twice to Costa Rica: as a graduate student of tropical ecology and as a teacher in the CSM Study Abroad program. He enjoys foreign travel and languages, having spent three summers and a semester in Europe. Professor Bucher has taught for Seattle University, Santa Monica College, the Wilderness Foundation (in the shadow of the Grand Tetons and on Catalina Island), College of Notre Dame, as well as for College of San Mateo.

Kathy Diamond, Professor of Biology
Telephone: (650) 574-6602
Office: 36-205F
Email: diamondk@smccd.edu

Kathy Diamond was born in San Francisco. Starting college as an undeclared major torn between philosophy and French literature, she became overwhelmed by curiosity and completed a B.A. in Biology at U.C. Santa Cruz, an M.A. in Zoology at UCLA and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry at UCSF. She did research and lectured at UCLA until discovering the superior lower-division science education offered by community colleges. Kathy loves teaching CSM students, hiking, walking, gardening, movies, novels, family and friends. And chocolate.




Aneta Drazkiewicz, Assistant Professor of Biology
Telephone: (650) 378-7301 ext.19173
Office: 36-205C
Email: drazkiewicza@smccd.edu

Aneta Drazkiewicz was born and raised in Warsaw, Poland. After graduating from High School, she moved to the United States. She enrolled at a community college where she completed General Education requirements which allowed her to transfer to California State University, Hayward where she pursued a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biological Sciences. During her stay at Hayward, Aneta became particularly interested in genetics. In order to study this subjects further, she enrolled at San Jose State University as a graduate student where she received a Master of Arts Degree in Molecular Biology and Microbiology. Aneta has been teaching various biology courses in junior colleges in Bay Area for the last three years. She enjoys reading, dancing, hiking, and an occasional good movie.


Ron Fark, Professor of Biology, emeritus
Telephone: (650) 574-6273
Office: 11-053
Email: fark@smccd.edu

Ron Fark has been teaching at College of San Mateo more than thirty years. He has a B.A., B.S., and M.A. from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. He retired in 2000 but continues to teach and enjoy students. Over the years he has shared his passion for nature and the environment with scores of students. He currently teaches Introductory Biology.





Krista Granieri , Assistant Professor of Biology
Telephone: (650) 378-7301 ext. 19212
Office: 36-205F
Email: granierik@smccd.edu
Office Hours

Krista Granieri teaches Biology at College of San Mateo, Ohlone College and College of Alameda. She was a student at College of San Mateo where she took two pivotal courses. One was general chemistry with Dr. Kowerski, where, after a few office-hour chats, she decided that she wanted to become a community college professor. And the second was zoology with Professor Bucher, where she decided she wanted to be a parasitologist. She transferred to UC Santa Cruz to complete her Bachelor's degrees in biology and anthropology. She received her Master's degree in Biology from Sonoma State University. Krista's areas of interest include Microbiology, Cell & Molecular Biology, Protein Biochemistry and Biotechnology.


Fern Lucero, Assistant Professor of Biology
Telephone: (650) 378-7301 ext.19122
Office: 36-205C
Email: lucero@smccd.edu

Fern Lucero was born & raised in a small town in Illinois. She has a B.A. & M.A. in Zoology and a Ph.D. in Microbiology all from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. She also received a Post Doctoral Fellowship in Virology at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. She has taught at Southern Illinois University, University of North Dakota, University of California, San Francisco, Skyline College & College of San Mateo.  Presently she teaches Biology, Human Biology, and Health Science at CSM. She has two daughters and one son.  All are in the field of education. She enjoys reading, old movies and walking.



In Memorium, Ashok Malik, Assistant Professor of Biology
Telephone: (650) 378-7301 ext. 19670
Office: 36-205E
Email: malika@smccd.edu

Ashok Malik grew up in India, a country of a billion people. He has a Bachelor's in Biology and Chemistry, two Master's in Botany and twenty units of graduate level course work in Biology from San Jose State. He taught Botany to undergraduates in India for almost sixteen years, moved to America in 1987, and since then has been teaching biology in various community colleges from CSM to Evergreen, Chabot to Mission. "I am everywhere like 'Visa.'" At present, he teaches Biology and Health Science at CSM. Ethnobotany (Plants and Culture) is his first love. And Prairie Home Companion (the radio program) is his passion.



Theresa Martin, Professor of Biology
Telephone: (650) 574-6252
Office: 36 - 205B
Email: martin@smccd.edu
Office Hours
Website

Theresa Martin teaches Human Anatomy and Physiology. Her fascination with the human body began as a competitive runner and coach. She received Master's degrees in Exercise Science and Endocrinology from UC Davis and UC Berkeley, respectively. She enjoys working with students to prepare them for careers in allied health. In her free time she raises two young children and enjoys the outdoors.



Denise Railsback, Assistant Professor of Biology
Telephone: (650)378-7301 ext. 19127
Office: 36-205D
Email: railsbackd@smccd.edu

Denise earned her M.S. in Biology from California State University, Hayward (now CSU East Bay).  She teaches general biology and anatomy and physiology classes.  Denise is fascinated by many aspects of biology and of science in general.  She truly enjoys teaching and looks forward to helping students gain a greater appreciation of the world around them by helping them to explore biology.





John Searle, Professor of Biology and Chemistry, emeritus
Telephone: (650) 574-6607
Office: 36-305D
Email: searle@smccd.edu
Office Hours

John Searle arrived in California from the "old country" via 3 years of "postdocking" (research into natural products of lichen and fungi) in Canada, and a 3 year stint teaching at Western Washington State University. He has spent most of his CSM career splitting his teaching load 50:50 between biology and chemistry. John's present passion is in the area of molecular biology. In particular, he aims to interest students in the world of microbiology, and hopefully make a connection between it and the world of medicine and biotechnology. "I am confused as to whether I prefer mountain hiking or tandem cycling; I do know I enjoy a beer!"


Christopher Smith, Assistant Professor of Biology
Telephone: 378-7301 ext. 19146
Office: 36-205B
Email: smithchris@smccd.edu

Christopher Smith's professional interests include microbiology, immunology and pharmacology.  He was raised in Massachusetts, where he attended Suffolk University in Boston and the University of Massachusetts earning first a B.S. and then an M.S. in Biology.  After earning a Ph.D. from the Biochemistry Department of the Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, he worked for several years as a research scientist in the pharmaceutical industry.  His approach to scientific education is that Science is just as much critical thinking as a collection of facts to memorize.  Chris hopes to bring his enthusiasm for scientific inquiry to the classroom.



Carlene Tonini-Boutacoff, Professor of Biology
Telephone: (650) 574-6250
Office: 36-205D
Email: tonini@smccd.edu

Carlene Tonini's teaching areas include general biology for nonmajors and majors and human anatomy and physiology. For the past 35 years she has been very active in teaching and learning activities in the sciences. Her experience ranges from middle school science curriculum developer to many years in the community college scene including Napa College, Canada College and College of San Mateo. She has also been a content expert and contributor to a number of college biology textbooks, laboratory manuals and ancillaries. Her current project includes the Biology Curriculum Enhancement Project (BioCEPT), a National Science Foundation funded curriculum improvement project at the College of San Mateo. When not in the classroom or office, Professor Tonini can be found on the tennis courts or ski slopes and trails of the Sierras.


Huy Tran, Assistant Professor of Biology
Telephone: (650) 574-6241
Office: 36-205E
Email: tranh@smccd.edu
Office Hours

Huy Tran was born in Vietnam and came to the United States in 1975. He grew up in southern California and spent much of his childhood in his backyard catching creep-crawly critters with his brothers. He received his Bachelor's of Science in Biology from the University of California, San Diego and his Master's of Science in Biology from California State University, Hayward (East Bay). When he's not making life difficult for his students in class you can usually find him hiking on one of the many trails in the greater Bay Area. Besides his love for anything science-related, Huy's other interests include photography, art, camping and distance running.


Wendy Whyte, Assistant Professor of Biology
Telephone: (650) 378-7301 ext. 19425
Office: 36-205E
Email: whytew@smccd.edu


A former CSM student, "Dr. Wendy" is living proof there is life after Community College. Dr. Wendy went to College of San Mateo (Chemistry major) and transferred to UC Berkeley (Go Bears!).She has an A.B. in Biochemistry. Her M.S., Ph.D. is in Molecular Genetics from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx NY. Research experience includes metabolism of anticancer drugs and mechanisms of gamete formation. When she isn't teaching or prepping for classes, she volunteers for Foster City's Education Advisory Committee, hangs out with her family, and communes with the great outdoors by day hiking or skiing.


Mary Wilson, Assistant Professor of Biology
Telephone: (650) 378-7301 ext. 19164
Office: 36-205A
Email: wilsonm@smccd.edu
Website

Mary Wilson was born in San Diego, California but spent much of her early life in Virginia.  Her parents were both zoologists and avid gardeners who started her off in Biology at a young age.  Having grown up with leafy, green summers and bare, cold winters, she was very surprised and intrigued by the climate and vegetation when she returned to California.  She received her A.B. degree from Stanford University.  After several years spent as a stay-at-home/volunteer/soccer mom, Mary returned to school and received her M.S. degree from San Jose State University in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Botany.  She began teaching at CSM and San Jose State in 1998 and has taught at CSM ever since.  She enjoys the challenges and satisfactions of teaching very much.  She also enjoys hiking and identification of native plants.  She is active in Friends of Edgewood, a group that trains docents and leads wildflower walks in the spring at Edgewood Natural Preserve in Redwood City.

Shaye Zahedi, Assistant Professor of Biology
Telephone: (650) 574-6240
Office: 36-205F
Email: zahedi@smccd.edu

Shaye Zahedi is an adjunct instructor of Biology at CSM.
She teaches health science.