Dr. Damon Meyer is a trained geneticist and molecular biologist with over 10 years of teaching experience in higher education. Dr. Meyer started with California Northstate University, College of Health Sciences in 2015 as one of the founding faculty. During his time with the College of Health Sciences he has developed and taught many courses, which include general biology, genetics, human physiology, and microbiology. While genetics is his favorite course to teach, Dr. Meyer enjoys engaging and interacting with students in the classroom. He has been able to combine his passion for teaching and research while in the classroom and seeks to foster creative teaching pedagogies within the college. Dr. Meyer’s current research uses yeast as a model organism to study a variety of DNA repair pathways and the function of homologous human proteins. When he is not teaching or engaging in research, Dr. Meyer enjoys camping, hiking, running, sports, and many different types of anime.

Dr. Effiong’s believes in keeping Chemistry interesting through research. Her research effort is geared towards identifying and quantifying PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) in sea food – primarily oysters. This class of organic compounds are abundant in rivers, estuaries and soil sediments especially if petrochemical industries are in close proximity or they can be found in debris from forest fires. Elevated levels of PAH content in sea food may have health implications to consumers of such sea food. Dr. Effiong has an extensive teaching career that spans over two decades. Although her previous faculty positions were in Departments of Chemistry, she embraces the uniquely broad (and diverse) interdisciplinary approach (curriculum) that the College of Health Sciences has to offer her undergraduates. She hopes that the unique platform will foster collaborative teaching/research relationships with colleagues in other disciplines.

Dr. Katherine Whitcome is a biological anthropologist interested in evolutionary and biomechanical aspects of bipedal posture and gait. Although many anthropologists study human bipedalism, they do so primarily through examination of fossils, with the aim of reconstructing the time and the place of its ancestral origin. In contrast, Dr. Whitcome’s academic work focuses on the relationship between functional anatomy and movement activity as a means of understanding WHY our ancestors became bipedal and HOW this behavior impacts modern life. Dr. Whitcome serves as the Department Chair for Humanities and Social Sciences and is an Associate Professor of Biological Anthropology and Anatomy at California Northstate University. Before joining CNU CHS Dr. Whitcome taught at Harvard University and the University of Texas, Austin.

Dr. Wostenberg has been with CNU-CHS since 2015. He is the current Department Chair of Science and Mathematics. He has taught all the chemistry courses as well as pre-calculus, calculus, and guided research. His research interests involve understanding how biomacromolecules, like RNA, function. He enjoys films, reading, and games.

Dr. Kit Keane studies landscape genetics and urban ecology in insects, especially to understand how patterns of dispersal are influenced by social dynamics/environmental constraints. He teaches introductory biology, anatomy, physiology, and genetics. Additionally, as an educator at heart, he places a strong focus on the science of learning.