MSTI | College of Education

Math/Science Teacher Initiative

Math/Science Teacher Initiative

Math/Science Teacher Initiative

About MSTI

The SDSU Mathematics/Science Teacher Initiative (MSTI) is a collaboration between the College of Education and the College of Sciences to support future math and science teachers.

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Tutors

Megan Grimsley

Mathematics Education

Hi guys! My name is Megan and I’m a 3rd year in the process of changing my major from engineering to Math teaching! Here at SDSU, besides tutoring through MSTI, I’m part of the Supplemental Instruction program as a leader for Chem 200. My hobbies include spending time with family/friends/my funny dogs, camping, hiking, volunteering, going to Disney and also buying super cool socks (I own way more printed/ holiday socks than regular socks)! Right now I’m tutoring algebra and chemistry at Helix and I love it! I wanted to become a tutor at the beginning of the semester because I wanted to see if teaching would be a good career path for me, as it’s VERY different than engineering. Now, after doing SI for 4 semesters and actually getting to work with high school students through MSTI, I’m confident that I do want to change my major to teaching! My favorite part is how funny and unique all of the kids are, so getting to joke around with the kids while still helping them learn is a lot of fun. Sooo yea- shoutout to MSTI for indirectly helping me choose my major & introducing me to some great teachers and great kids! :)

Ellyn Brouillette

Environmental Engineering & Women’s Studies (minor)

My name is Ellyn, and I'm in my second year at SDSU majoring in environmental engineering and minoring in women's studies. I am in SDSU's Associated Students Sustainability Commission, Green Love, and I also work in the Women's Resource Center here on campus. My favorite hobbies include making soap, making kombucha, and letting young women and other gender oppressed people know they are intelligent, capable, and valued. I am tutoring freshman math and AP Calculus AB/BC at Helix Charter High School. Again, I really enjoy empowering the young people I work with and that is probably my favorite thing about working there. As a Helix alum, I was inspired to help my former math teacher by starting an after school AP Calc tutorial for her students.

Christine DeMartini

Biology

My name is Christine DeMartini and I am a second year Biology major at San Diego State. I am also involved in the SDSU Marching Aztecs and the SDSU Best Buddies club. This is my first semester working with MSTI and I am currently helping in Ms. Wylie’s honors biology classroom at Helix high school. One of my favorite things about working there is seeing how creative the students are when they do group work/projects. I was inspired to become a MSTI tutor because I knew one of the other tutors (Ellyn) and she told me that it was a good experience.

Testimonials

Katrine Czajkowski, Ph.D.

Program Manager, Teacher Induction, Leadership Development and Systems Innovation, Sweetwater Union High School District

Tutors are “amazing young people who will pry open the doors of opportunity to many of our students through their support in math.”

Rebeca De Leon Pardini

Integrated Math II Teacher, CSET Instructor, MSTI tutor host, San Ysidro High School Sweetwater Union High School District

"MSTI has given me so many opportunities: from being a tutor, to helping me get in to the credential program at SDSU, and now being an instructor for the CSET courses."

Elizabeth Carzoli

Administrator, Sweetwater School District

“I have always loved teaching Science! I have taught 19 years in both middle and high school. Teaching everything from Life Science, Math, ELD-English Language Development, Biology, Chemistry and AP Biology. Through natural selection in my teaching, I have integrated technology, English Arts, and Math with a focus on hands on and minds on activities. Working with the College Board and a National committee of professors we developed a new curriculum and assessment, this experience gave me the courage and motivation to address the current crisis in our science teacher population. I began to help teachers from single subject (non-science) to multiple subject teachers in reviewing, taking, and passing the CSET Science test. As a tutor and mentor my hope continues to be to increase the Science teacher supply in our state and encourage more teachers to use Science as a way to teach English, Math, technology, and the arts. As an administrator at a STEAM school, I continue to motivate more teachers and help them pass the requirements of the new CSET Science test through the MTSI program at SDSU. By incorporating hands on engineering skills and minds on through rigorous activities, teachers will be able to succeed in teaching a well rounded curriculum in both elementary and secondary education.”

Faculty

Rafaela M. Santa Cruz, Ph.D

Co-Director, Math/Science Teacher Initiative

Dr. Rafaela M. Santa Cruz has been involved in teacher education and mathematics teacher professional development for more than thirty years. One of her aims over the years has been to improve teaching methods to reduce achievement gaps among Latino and African American students due to language, cultural and financial differences. She has taught courses in mathematics teaching methods, statistics, educational research and other teacher preparation and teacher training topics. The administrative positions held by Dr. Santa Cruz at San Diego State include Director of the SDSU/CGU Joint Ph.D. Program in Education, Interim Director of the School of Teacher Education, Director of the San Diego Mathematics Project, Coordinator of the College of Education Faculty Student Mentor Program, Director of the Masters Program for Mexican Educators in Tijuana, and Director of the Single Subject Bilingual Emphasis Program.

Donna L. Ross, Ph.D.

Co-Director, Math/Science Teacher Initiative

Dr. Donna Ross is a science education faculty member in the School of Teacher Education. Prior to joining SDSU, she was a biologist and a K-12 teacher. She is passionate about improving and increasing science teaching and learning in our schools. She works closely with other faculty in the Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education (CRMSE). She is a PI or co-Pi on multiple grants funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to encourage undergraduates to consider science teaching as a career and to support students in the credential, masters and doctoral programs. She was a co-founder of the Aztec Science Camp and founder of the College of Education Makerspace.

MSTI TEAM

Rafaela M. Santa Cruz, Ph.D.
Co-Director, Math/Science Teacher Initiative
619-594-1120
[email protected]
EBA 201A

Donna Ross, Ph.D.
Co-Director, Math/Science Teacher Initiative
619-594-6129
[email protected]
EBA 201A

Fiona Liddell
Program Coordinator
619-594-5706
[email protected]
EBA 250