Welcome to the College of
Science & Mathematics!
CSM continues to promote the vision of CoAS through exemplary teaching, interdisciplinary and collaborative research, innovative curricula, and creative endeavors. We provide our students with the foundational knowledge and skills needed to meet technological challenges in a rapidly evolving world. It is an exciting time to be a STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) student at CSUSM. The Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development has designated our region as an innovation hub for life sciences and technology. The National Science Foundation estimates that 80 percent of jobs created in this decade will require math and science skills, and we are designing our curricula to be responsive to the needs of quality STEM education.
A substantial NSF grant, which partners physics faculty at San Marcos and Palomar College, aims to increase the number of STEM students and graduates through regional partnerships, recruiting and retention. Both campuses have established STEM Centers that provide tutoring and supplemental instruction. At Cal State San Marcos, we recognize that cutting edge research in biomedical science flourishes at the intersections of mathematics, computer science and the biological and physical sciences, and our students must be prepared to work at those intersections. With funding from the NIH, faculty in the biological and physical sciences have modified existing courses and are developing new ones to facilitate learning more quantitative and computational skills and mastery of those skills. These curricular innovations will ultimately impact more than 1500 majors each year.
Integral to CSM's instructional mission is the generation of new knowledge through research and creative activity that engages students, as well as educates and develops K-12 teachers. CSM faculty meaningfully involve students in original research that asks fundamental questions and advances important developments in areas such as biogeochemistry, oceanography, virology, reproductive physiology, bioorganic chemistry, bioinformatics, mobile computing, number theory, fluid dynamics, atmospheric chemistry, and electronic conduction in materials. The Bridges to Stem Cell Research Program, funded by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), places ten students each year in full 12-month internships with host laboratories throughout the region. The Masters of Biotechnology degree is an innovative graduate program that prepares students for careers in industry, government or nonprofits. A significant NSF grant, awarded to faculty in Computer Science and the School of Education, supports the work by middle school teachers to design cyber-based science learning experiences.
In the words of Sir Isaac Newton, "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." CSM owes its strong start to the leadership of the previous deans of the College of Arts and Sciences, Victor Rocha, Miriam Schustack, Vicki Golich and Jennifer Jefferies. Their vision and dedication defined CoAS by promoting academic excellence, community partnerships, and diversity. Special thanks go to Dean Victor Rocha, whose legacy continues with the Office for Training, Research and Education in the Sciences (OTRES). We are also indebted to the founding faculty of CSUSM, one being Professor K. Brooks Reid (Mathematics) who recently entered the Faculty Early Retirement Program. As Dr. Reid stated in a recent interview, "...we have attracted faculty who are scholars and good teachers. We didn't simply want a teaching school; instead we wanted people who were active in their field and could inform their teaching through their scholarly and professional activities outside teaching."
This is a defining moment for the College of Science and Mathematics at Cal State San Marcos. Together, working with students, staff and faculty, we are creating a college that fosters excellence in STEM education, interdisciplinary and collaborative research, innovation, and creative endeavors. By providing educational equity, we are creating pathways for student academic success and enabling our students to meet technological challenges in a rapidly evolving world. The past achievements and traditions of CSUSM provide a firm foundation from which we can grow as the College of Science and Mathematics, be responsive to and adapt to change. Please join us as we move forward, and we continue to enrich the intellectual and economic life of our region and the state.
