Robin M.
Private tutor in San Francisco, CA
Education
I am no ordinary tutor: I am a "recovering biochemist" who left the lab for science education and communication over 20 years ago. I have decades of experience making the complexities of science understandable, and sparking the curiosity of learners across the spectrum of interest and background. I earned my degree in biochemistry from the University of Minnesota, where I did research in several biochemistry labs and published scientific papers as an undergraduate, very early in my career. I left the lab to pursue science communication, and spent ten years at the Exploratorium, one of the world's premier science museums. There, I learned a panoply of approaches to science education from exemplary, lifelong teachers. After a decade, I left the museum behind for an independent life focused on making science accessible to everyone. Now, I do more than tutor: I also write textbooks and craft science curricula, and operate a small business offering science-themed walking tours in San Francisco (www.DiscoveryStreetTours.com). I believe that everyone has natural curiosity about the world around them, and tapping into that curiosity is the gateway to appreciating science.
Experience
I love tutoring because it allows me to develop deep relationships with my students, and to guide them through science in a style that is very personal to their needs and interests. I have been tutoring since 2014, and all of my students have seen improvements to their grades, and have gained confidence in their knowledge and abilities. I have studied many fields of chemistry, including organic, physical, and analytical chem. The same is true for life sciences, with courses in genetics, microbiology, plant biology, biochemistry, and cell biology. My research work and area of continued learning is molecular biology, the nexus of chemistry and life science— DNA, RNA, and proteins. As a curriculum developer, I've crafted sections of chemistry and biology textbooks by major publishers, written a year-long human anatomy and physiology curriculum, a year-long series of engineering lessons, and many other projects. Between the lab and the Exploratorium, I was a journalist, often reporting on science issues. I spent 8 years reporting for various NPR stations around the country and worked abroad in Australia, Russia, and Ukraine. I continue writing about research advances at UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley, and recently penned the web content the California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine, with the office of the Governor of California. You can see all my science-related pursuits at www.DiscoveryStreetScience.com.
Availability
Weekdays at any time
Can Meet
Up to 30 minutes away for no additional charge
Hobbies
When I'm not tutoring or writing, I'm still getting my geek on. I regularly give talks for Nerd Nite (sf.nerdnite.com), and participate in the Bay Area Science Festival. For almost ten years, I've worked with Ask a Scientist as their official Trivia Mistress, offering at least one Science Trivia Night each year. I spend my free time cooking (it's chemistry, really), listening to music (it's math and physics, really), and on long, exploratory bike rides (it's physics and physiology, really). My favorite element is sodium because it tastes good and explodes in water.
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