Teaching

Courses:

EcoEvo 203; Phylogenetic Comparative Methods. University of California, Irvine. Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. To be taught: Spring, 2023.

BioSci 94; Organisms to Ecosystems. University of California, Irvine. Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. To be taught: Winter, 2023.

EVE 198; Biodiversity of Fishes IV. University of California, Davis. Department of Evolution and Ecology. Spring, 2018.

EVE 198; Biodiversity of Fishes III. University of California, Davis. Department of Evolution and Ecology. Winter, 2018.

EVE 198; Biodiversity of Fishes II. University of California, Davis. Department of Evolution and Ecology. Fall, 2017.

EVE 199; Research Credits. University of California, Davis. Department of Evolution and Ecology. Fall, 2017.

Pedagogy Publications:

Price SA, Larouche O, Friedman ST, Corn KA, Wainwright PC & Martinez CM. 2020. A CURE for a major challenge in phenomics: a practical guide to implementing a quantitative specimen-based undergraduate research experience. Integrative Organismal Biology. 2(1), obaa004.

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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

 

The Martinez Lab is committed to supporting diversity of all forms. If you have a passion for research and a desire to help make academia a better and more inclusive place, you are the type of lab member we are looking for!

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DEI Plan

This plan provides an overview of my approach to promote a diverse research environment.

1. Recruitment: My first focus will be to cultivate a productive and diverse research lab that is inclusive to all. To do this, I will leverage all campus resources available to me to attract the brightest and most talented URM biology students and postdocs to my lab. I will work in full cooperation with grant programs that support URM students and ensure that all potential lab members are aware of the funding options that may support their research.

2. Retention: Getting traditionally underrepresented students in the door is one thing, but setting them up for success once they are in the lab is quite another. Given higher rates of attrition for URM students in STEM fields (Koenig 2009), I will place an emphasis on assessing my students’ progress and will meet regularly to discuss hardships that they encounter along the way. In this area, my personal life experiences and history of mentoring and outreach, position me to effectively address the unique needs of URM students. In addition to support from their advisors, however, students need a sense of community among their peers. I will educate my students on campus groups that promote interaction among URM students from different disciplines. I can attest that having access to these types of groups (in my case, the Center for Inclusive Education at Stony Brook University) can go a long way to provide a sense of belonging in an academic environment that can be isolating to URM students.

3. Early Action/Outreach: Young URM students, especially those from low-income communities, are often unaware of the range of opportunities available to them in STEM. For this reason, I will use outreach to generate excitement for organismal biology among URM junior high and high school students. I will actively seek local schools and organizations in order to reach these students and discuss the innovative research in my lab. I plan to create an atmosphere of service in my lab, where all members will be encouraged to participate in outreach aimed at sparking interest in science for future generations of URM students.

4. Broadening My Reach: As the Beatles once sang, “I get by with a little help from my friends”. In order to increase my ability to reach and positively impact URM students, I will collaborate with like-minded people and organizations with similar goals. I will also pursue leadership positions with organizations outside of my home university, where I may gain a support system for my outreach efforts and have a platform to promote the school’s mission for diversity to a wider audience of underrepresented scholars.

Reference: Keonig R. 2009. Minority retention rates in science are sore spot for most universities. Science. 234(5933), 1386-1387.