Kathy Foltz
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Associate Professor, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology,
and College of Creative Studies
Personal Profile
My husband (who is also a professor)
and I have two young boys who keep us busy with baseball, karate and various other
activities. Our home life is filled with books and music, sports, and outdoor activities
including gardening, hiking and fishing. I tend to find lots of interesting things
in the pockets of my kids' jeans when I do the laundry. Much of my community time
is spent working in K-12 outreach, public school science curricular issues, and
human rights.
Research Interests
I am probably best-labeled as a traditional biologist-I
really love thinking about how organisms interact with their environments as well
as details about enzymatic pathways and molecules. I suppose you could call it a
"whole enchilada approach." Most of my current research projects are focused on
understanding how an egg undergoes the transition to an embryo in the first few
moments after fertilization. It is a fascinating question, not well understood in
any model system, and has lots of implications for biomedicine such as birth defects,
assisted reproductive technologies, and stem cell biology.
Teaching Style
I strongly
believe that education is a collaborative effort between teacher and student and
my most enjoyable moment is when the role reverses and I become the student. I am
an advocate of life long learning. Most of the topics that I teach are too large
to cover in any detail in 10 weeks, so I focus instead on challenging students to
master the first principles of a topic, then to develop their critical thinking
skills so that no matter what detail comes along, they can figure it out. Being
able to apply the knowledge is what counts. I try to stay far away from memorization
style teaching.
Idea of a Good Time
A clear night under the stars five days in on
a high mountain backpacking trail. Or, since that doesn't happen too often, a full
night's sleep following a leisurely read of a well-written historical novel. Come
to think of it, that does not happen too often either!
Most Important Thing to Learn
at College
First, figure out how to get along with a diverse group of people and
create a better community. Second, explore your talents and interests, eventually
matching those up with a career that won't seem like a job. Don't define yourself
by your major; rather, focus on what you have learned about yourself and the knowledge
you have gained.
Advice for New Students at UCSB
- Do not shy away from meeting
with your professors at office hours, even if you do not have specific questions
about the class.
- The quarter system is fast - don't fall behind!
- Take advantage
of services and opportunities that are offered by the university (e.g. CLAS, workshops
on preparing resumes, peer advising).
- And finally, work hard to figure out how
to balance your fun with your coursework. You are in control of how you spend your
time, so prioritize and figure that out as quickly as you can.
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