Organization
St John's University
Roberta Hayes
Profile
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Telephone718-390-4077
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Address
address1: 8000 Utopia Pkwy address2: St Augustine Hall SAH 171 city: Queens postal: 11439 region: New York country: US
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BiographyI am Roberta Hayes from Staten Island, New York and I am an associate professor at St. John’s University in Queens and 2024 is my first time joining BIOME and Qubes. I am also the Director of the university science core for non-science majors. This course is designed as the last science course these students may take. We try to focus on skill development and skill building, critical thinking and quantitative reasoning. This course is generally taken in the first three semesters in a four year university.
The university science core focuses on the scientific process and how scientists know what is real and what is disinformation or misinformation. In a world of social media and deep fakes, this is a skill students of all disciplines should be able to Master. Each section is taught from a different theme which might best engage students interests, Including everything from quantum theory, botany, GIS, evolution, and data visualization. The theme that I use in my sections is Global Health, Infectious disease and Sustainability. My personal background is as an immunologist and microbiologist who has done a lot of clinical cancer immunotherapy.
The design of the University Core is intended to be Beyond the Content, since our students need real life examples of how science helps them think and figure things out — not just facts. Students have Google and AI for the facts, or at least they think they do.
Looking forward to developing ideas and lessons for nonscience students in quantitative reasoning with this group.
I also teach a class twice a month at the local JCC for older students, over the age of 50, about general health and disease.
In a non-academic world I am a certified Kansas City Barbecue Judge, and we have developed our own brand of award-winning steak and barbecue sauces, and spice rubs.