Dr. Eduardo Gonzalez is Vice Chair of Undergraduate Studies and an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

He earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez (Mexico) and completed his Ph.D. in 2013 at New Mexico State University, where he studied cell adhesion regulation during development.

Dr. Gonzalez’s current work focuses on discipline-based educational research aimed at improving undergraduate STEM education by identifying and implementing effective teaching practices that support student learning and success. Rather than attributing achievement gaps to students, his research examines how course design, active learning, mentoring communities, and structured support systems can enhance equity and academic outcomes.

His recent scholarship includes publications on scalable peer mentorship programs and structured introductory biology courses that promote student persistence and success, particularly among underrepresented groups.

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Talk Title: Ten Years, Many Lessons, and a Few Plot Twists: What I’ve Learned as a Teaching Professor in the UC System.

Abstract:
When I began my work as a Teaching Professor in the UC system ten years ago, I thought the central question was how to become a better teacher. I still care deeply about that question. But over time, I have learned that teaching well often leads us into larger questions about curriculum, equity, policy, leadership, collaboration, and institutional change. Those have been some of the unexpected “plot twists” of my career.

In this keynote, I will reflect on ten years of teaching, service, research, and collaboration in the UC system, sharing lessons learned from large-enrollment biology courses, course redesign, mentoring programs, office hours research, departmental leadership, campus service, and cross-institutional partnerships. Rather than offering a simple career timeline, I will use these experiences to explore the evolving role of Teaching Professors as educators, scholars, mentors, advocates, and institutional change agents. My goal is to highlight how the work we do in classrooms can become a powerful lens for understanding and improving the systems in which students learn, faculty teach, and communities thrive.