Alumni Career Snapshots

Diqui LaPenta  

Employer Name  

College of the Redwoods

Employer  Website

www.redwoods.edu

Job Title  

Professor

Additional education

Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, 1994

Briefly describe what you do   

I teach general biology, microbiology and cellular biology at a community college.

What other jobs have you had?

  • Assistant Professor/sabbatical replacement at Colorado College

  • Lecturer in microbiology at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA

  • Postdoctoral Researcher at Children's Hospital in Seattle, WA

What are the key skills, abilities, and personal qualities necessary to succeed in this type of work?  

Desire to work closely with students having very diverse educational, social, economic, and ethnic backgrounds.  Patience.  Excellent oral and written communication skills.  Know how to use technology appropriately in the classroom.

What do you enjoy most about your current position?  

I get to use my scientific training while working closely with people every day.  That, and I get every summer completely off!

Most important/valuable lesson or activity in college that impacted your career  

The truly incredible faculty and facilities at Trinity went a very long way in preparing me for graduate school.  They also showed me what it's like to work in a place that values the individual student.

What advice for someone entering this field?

Get as much teaching experience as you can during graduate school.  Look for a program that actually trains graduate students to teach.

Questions?
 

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