Michael Scott Robertson

Google Voice (call/text): ‪(562) 452-3186‬

The best way to contact me is via email or Google Voice text message

Basics: My name is Michael Scott Robertson, Associate Professor of Anthropology in the department of Social Sciences. I taught part time at LBCC for a few years, and was hired full time in Fall of 2016 as a specialist in Linguistic Anthropology, but I primarily teach classes in Cultural Anthropology as that course has the biggest demand.

Education: I am born and raised in Long Beach, and went to Millikan H.S., then CSULB for my BA and MA degrees in Anthropology focusing on culture, linguistics, and disability.

Call to Online Teaching: I was hired to LBCC as an adjunct faculty in Fall 2013, and learned about teaching online (through Moodle at the time) as quickly as I could. Thanks to the OLET trainings and helpful staff in the ITDC, I was able to build my skill set and truly start to express myself in the online classroom.

I was greatly humbled when my Cultural Anthropology Web course was recognized in Spring 2015 and Spring 2018 with the LBCC Exemplary Online Instruction Award. The culmination of seven years teaching online and increasing involvement with the Student Equity Subcommittee shape my web course pedagogy. Most recently I took up the role of Online Education Faculty Coordinator (2020-2022) and have been working on the TOS 3.0, Growing with Canvas, and other trainings this past summer and fall.

Call to Equity: Ensuring all students have the tools for success is important to me and I believe that this must happen at the institutional (macro) level and the individual (micro) course level. I also see community colleges as one of the greatest leveling mechanisms in society today, and as a straight, white, cisgender male, I aim to relinquish privileges and listen to voices that may otherwise not be heard.

In Spring 2017 I became a LAC Faculty Representative on the LBCC Student Equity Subcommittee, and since then have been part of many equity initiatives on campus. To name a few: I have participated in focus groups with the USC Center for Urban Education, attended the Equity Institute Academy Conference, facilitated FLEX trainings on equitable syllabi, and have served on the LBCC COVID-19 Instructional Task Force focusing on issues of equity and remote teaching.

Hobbies: Alone time: distance running, cycling, reading, cooking new foods, working outside. Family time: Spending time with my wonderful wife and our two young boys: goofing around, cooking Persian food, and being outdoors!

Priscilla Bravo Arias

Email: pbravoarias@lbcc.edu

The best way to contact me is: Via email

Basics: Hello! My name is Priscilla Bravo Arias and I am an Assistant Professor of Microbiology in the Life Science Department. I began at LBCC in Fall 2017 as a part-time instructor and became a full-time instructor in Fall 2019. I love being a science educator and communicator, it is such an exciting topic.

Education: I am a first-generation college student and I began my academic journey at Cypress College and transferred to Mount St. Mary's College in Los Angeles where I earned my B.S. in Biology. I then attended Cal State Long Beach where I earned a Master of Science in Biology, with an emphasis in Molecular-Cell Biology. I was awarded fellowships in the programs H2OLA and RISE that worked to support first-generation students in higher education and scientific research.

Call to Online Teaching: While at Pasadena City College there was an opportunity to teach General Biology as a hybrid course. I was a bit hesitant to take it on because I had never taken a science course online and was unsure how to teach and support students in this manner. It turned out to be a great learning opportunity and it really kick-started my interest in teaching hybrid courses. The greatest thing about teaching online courses is that they allow me to work with students who I may not typically be able to work with when we are face-to-face.

Call to Equity: As a first-generation, woman of color, I am familiar with the struggles and challenges our students face. I strive to support and challenge our students in a safe environment, to not only guide them in their science journey but to also help them know that they belong in this community .

I participated and presented at the first Curriculum Audit in Summer 2019 and continued to work with the Curriculum Audit. I have also participated in the Equity Institute Academy Conference held at Skyline College.

Hobbies: I enjoy reading, working on puzzles, taking care of my houseplants, and spending family time with my husband and our beautiful pit bull June.

Communication Plan

We enjoy working with our peers, and want you to know your success is paramount to us. An open channel of communication contributes to that success, so here is our promise to you:

We'll endeavor to answer all email received Monday through Friday within 24 hours, and any emails received on weekends first thing Monday morning, if not sooner.
We'll send out weekly announcements to keep you up-to-date on the course.
We'll grade your work within 72 hours of the due date, provide feedback to help you improve your course curriculum, and accept revisions, when needed.
We'll foster an atmosphere of respect, trust, and collegiality.

Technical Help

People learn better when they are not frustrated. Technology can be frustrating. We'd like to enhance your learning experience in this class by lowering your technology-induced frustration whenever possible. Please use us as a resource, and we strongly recommend you click on the Canvas Help icon on the left navigation menu.

In addition to your facilitators in this course, you also have the LBCC OLET Team to help with technical support.