Dr. Julia Willsie is a Professor of Biology currently serving as Chair of the Biological Sciences and Co-Coordinator of the Oceanography Program. She has been teaching biology and marine science at colleges and universities for over 25 years, and holds a BA in Biology from Occidental College, an MA in Marine Science from SFSU, and a PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology from UC Davis.
Her graduate work was carried out at the Estuarine and Ocean Sciences Center and the Bodega Marine Laboratory, focusing on organismal and cellular responses to environmental stressors in marine invertebrates in mudflat, deep-sea and hypersaline environments. She has worked on oceanographic research vessels, completed CCBFEST training through SEPAL at SFSU, carried out Disciplined-Based Education Research in conjunction with colleagues at SEPAL and CUNY (CREATE), mentored in the UMOJA and PUMA STEM programs, led workshops for Expanding Your Horizons and served on several Guided Pathways implementation work groups for the college.
When not on campus, Dr. Willsie enjoys travelling, swimming, gardening and spending time with her husband and two sons.