Full-Time Faculty
- Kiowa Bower, PhD
- Dr. Bower joined the department in 2009 as an Assistant Research Lecturer and became an Assistant Professor in 2012. He holds a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics from The California Institute of Technology. His research interest and experience encompasses the interface between biochemistry and neuroscience, with an emphasis on the structure and function of neuroreceptors. His current research examines expression of receptors in stem cells as they differentiate into neurons and also seeks a better understanding of the role that these receptors play in differentiation process. Dr. Bower has taught Cell & Developmental Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry, Bio Research Methodology, Physics, and Big History.
- Graciela Carranza, PhD
- Dr. Carranza joined the department in 2007. She earned her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Baylor University. She later held a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute in San Francisco. She is trained as a medicinal chemist and her research focuses on the design, synthesis and biochemical evaluation of new anti-cancer drug candidates that mediate their biological activity through alkylation of DNA and direct interaction with estrogen-related receptors (ERRs). Additional projects include investigation of the chemical composition and biological activity of several native California medicinal plant species. Dr. Carranza has taught Introduction to Chemistry Lab, Chemistry for Health Sciences, General Chemistry I and II and BIO Research Methodology.
- Vania Coelho, PhD
- Dr. Coelho joined the department in 2002 as an assistant professor, and is currently an associate professor. She has a master’s degree in ecology and a Ph.D. in zoology, both from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. She completed most of her doctorate research while she was working as a visiting scientist at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, in Washington, D.C. After completing her doctorate, Dr. Coelho held a post-doctoral research scientist position initially and later an associate research scientist position, at Columbia University. In 2007, she received the “Excellence in Education” Service Award from the City of San Rafael Chamber of Commerce, San Rafael, CA. Dr. Coelho is also the faculty coordinator for Dominican’s Center for Sustainability and faculty advisor for the Green Student Club. Her current research focus is on coral reef ecology. Dr. Coelho has taught BIO Research Methodology, Ecology & Evolution, Environmental Issues (now Environmental Sciences), International Field Biology, Marine Biology, and Environmental Field Studies.
- Roland Cooper, PhD
- Dr. Cooper joined the department in 2011. His NIH-research is focused on the molecular mechanism of drug action and resistance in the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. His projects are based both in the laboratory, as well as in Uganda. Dr. Cooper has taught Advanced Genetics and Medical Parasitology.
- James Cunningham, PhD
- Dr. Cunningham joined the department in 1991 and served as the chair of the department from 1998 through 2001. Dr. Cunningham holds a position as research associate in the Department of Mammalogy and Ornithology at the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California. Prior to joining the Dominican faculty Dr. Cunningham taught biology at San Francisco City College, College of San Mateo, College of Marin, College of Notre Dame, Cosumnes River College, and Golden Gate University. Dr. Cunningham's research interests include studies of the vocal behavior and social organization of birds. He is also interested in the growth rates of birds and how this relates to energy allocation during breeding. Dr. Cunningham has taught Organismal Biology, Science and Society, BIO Research Methodology, Fundamentals of Ecology, Comparative Anatomy, Advanced Ecology, Developmental Biology, Natural History of CA, Whole Earth History, Birds & the Environment, and Conservation Biology.
- Mohammed El Majdoubi, PhD
- Dr. Majdoubi joined the department in 2005 as an Assistant Professor of Neurobiology and became an Associate Professor in 2011. He holds a BS in Physiology and a MS and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience & Pharmacology from the University of Bordeaux, France. Dr. Majdoubi came to the United States in 1997 to work as a Research Associate studying the neurobiology of puberty at the University of Pittsburgh Primate Center, before joining the University of California San Francisco in 2000 as an Assistant Research Neuroendocrinologist and Director of the Morphology Core Facility. His current research is focused on the neuroendocrine differentiation of stem cells. Dr. Majdoubi has published 18 scientific publications and has given 25 presentations at international meetings. Dr. Majdoubi has taught Organismal Biology Lab, Cell & Developmental Biology, BIO Research Methodology, Human Neruoanatomy and Physiology, Neuroscience, and was honored by his students with the Dominican Teacher of the Year Award in 2009.
- Linda Green, PhD
- Dr. Green joined the department in 2010. She holds a B.S. and M.S. from the University of Chicago and a PhD in mathematics from Princeton University. After a post-doc at the Mathematical Science Research Institute in Berkeley and a year teaching at the North Carolina School of Science and Math, Dr. Green spent several years doing mathematical modeling of breast cancer at the San Francisco company Archimedes, Inc. Dr. Green returned to teaching in 2009 with a visiting position at Mills College. Her main research interests are three-dimensional topology and mathematical modeling of disease. In addition, Dr. Green directs the Marin Math Circle, a math enrichment program for students in grades 1 - 12, and the Bay Area Math Olympiad, a proof-style contest for middle and high school students. Dr. Green has taught Intermediate Algebra for College Students, College Algebra, and Precalculus.
- Randall Hall, PhD
- Dr. Hall joined the department in 2012 as the University's first Endowed Professor holding the position of the Dr. Lilliam L.Y. Wang Yin Endowed Professor in Chemistry. He holds a BS in Chemistry, and a MA, a MPhil and a PhD in Theoretical Chemical Physics from Columbia University, New York, NY.
- William King, MS
- Professor King joined the department in 1982. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics from the University of Colorado at Boulder and an MA degree in mathematics from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. Before coming to Dominican, Prof. King taught mathematics at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and at Illinois State University. He also worked for the Bureau of Reclamation in an applied physics and petrography laboratory. He served as chair of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Dominican for seventeen years and as the original director of the Fletcher Jones Computer Center. His research interests include applications of statistics to policy analysis, time series analysis, event history analysis, spatial analysis, and mathematical models in the social sciences. Prof. King has taught Quantitative Analysis for Statistics, Precalculus, Calculus I & II, Multivariate Calculus, Logic & Set Theory, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, and Advanced Statistics.
- Maggie Louie, PhD
- Dr. Louie joined the department in 2005, became an Associate Professor in 2011, and is currently the Director of the Chemistry Program. She holds dual Bachelor’s degrees in Biochemistry (BS) and Nutritional Science (BA), a MS in Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Ph.D. in Biochemistry from UC Davis. In addition to her classroom teaching, Dr. Louie also has an active research program funded by the National Cancer Institute. Her lab is focused on understanding how hormone-refractory breast cancer develops, specifically looking at 1) the development of tamoxifen resistance and 2) the role of metalloestrogen and other endocrine disruptors in this process. Dr. Louie has taught General Chemistry I & II, BIO Research Methodology, Science Seminar, Graduate Research Methodology, Organic Chemistry I & II, Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biotechnology.
- Diara Spain, PhD
- Dr. Spain joined the department as an Assistant Professor 2002 and in 2010 she became the Director of the Honors Program. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, with a minor in education from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina. Her Ph.D. is in biology, with an emphasis in marine invertebrates, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Spain’s biological science research focuses on functional morphology and locomotion in echinoderms and other major research interests are skeletal support systems, locomotion in soft-bodied animals. Additionally, she has an ongoing project investigating written and oral communication skills in undergraduate science classes. Dr. Spain has taught Organismal Biology, BIO Research Methodology, Invertebrate Biology, Animal Physiology, Histology, Human Anatomy, and Human Physiology.
- Images and docs
- Randall Hall Group Page
- The group webpage for Randall Hall, Lillian L. Y. Wang Yin Ph.D., Endowed Professor of Chemistry.
