Lin Zhu
The Registered Veterinary Technology program at Pierce College has one new full-time employee “on staff” now, that means the staff is serving as both an instructor and a veterinarian for the farm animals.
Rebecca A. Yates has begun to work as a full-time instructor and veterinarian for the RVT program at Pierce from this fall semester.
But it’s not her first time teaching here, she had taught the same program here part-time in 1995 and 1999. She’s happy to have had the transition as a full-time instructor here at Pierce.
“I personally just enjoy teaching science and I enjoy explaining to people who have no science background,” said Yates.
“Something I really enjoy is to try to make biology make sense to someone who has little training.”
“But of course, it’s not the case here at Pierce,” she laughed.
At present, she teaches Animal Science 430/431 (veterinarian clinical pathology and lab) on Mondays and co-teaches AS421 (clinical procedures lab) with Dr. Grisham, the part-time veterinarian in RVT program, on Wednesdays.
She also has a class on AS181A, it is for students to follow her around and exam some of the animals.
On Thursday afternoons she teaches AS510 class, that’s the animal health and disease control course. Usually she does not teach on Tuesdays but spend time either looking at the animals or writing animal medical records or working with the farm technician if there is any sick animals. In released time she will look and develop some new classes.
According to Liz White, the director of RVT program at Pierce, Yates’ clinical experience with zoo animal medicine and as a veterinarian enable her to care for all the animals at Pierce: dogs, cats and livestock.
“She will bring a new dimension to the RVT program because of her unique perspective,” said White.
“She is also an experienced teacher and is very familiar with the use of classroom technology.”
To be a full-time instructor enables Yates to focus on her teaching and thus she can dedicate her full-time energy to teaching.
“I have chance of time to commit to preparing interesting lectures, to research certain topics and draw better examples,” said Yates.
“I choose to be in an environment where teaching is encouraged and supported. Working here brings all things together: I can be a veterinarian, and I can be a teacher, too.”
She chose to work at Pierce because it has stable and dedicate faculty in the RVT program, it has a huge farm and it has “high students” here.
“I love being here. The people here are extremely nice,” Yates said.
“They are very intelligent, very accomplished, very driven, very focused and motivated to teach students. It’s a really good line and environment in this department.
“We have huge farm here and students love getting experience and working directly with the animals,” Yates continued. “We are one of the few places has animals for students to work on.
“The students are very motivated and they are determined to get trained with RVT skills, so they are very attentive and they work really hard,” she said. “They pay attention to the class, they ask good questions and they participate.”
Yates received her doctorate degree on veterinary medicine in 1990 at University of California, Davis, focusing on equine and small animal medicine.
After that, she had been working as a professional veterinarian in animal hospitals, national parks and zoological parks around the country. And she’d been taking time to teach biology and animal science ever since she was a graduate student in California State University, Dominguez Hills.
“I think it’s helpful if students are taught by people who really love what they do and are passionate and care what students learn,” she said.
“If I’m not an affective instructor, I should not be here,” Yates said.
White is happy to have Yates on board with the team in the RVT program.
“My expectation is that with the addition of Dr. Yates on our staff, we now have the opportunity to expand our course offerings to include exotic animal medicine and we will be able to provide the students with more large animal experience,” said White.
“Dr. Yates’ professional capability combined with her extensive teaching experience and sunny disposition makes her an exceptional addition to the program.”
Yates has some personal expectations to her students, too.
“What I tell my students is that I welcome you to this profession,” she said.
“It’s a wonderful career doing anything with the animals. But you need to know what you’re doing; you need to understand animals with their anatomy and physiology.
“You have to understand chemistry, you have to understand math and physics, you really need to have a very well round of science education, and you have to get good grades.
“The only way to do that is to study and pay attention, not just coming to class, but be curious and passionate about everything you’re learning, you must have the hunger for knowledge.
“For students, it’s probably one of the best times in their life,” she continued.
“Just think the situation that you’re sitting in the classroom, and someone who has 20 years of experience and expertise is explaining a certain topic to you. That’s such a privilege.”
She’s scientist, a teacher and also an animal lover. She started her lifetime career by chance when she was undergraduate in Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA. At that point, she participated in a summer field project to work with some veterinarians from fish and game department.
She’s fascinated by the wildlife. At that moment she had decided to dedicate to this career ever since.
She always tries to convey the awareness of animal need to people around.
“I think animal deserve to be treated humanly,” she said.
“I’m never going to get used to it, and I hope I’ll never do because it’s really very powerful situation,” she said. “That’s very serious thing.”