When the geology department recently welcomed John Zayac, its newest full-time faculty member, it also welcomed the first professor in nearly 15 years to be dedicated exclusively to its department.
Although the geology department has a long history, it has lacked a full-time professor to coordinate any further development of the program, something Zayac intends on doing next semester.
This semester, however, will be one of “excitement and relief” for Zayac, who is enjoying his new full-time schedule after having to split his time teaching Geology part-time at Pierce College and at UC Santa Barbara, the school where he received his master’s degree in geology just last year. Zayac has recently relocated to the area and has said he prefers teaching at Pierce College mainly because it allows for more interaction with students.
“One of my classes at UCSB had 362 students and I only learned the names of two students,” said Zayac. “Here, the classes are much smaller and I can get to know all my students.”
Though his classes may be smaller, Zayac’s plans for the expansion of the department could not be bigger. First, he intends on creating a geology club with the help of any students who may be interested. Also, he is adding several new classes to the schedule next semester, including the resurrection of a historical geology course that has not been offered in several years. Additionally, Zayac is currently scouting locations for potential weekend-long geological expeditions throughout Southern California that would be made open to students as well as the general public.
Science has always fascinated Zayac, but the former biology major did not have an interest in geology until his senior year in college. A geology class he had enrolled in instantly captivated him and he immediately switched majors. Referring to himself as a “rock nerd,” Zayac now enjoys collecting various types of exotic rocks as well as rock climbing and traveling to destinations across Southern California with extraordinary geology to observe.
“I love how geology uses all the sciences to examine the earth,” said Zayac. “Geology is always happening around us and it helps tell the story of the earth.”
Zayac prefers not to use the majority of class time to lecture students, rather to get them involved in class discussions that relate geology with current events and local landmarks like the Santa Susana and Santa Monica Mountains. He hopes that because he is so “fired up” about geology, his students will get more out of the courses.
He is apparently already making an excellent impression on campus, as his students appear to enjoy his refreshing teaching methods and his colleagues appreciate his “great sense of humor,” according to Katherine Yoshiwara, mathematics professor.
“He’s really cool and always here to help,” said Daniel Mehta, second year sociology major. “Even though our class is three hours long, he will stick around longer and help us out if we need it.”
Zayac will be teaching Physical Geology and its lab, the two geology courses offered this semester, as well as the many courses certainly on their way in the future.