Past Presenters

Dr. Chia-Hsun Chuang is a research scientist at Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC) and Stanford/SLAC. He is working on the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) to measure the effect of dark energy on the expansion of the universe. During Family Science Day, he will make a 3D map of these galaxies and viewers can learn about our universe- including its expansion history.

Rachel Cunningham has been working in science education for the past six years-whether it be at the college level, in K-12, or in museums. In her current role at College of San Mateo, she is the Assistant Director for our Hispanic Serving Institution STEM grant, working to make STEM education more accessible and equitable for Latinx and low-income students. Her past Family Science Day contributions have included volunteer coordination and staffing the botany exhibit. This year, Rachel will be one of the co-facilitators, making sure our virtual event runs smoothly! Her favorite plant is Eschscholzia californica and her favorite rock is mica schist.

Jessica Damian has organized and promoted programs in higher education for 5 years. She is currently a Program Services Coordinator under STEM@CSM (HSI-STEM) where she promotes STEM opportunities and events like Family Science Day.

Jose Gutierrez teaches Engineering at College of San Mateo. He transferred from American River Community College to the University of California, Berkeley where he received his BS in Bioengineering. After receiving his BS he attended Stanford to obtain a Masters in Mechanical Engineering. Have you ever wanted to learn about electronics and programming using an Arduino, but thought it was too hard? Jose will show you how to use Tinkercad-a free online simulation, to create your next Arduino project.

Mohsen Janatpour is a professor of math, physics, and astronomy at the College of San Mateo. He has been on the faculty of the Math/Science Division of the College since 1979. He has been the Coordinator of CSM’s Astronomy Program since 1992 . He is the founder and coordinator of Family Science Day-which in collaboration with the San Mateo County Astronomical Society and the CSM Library has evolved into a campus wide event: Family Science & Astronomy Festival + Makerspace (FS&AF+MS).

Ed is the current vice president of the San Mateo County Astronomical society and has served as the president of the organization for six years. During his time as president, the annual Astronomy Day celebration that CSM that SMCAS conducted for many years was expanded into the Family Science and Astronomy Festival. In addition to his SMCAS activities, he visits various Bay Area schools and gives presentations about astronomy topics using the name Astronomer Ed. (website: AstronomerEd.com).

Katrina Rahn is a maker, artist, and librarian. She loves to work with paper, whether it is origami, papercuts, or 3d papercraft.

Ellen Rayl has been attending CSM for about a year now. She is a reptile enthusiast and owns a small collection of her own. She plans to become a paleontologist and transfer out to a 4-year college next year. She will be facilitating the Paleontology workshop along with Zac.

Mike Ryan is the current president and a 57-year member of SMCAS (San Mateo County Astronomical Society).  He's a former student and 54-year volunteer with CSM and SMCCD.  He's a career automotive, aerospace and systems engineer. He also worked as astronomy staff at the Academy of Science's Morrison Planetarium at Chabot Space and Science Center and at CSM in the 1960's. Mike holds a degree in physics with minors in geology and chemistry, an MBA, and professional certifications. He's educated thousands of people in astronomy and related topics. 

Darryl grew up in New York City and became interested in astronomy as a young child, when his mother took him to the Hayden Planetarium. He is a professor of physics and astronomy at College of San Mateo and he has been teaching primarily astronomy for about 20 years. During Family Science Day, he leads the planetarium shows in CSM’s planetarium. He shows the public, the Moon and other celestial wonders through the telescopes in our observatory. When he is not teaching, he likes to relax by playing with his dog Eddie, riding his Harley, and stargazing from his backyard in Pacifica.

Ellie Tayag is CSM’s Director of Learning Commons, a Librarian, and former K-12 teacher. In 2017, Ellie lead the library renovation for a dedicated Makerspace lab, thus building on the Makerspace that began in 2013.  Since its inception, the Library Makerspace partnered with Family Science Day for hands-on maker activities that promote the love of science and maker culture. She enjoys making and the maker movement, banana splits, and treasure hunting.

Alex Wong is an Associate Professor of Physics at CSM. He teaches CSM’s first Drone-Based Engineering course. This will be his fifth year organizing the physics workshop at Family Science Day and he’s excited to explore ways physics can be done at home!

Jason Ismael De Guzman Yap has been working in the library field for 8 years, providing access to information to community members. Jason is CompTIA A+ Certified and enjoys upgrading computers in his spare time. He completed the Master Library and Information Science program at San Jose State University in 2016 and received his Associates in Library Information Technology from the City College of San Francisco in 2011.