Lisa A. Alex, PhD; Candidate for Chair
Biography
Lisa Alex is a tenuredProfessor in the Chemistry Department. She earned her BA in Biochemistry in 1985 (Magna cum laude) from the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and her PhD in Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1991. From 1991-1993 she was an American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellow in the Division of Biology at the California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech) and continued as a Senior Research Associate there until 1998 when she joined the Chemistry Department at Cal Poly as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Alex teaches courses in biochemistry and general chemistry and her research group investigates the function of histidine kinase proteins in fungi through a variety of molecular and biophysical methods. She has been the recipient of external funding and has published in peer-reviewed journals since coming to Cal Poly. She is also a member of the American Chemical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Sigma Xi and Phi Kappa Phi.
Dr. Alex serves on several Chemistry Department committees including the Post-tenure Review Committee, Central Advising Committee, Scholarship Committee, and the Department Curriculum Committee. She is also Area Coordinator for the Biochemistry division. At the college level, Dr. Alex serves on the Lab Fee Committee, is Chair of the CRTPC and is faculty advisor for Science Council (the College of Science’s student academic council, since 1999). Dr. Alex received the Outstanding Advisor Award in the College of Science in 2006. She is also a member of the Retroactive Withdrawal Committee. She has served on two Academic Senate standing committees, Elections and Procedures and Academic Affairs, and one ad hoc committee, the Academic Affairs Planning Committee. She has been a member of the Academic Senate since 2005 and of the Executive Committee since 2006 and has served as Vice-Chair of the Senate for the past two years.
Shared Governance Statement
The state of California gives the faculty the right to share in the governance of their university; this means weallshouldhave a say in the policies and procedures on this campus that affect how we deliver an educational experience to our students. I am concerned that the opinions and role of the faculty have been marginalized for the sake of the corporate model of education. That is why I became a Senator, to make sure the view of my constituency is heard in decisions that influence the academic environment on campus. It’s only when this happens across all constituencies on campus that we can achieve good academic policy making together with the administration. After serving on several Senate standing committees, the Executive Committee and as Vice-Chair, I have come to realize that a leadership role in the Senate is not a place to forward one’s own agenda, but to make sure that the majority position of the entire faculty is made known. This requires that one gather information and listen carefully to their constituency. I believe I possess the qualities that would make me an effective Chair. I have good organizational skills, can communicate well, and I am able to listen. Most of all, I will do my best to represent the collective will of the faculty to all parties that interact with the Academic Senate.