About Me
Whether through making original content for TEDed and Wiley & Sons, writing for Science
& Forbes, or speaking to live audiences at TEDx & SXSW, Mary's goals are the same:
Make Science Accessible for All.
Mary, a Salzburg Global Fellow and first generation college student, holds two masters degrees, one in biology and the other in science communication from Imperial College London. She is the author of Write Present Create: Science Communication for Undergraduates and has taught nearly 20,000 students both in person and online since 2007. Her work has been featured in legacy media outlets such as Time magazine and National Geographic as well as garnering views in the millions with YouTube's Mahalo. Mary began her research career in astrophysiology at NASA Ames Research Center Moffet Field in 1999 and now focuses her research on the intersection of fear science, communication, and personal/social change as STEM faculty.
Classes I Teach
Winter 2025
| CRN | Course | Sec. | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 39280 | ESCI 1 | 03Z | Environmental Science |
| 35695 | ESCI 1 | 52Z | Environmental Science |
| 38753 | ESCI 1 | 56Z | Environmental Science |
Fall 2024
| CRN | Course | Sec. | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02508 | ESCI 1 | 01Z | Environmental Science |
| 27832 | ESCI 1 | 02Z | Environmental Science |
Faculty Info
Mary Poffenroth
Part-time Faculty
Environtmental Studies
Online
Education
- PhD, Psychology (Candidate), Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara
- MSc, Science Communication, Imperial College London
- MS, Conservation Biology, San Jose State University
- BA, Biology, San Jose State University