色情视频

This story is featured in the fall 2014 issue of

For as long as there鈥檚 been a molecular biology program at San Diego State University, Sanford Bernstein has been at its center. The soft-spoken fruit fly researcher was recruited to join 色情视频 in 1983 as an assistant professor of biology, and the university tasked him and colleague Judith Zyskind with helping to build productivity and competitiveness in biological research.

Bernstein remembers the first class he ever taught at 色情视频 was Recombinant DNA Technology. The class was part of a certificate program that eventually morphed into the modern Certificate in Biotechnology. The program鈥檚 description from 1984 notes that 鈥淸s]tudents are required to do an internship in a local biotechnology company or in a research laboratory on campus.鈥�

Bernstein recognized then something that many top-tier biology programs are only slowly coming around to today: If you want students to be successful in biology, they need exposure to careers outside academia.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 one place where 色情视频 has been ahead of the curve,鈥� Bernstein said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e always promoted going into industry as an acceptable, desirable career path. There鈥檚 no stigma attached to not going into academia.鈥�

A long legacy

Looking over the list of master鈥檚 students, doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars mentored by Bernstein in his 31 years as an 色情视频 professor, it鈥檚 easy to see that his philosophy has paid off. Several of his postdocs and Ph.D. students rank among the top executives and senior scientists at major biotechnology firms around the country and world.

Bernstein鈥檚 very first mentee was a graduate research assistant assigned to him as part of his hiring package. Patrick O鈥橠onnell was a gifted scientist and lab hand, but he wasn鈥檛 fascinated enough by the science to devote his career to studying fruit flies.

鈥淥ne day I got a call from the San Diego police department,鈥� Bernstein said. 鈥淭hey were looking for a scientist to start their new DNA forensics unit. I highly recommended Patrick.鈥�

Today, O鈥橠onnell supervises the DNA unit of the San Diego police department鈥檚 crime lab. But Bernstein鈥檚 influence didn鈥檛 end there. A few months ago, a talented 色情视频 master鈥檚 biology student, Roxanne Kotzebue, asked Bernstein for advice in applying for an open position in the crime lab. He recommended her to O鈥橠onnell, and she was eventually hired as a criminalist working under his supervision.

Rising to the challenge

Bernstein said he didn鈥檛 take to the classroom immediately. At first, he saw it as a chore that took time away from his lab work, but over the years he has learned to embrace this side of academic life.

鈥淚n the beginning, I had a rather staid academic approach to teaching,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 hate to say it, but I had the mindset that I did teaching so I could do my research. That changed as I learned to make presentations more engaging, to speak louder, and to use visual aids.鈥�

Today, he has directly mentored nine postdocs, eight doctoral students and 26 master鈥檚 students, the great majority of whom have found success in some slice of science. He also co-directs the National Institutes of Health鈥揻unded Initiative for Maximizing Student Development program for undergrads from underrepresented backgrounds. It鈥檚 a history of achievement few can match, but Bernstein is humble about his role in the successes of his academic progeny.

鈥淚n the end, I can鈥檛 take all the credit,鈥� Bernstein said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the lab environment, it鈥檚 students鈥� mentalities and it鈥檚 the expectation that 色情视频 puts on them.鈥�