Instructor Bio

Professor Mazzillo has been a teacher for the past 8 years. She has taught Oceanography, Earth Sciences and Biology Courses. She has a Ph.D. in Ocean Sciences and a Masters in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and UC Santa Cruz, respectively. Dr. Mazzillo also has a Bachelors of Science in Biology earned in Brazil, where she grew up. Dr. Mazzillo is fluent in three languages (English, Spanish and Portuguese) and an avid world traveler. She respects and admires different cultures, and she brings her own Brazilian cultural "foot print" to her classes. Her passion to the oceans has lead her on many adventures including: night diving during a bioluminescent algal bloom, pier fishing and leading research cruises along the California coast to study sea otters. Dr. Mazzillo main goal as an instructor is to guide students to develop their critical thinking skills as well as ocean literacy.