Elizabeth Flynn

Biography

I grew up on the faraway island of Nantucket, Massachusetts, 32 miles out  to sea. I attended the public school system there  until 2004, when I entered the College of Charleston in South Carolina, and managed to earn a B.A. in Chemistry amid all the beaching and beer pong. It was in fact an epiphany that allowed me to decide how to study my favorite subjects: Major in chemistry, and minor in Spanish and psychology! That was a day I will never forget. But I wasn’t always such a fan of chemistry; that was due solely to an inspiring first-year chemistry professor.

Remembering this, I decided to become an educator after receiving my M.S. in Chemistry in 2011 from UC Santa Cruz. I started teaching at Cabrillo College in 2012, and never looked back. Currently I am proud to be a tenure-track Chemistry Professor at West Valley College since fall 2020. Every semester I love my job more, as I learn more ways to promote inclusive, identity-celebrating classrooms and make chemistry accessible to my students with widely diverse backgrounds and experiences.

When I'm not teaching or preparing, I can be found practicing hot yoga/pilates, hiking, cooking, biking, dancing, camping, reading in the sun, or traveling the world. I love all animals, especially humans, dogs, squirrels and rats!

Education

B.A. Chemistry
College of Charleston

M.S. Chemistry
UC Santa Cruz