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Matthew d'Alessio, Ph.D.

Distinguished Teaching, Counseling or Librarianship Award, 2018-19
Northridge
Department of Geological Sciences

There is no such thing as ‘smart' – all students can learn when we create a learning environment where they work together on problems that matter for their lives.

​Dr. Matthew d’Alessio has served in the Department of Geological Sciences at CSUN since 2009 and was named the recipient of the CSU Northridge Distinguished Teaching Award. Professor d’Alessio is a ‘teacher of teachers’ that researches how to teach science effectively at the K-12 and university levels. He helped his department redesign its undergraduate curriculum to include a greater focus on science communication and practical problems within the community. He has redesigned or created seven new courses at CSUN using team-based learning, computer simulations, and peer micro-teaching. He was the chief writer of the 2016 California Framework for K-12 Science, a state document that guides teachers, curriculum designers, and test makers for California’s six million public school students.