Sloan Zak takes over as director of the Math and Science Learning Center, formerly called the Math and Stats Learning Center
By Bryana Quintana
The new year is bringing some exciting updates in math and sciences tutoring at San Diego State University.
First, the Math and Stats Learning Center has been renamed the Math and Science Learning Center to better encompass the wide scope of subjects offered, beyond mathematics and statistics. The center offers free, drop-in tutoring for a range of math, stats, biology, chemistry, physics and computer science topics, aiming to provide support that meets the needs of all students enrolled in such courses. Tutoring at the center has demonstrated success in boosting students’ grades and helping them feel more comfortable with the material.
At the same time, the center has appointed a new director, Sloan Zak, who will become an SDSU alumni this spring after graduating from SDSU and UC San Diego’s joint Mathematics and Science Education Doctoral Program (MSED).
While at SDSU, Zak’s work has focused on teaching graduate mathematics TAs engaging, equitable, and inclusive teaching practices. With 19 years of experience as a tutor, her dissertation work focuses on effective tutoring practices, particularly understanding how tutors can regulate the emotions and motivation of each student as well as how they teach students how to become self-regulated learners.
Zak is excited to apply her expertise to developing the practice of MSLC tutors and improving the quality of support the center offers. She worked as a field biologist after receiving her Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Behavior and Evolution from UCLA and her Master of Science in Ecology and Biodiversity from Universität Ulm in Germany. With this scientific background, she is eager to help expand MSLC support into the sciences.