RAFAEL OBREGON

Office: BS-266
Phone: 323-343-6685
E-mail: robrego@calstatela.edu

INTRODUCTION

I have been teaching since 1976, I have taught different levels of education, ranging from High School level, General Education for adults to University level classes. The Math and Physics courses I have taught ranged from Preliminary Algebra to Advanced Calculus, as well as from General Physics to Advanced Physics. I began to teach at Cal State LA in 1997 where I was the Instructor and Curricula Developer in Calculus and Physics for the Science Engineering Summer Bridge program for freshmen students. In 1999 began the part time teaching job, I still have at Cal State LA, in the Math Department where I have taught General Education level courses in College Algebra and Mathematics for Liberal Arts majors as well as 1st and 3rd level Calculus and Calculus for Business. Also I have taught General Physics Lecture, Lab and Activity for Science and Engineering students.

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TEACHING INTERESTS

Students fail in Physics when they lack enthusiasm for the subject and confidence in their own abilities. Since 1999 at CSULA, I have taught a wide variety of undergraduate courses in the Math and Physics Departments, as a part-time teacher. Comments from my students are proof that my teaching style succeeds in so many ways: “I did not know Math/Physics was so easy”, “I hated Math/Physics, but now I love it” Physical discovery can be emotional and traumatic. I want my students to feel enthusiasm when being introduced to motion, excitement when meeting dynamics, happiness in understanding the work done by a force, accomplishment in mastering strategies to solve problems and joy in rediscovering how many misconception about motion they brought to class. When students begin to experience feelings such as these, they will find that doing Physics not only develops reasoning and critical thinking skills, improves concentration, and builds a solid work ethic, but they will also begin to build their physical intuition, to develop confidence in their own physical abilities, to learn what it means to "make the material their own", and to allow Physics into their lives long after the final exam is over to say: “I hated Physics, but now I love it”.

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RESEARCH

In the National University of Colombia I was member of the research group responsible for building Solar Cells. As Associate Professor in University of Cordoba, Colombia I was conducting Research on Bio-Gas and Solar Energy as non-conventional energies.

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EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

MS APPLIED MATH 06/2007

• CALSTATE
  LOS ANGELES, CA

MS PHYSICS 06/1999

• CALSTATE
  LOS ANGELES, CA

BS PHYSICS 10/1982

• NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF COLOMBIA
  BOGOTA-COLOMBIA

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COURSE LISTING

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