Welcome to Physical Science, Mathematics and Engineering (PSME)
The PSME division emphasizes university programs, laboratory instruction, computer-assisted instruction and general education and basic skills instruction. Foothill College’s PSME offers numerous physical science, mathematics and engineering disciplines such as astronomy, chemistry, engineering, geology, mathematics, meteorology, nanotechnology, oceanography and physics. The Physical Sciences, Mathematics & Engineering Division consists of 22 full-time, certificated faculty and three full-time classified staff.
Peter Murray
Division Dean
Think You’re Not a Math Person?
Foothill’s Award-Winning Math My Way Is Your Solution!
Equations make you queasy and percentages may as well be Greek, and your idea of higher math is balancing the checkbook. Numerators, denominators, decimals, fractions, and sums: It’s enough to make you panic or scream. Or give up.
At Foothill College, we offer a different approach. We’ve created Math My Way, a hands-on series of self-paced math learning modules that combine patient, caring, understanding instruction with a group of students who have similar math skill levels. Along with the small groups and one-to-one attention from your math teacher, Math My Way includes computer and paper drills, and computer games.
The truth is, even though you may not be a “math person”, you’ll still need to complete a few math courses during your college experience. At Foothill, we want your math experience to be positive: Our mutual goal is to help you develop math confidence as well as grasp basic math concepts. In fact, we can help you master your math skills, and based on our research you should have an excellent chance of passing the next level of math (e.g., algebra) instruction at Foothill and any other college or university. Students who participated in Foothill’s Math My Way last fall in earned a minimum grade of B+ in the MATH 101 course the following quarter.
Maybe your math skills are rusty. Maybe math anxiety is all too real for you. Maybe you just need some extra attention from an expert teacher. If so, Math My Way is ideal for you. Designed to help you develop math confidence as you grasp basic math concepts, Fall Quarter 2007’s Math My Way is made up of two classes: MATH 230 and MATH 231. These courses meet Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to noon during Fall Quarter. To participate, register for both classes.
To learn more about Math My Way, call (650) 949-7259. For registration instructions, access www.foothill.edu/reg/ or call (650) 949-7325.
PSME Center: The Caring Help You Need to Succeed
When you need help completing a math, chemistry or physics assignment, find yourself confused about a concept or want to improve your study skills, visit the on-campus Physical Sciences, Mathematics & Engineering (PSME) Center in Room 4215.
Offering you a supportive environment for study, the PSME Center is staffed by Foothill faculty as well as science and math graduate students from Stanford, San Jose State University and CSU East Bay. Open weekdays, the center also has numerous computers with the latest math, chemistry and physics software applications.
For more information about the PSME Center, call (650) 949-7042
Learning Beyond the Classroom
Silicon Valley Astronomy Series
Foothill’s PSME Division also offers exciting opportunities for students and community members to learn outside of the classroom. Under the leadership of founder and Foothill Astronomy Instructor Andrew Fraknoi, Foothill College enjoys a national reputation for bringing science’s best and brightest to speak to audiences at the outstanding and free Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series. Eight years ago, Fraknoi founded the series, which has grown to be one of the most popular events at Foothill College. For many of these lectures, Foothill's 900-seat theater is filled to overflow capacity with crowds eager to hear current and provocative developments in astronomy from world-renowned scientists and researchers. The slate of impressive guest lecturers who have presented at Foothill College include the first woman in history to discover a planet, a U.S. astronaut, a winner of the Nobel Prize in physics, and the discoverer of the dwarf planet beyond Pluto. Professor Fraknoi secured the support for the free series from key stakeholders, including the NASA’s Ames Research Center, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific and Foothill College. For more Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series information, access http://www.foothill.edu/ast/ or call (650) 949-7778.
Physics Olympics
Each year, Foothill’s PSME Division invites Foothill College students and local high school students to test their knowledge of physics, challenge their creativity and have fun by competing for prizes in the annual Foothill College Physics Olympics.
Foothill's Physics Olympics gives students the opportunity to apply their knowledge of physics to real engineering situations. The contest reinforces physics concepts, but more importantly, it's an exciting opportunity for students to develop confidence in their abilities and interact with peers who are also interested in science. The students' energy and enthusiasm is contagious.
The competition includes four activities: building a mousetrap climber; creation of a mousetrap; fashioning a protective enclosure for a raw egg; answering trivia-style physics questions; and construction a wooden block structure. Students must apply to compete. To review the competition application, access http://www.foothill.edu/~cascarano/olympics/.
Hosting the Physics Olympics is part of a larger goal at Foothill. We want college students, and high school students and their parents to experience Foothill’s outstanding physics curriculum. We also want current and prospective students to know that Foothill College students enjoy impressive transfer rates to state and private four-year colleges and universities. Our Physics Olympics also gives high school students the opportunity to visit the Foothill campus, tour our physics classrooms and labs, meet Foothill students and faculty, compete with other students for prizes and bragging rights, and envision themselves taking classes at Foothill.
For more Foothill Physic Olympics information, e-mail Foothill College Physics Instructor Frank Cascarano at CascaranoFrank@foothill.edu or call (650) 949-7784.
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