Faculty and Staff
Kyle Hanks
Professor of Biology and Department Co-Chair
Adjunct Professor of Physical Sciences
Contact: Room SC1-113; (925) 473-7689
rhanks@losmedanos.edu
Kyle earned his BS in Chemistry with a concentration in Biochemistry and MD from Duke
University. He joined LMC in 2006 as Adjunct Faculty and has taught coursework in
Human Physiology (BioSc45), Human Anatomy (BioSc40), Introduction to Human Anatomy
& Physiology (BioSc30), Biology of Health (BioSc5), and Introduction to General, Organic,
and Biochemistry (Chem07). He is currently the Course Lead for Human Physiology and
Human Anatomy classes. Kyle enjoys helping students prepare for their future careers
through teaching to think critically and mentoring. His non-academic interests include
international travel, tennis, and outdoor activities.
Jill Bouchard
Professor of Biology and Department Co-Chair
Contact: jbouchard@losmedanos.edu
Jill grew up in Manteca, CA and fell in love with science while in a community college
biotechnology program at Foothill College. Later, she earned her B.S. in molecular
and cell biology from UC San Diego, and then her PhD in neuroscience from UC San Francisco
where she studied the role of the immune system on neurodegenerative diseases. Before
coming to LMC full-time she taught biology courses here as an adjunct and at the University
of San Francisco. Outside of work, Jill enjoys spending time with her husband and
two little ones, Silas and Madi.
Jancy Rickman
Professor of Biology
Contact: Office: SC1-117; (925) 473-7692
jrickman@losmedanos.edu
Jancy earned a B.S. in Dance and Theater Education from Emerson College in Boston.
After graduation and before earning an M.A. in Biology (Insect Ecology) at San Francisco
State University, some of her time was spent as a children’s theater choreographer,
re-locating to the Bay Area, working for a publishing company and studying gardening.
This last endeavor was her inspiration to get her master’s for the purpose of teaching
Biology at a community college. Outside of LMC, Jancy can be found walking, hiking,
and biking with the goal of enjoying all things flora and fauna. When confined to
inside, she reads, eats, listens to NPR / KQED and generally anticipates another outdoor
excursion.
James Madden
Professor of Biology
Contact: Office SC1-116; (925) 473-7708
jmadden@losmedanos.edu
Professor Madden’s path to Los Medanos College (LMC) has been an interesting and winding
one. Born and raised in Coney Island, Brooklyn, he eventually left big-city life to
earn degrees in Marine Biology (B.S.) and Conservation Biology / Ecology (M.S.) from
the Florida Institute of Technology. His early research efforts included population
studies of wetland fishes, bottlenose dolphins, and sea turtles. Following a few years
as an environmental consultant in South Florida, James decided to focus on education,
first as an AmeriCorps member for two years in Austin, Texas, and later as a professor
back home at Brooklyn College.
The appeal of science education combined with community service proved too strong, so Professor Madden put college teaching on hold to join the Peace Corps. The United States government sent him to Ecuador to work on sustainable practices with a community of fishermen. He spent a total of four years in the small South American country, using the latter half to protect coastal forests with the Ceiba Foundation and to meet his future wife, Lila! In 2013, James and Lila returned to the United States and have lived in the Bay Area ever since.
Prior to his current assistant professor role, James had maintained connections in science and education through jobs with the California Academy of Sciences (CAS), adjunct teaching at LMC, and the Lindsay Wildlife Experience, where he served as Director of Education. In fact, he still helps the CAS by volunteering with their marine mammal response team. A strong advocate for science education, an ardent conservationist, and a curious fanatic of anatomy, Professor Madden loves being part of the LMC community!
Shane Nourizadeh
Assistant Professor of Biology
Contact: Office SC1-121; (925)-473-6414
snourizadeh@losmedanos.edu
Shane was twenty-five when he first registered to take college level courses at Sacramento
City College. While seeking a degree in computer science, he found inspiration in
molecular biology after enrolling in a challenging course with a motivational professor.
He gained an appreciation for how mentorship style teaching facilitates student success
and can positively influence one’s educational goals. After transferring to the University
of California, Santa Barbara to complete a bachelor’s degree, Shane went on to conduct
independent research in graduate school. His studies focused on animal tissue regeneration
in marine invertebrates which culminated in a Ph.D. in molecular, cellular, and developmental
biology. Outside of the classroom, you can find him cooking in the kitchen, riding
motorcycles, and surfing ocean waves.
Melissa Wheeler
Assistant Professor of Biology
Contact: mwheeler@losmedanos.edu
Melissa was born and raised in northeastern Ohio. She earned her B.S. in Biology
from Stanford University and her MD from Columbia University. After completing a
1 year internship in internal medicine and a 3 year residency in anesthesia at UCSF,
she practiced anesthesia in Contra Costa and Alameda counties for over 10 years. Melissa
was drawn to a career in teaching after teaching Bio40 (Human Anatomy) in 2021 and
enthusiastically joined as full-time faculty at LMC in 2023. Her years of experience
in the operating room give a different perspective on clinically relevant aspects
of human anatomy and physiology. In her spare time, you can find Melissa training
for a marathon, in the kitchen making healthy and delicious food, and spending time
with her husband, 2 sons, and dog.
Tiffany Baiocchi
Assistant Professor of Biology
Contact: Office SC1-118
tbaiocchi@losmedanos.edu
Dr. B started her educational journey at Modesto Junior college, before attending
CSU Stanislaus in Turlock, California. During her undergraduate educational experience
at the CSU, she worked as one of the greenhouse caretakers as well as a student research
work in Dr. Kang's Microbiology lab. Upon graduation from the CSU, she began an early
start program at UC Riverside to initiate her Ph.D. in Biochemistry. The first year
of rotations was rough, but she landed in the "wonderfully wormy" nematode lab run
by Dr. Adler Dillman. Working in this lab she focused on research regarding behavioral
characteristics of "entomopathogenic nematodes", a class of beneficial nematodes used
in agricultural and garden pest control. Her research centered around evaluating chemical
ecology and behavioral biology related to host-seeking and resource evaluation abilities
of these tiny worms. She also worked with the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, in search of genetic and neural mechanisms behind the detection of the chemicals
used to evaluate a host's potential resources. She went on to do her post-doctoral
position at CSU Northridge and eventually began a teaching career at Lassen College
for a number of years before joining the faculty of Los Medanos college. Her philosophy
centers around trying to provide engaging educational experiences that leverage the
life experiences of each individual student with a focus on building life-long learning
skill.
Jenifer Fay
Senior Science Laboratory Coordinator
Contact: Room SC1-125; (925) 473-7694
jfay@losmedanos.edu
Jenifer attended Sonoma State University after transferring from West Valley College.
At SSU she spent time as caretaker of the Raymond Burr Orchid Collection, and also
led mushroom hunting field trips as a Mycology TA. She graduated with a Bachelor’s
in Biology (Botany) and worked in biotech for a few years before joining the LMC Biology
Department in 2001. In her spare time she likes to cook, hike, cycle the local hills,
and research the next scuba trip.
Sandhya Bhatnagar
Senior Science Laboratory Coordinator
Contact: Room #221 Brentwood Center; (925) 473-6915
sbhatnagar@losmedanos.edu
Sandhya did her BS (Biology and Chemistry) and MS in Bio-Chemistry from Indian Institute
of Technology, Kanpur, India. She worked as a researcher and laboratory manager in
Biological Sciences and Engineering division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
Berkeley for 17 years before joining LMC in 2018. Her research is in radiation and
cancer biology and is published in reputed scientific journals. She loves to paint,
cook, travel and listen to music in her spare time.
Julie Lucca
Science Laboratory Coordinator
Contact: Room SC1-128; (925) 473-7693
jlucca@losmedanos.edu
Julie Lucca received her Master's Degree in Food Science and Nutrition and Bachelor
of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. as well as
studied at Scuola Dante Alighieri in Florence, Italy and Chiang Mai University in
Thailand. She volunteers in various organizations including the US Peace Corps, American
Red cross, and Contra Costa and Solano County Food Banks. Additionally, to coordinating
biology, health, and ecology courses; she is a professor of Nutritional Sciences and
encourages higher quality of life through healthy habits including diet, activity,
and lifestyle. She has published works in the health benefits of moderate alcohol
consumption and writes children's books and poems. Julie comes from the California
bay area where she enjoys travel, dance, language, and music.
Majella Smith
Adjunct Instructor
Contact: msmith@losmedanos.edu
Majella Smith graduated from USC and spent several years in research studying cell
transport proteins. She switched to teaching when she moved here to Northern California
and has been teaching since then. She is an animal advocate and participates in several
rescue programs. She loves gardening and cooking.
Nicole Trager, PhD
Dean of Math and Science
Contact: ntrager@losmedanos.edu
Dr. Nicole Trager has a strong history of STEM research and STEM education support.
She is a proud first generation college graduate and doctorate. She holds a B.S.
in Biochemistry from Point Loma Nazarene University and a Ph.D. in Immunology from
the Medical University of South Carolina. She is an experienced scientific researcher
published in Multiple Sclerosis Research. She joined LMC team in 2014 and has taught
coursework in Biology of Health (BioSc5), Principles of Biology Cellular and Molecular
(BioSc20), as well as MESA courses. She is the MESA Director at LMC and supports
STEM students on their path to transfer. Outside of school Nicole loves to bake,
and even enters national competitions. She really enjoys taking day trips to the beach
or wine country. She loves the theater and attends many Shakespeare performances as
well as Broadway performances. She is an avid audio book listener, and has a huge
book list.