UTSA | Catalyst 2020-2021
Dr. Terri Matiella is passionate about environmental science.
Office Hours: Dr. Terri Matiella Dr. Terri Matiella has always enjoyed
After earning her B.S. in biology and M.S.
She is the cofounder of the new COS Honors
being outside. Growing up in San Angelo,
and Ph.D. degrees in environmental science
Program and has held positions on the Core
Texas, she ran around catching frogs and
at UTSA, Matiella stayed to teach environmen-
Curriculum Assessment Committee and the
picking plants. Now, she plays an important
tal science. She wanted to help develop the
College of Sciences Dean’s Leadership Ini-
role in educating the next generation to ap-
environmental science program, which was
tiative on Student Success. In 2018, she was
preciate the natural world and understand
not yet a department.
today’s environmental issues. In 2013, Matiella joined the department as a “One of the reasons that I find teaching re-
honored with the President’s Distinguished Achievement Award for Core Curriculum Teaching.
full-time faculty member and began to mold
warding is because I’m very passionate about
the curriculum into something she found in-
In September, Matiella was selected as a
the topic of environmental science,” she said.
teresting and engaging. She later began coor-
2020-21 Advancing Next-Gen Faculty Lead-
dinating the department’s sections according
ership Fellow in recognition of her efforts to
understand because even if you’re not an
to the curriculum she developed. Eventually,
enhance curriculum and teaching practices
environmental scientist, you still affect the en-
she realized she wanted to go back to school
across the university.
vironment and impact it in your daily actions.
herself—this time in a new subject area.
“I feel this is something that everyone should
I think once we understand how we impact the environment and how that happens, we
“As faculty, we always want to help our stu“When you get a master’s or Ph.D., you’re
dents succeed, and one of the ways I do that
can work together to make small changes
taught to be really good at the thing you
is by constantly looking for new activities,
that lead to big impacts.”
are doing,” she explained. “I was taught to
new techniques and new things to learn,”
be a really good scientist at this thing that I
she said. “There is always more out there
In Matiella’s Introduction to Environmental
was studying, but I was never taught how to
about teaching, education and ways we can
Science course, students take an eye-
teach well.”
opening ecological footprint quiz that illustrates the individual impact they have on
Matiella earned her Master of Education from
the earth’s resources.
UTSA last spring. That experience equipped her with the terminology and framework for
“This level of awareness is something that everyone should be fluent in,” Matiella said. “It’s important to know where we are with
what she was already successfully doing and introduced new pedagogical concepts she now implements in her courses. In addition
how we treat the environment to be able
to her instructional responsibilities, Matiella
to meet our own needs, provide for future
currently serves as the college’s interim dean
generations, and work towards being a more
for remote instruction.
sustainable society.” 14
get better at what we do. I think it’s a constantly evolving role.”
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