Lisie Thayer

Science can’t happen without ‘failure.’ We use each failed experiment to design the next experiment and, by doing so, support every other person who has questions in the present and future.

Lisie’s Story

Teaching Discipline

Physics and Computer Science

Why Physics and Computer Science

I love science, experimentation, and creativity. I teach physics because it’s a foundation for all other sciences. I’m fortunate to have found an opportunity to teach physics and computer science at a school that shares my social justice ideals.

Professional Experience

During college, Lisie interned in a lab studying host manipulation by Listeria Monocytogenes and volunteered with several ecology education programs. Her favorites were the urban pollination project, where she helped collect data about the efficacy of pollinators around Seattle’s urban settings, and the Pacific Science Center, where she was a docent.

After college, Lisie worked as a staff research associate in the UC system where she took intellectual ownership of research into host-pathogen interactions and the effect on human health and disease management. Her work was used in one paper and two successful grants! During this time, she also became an organizer within her union.

Before starting teaching, Lisie spent two years at an advertising analytics start-up as an Analytics Manager and Ad Operations Analyst. She managed customers, and analyzed and designed campaign metrics. She is most proud of being a founding member of the Equality Committee at the start-up, where they identified points of exclusion and presented solutions to the executive team using DEI principles.

Lisie has been interested in science education since college, where she tutored for four years and mentored new undergraduate students in the same lab as her for two years. Once she recognized that she wanted the community aspects of teaching science in schools, she did her student teaching in Chemistry and Physics for one year, and has been teaching physics and computer science for two years.

Lisie will start her third year teaching physics and computer science at ARISE High School in Oakland, Ca in the 2024-2025 school year.

Hobbies

In her free time, Lisie enjoys backpacking, hiking, camping, reading, and doing all sorts of puzzles.

Academic Background

  • University of Washington (Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Microbiology)
  • Mills College (Master of Arts in Education)