Alissa Arp, Ph.D., B.A. Biology, 1977
Alissa Arp graduated with honors from SSU in 1997, earning a B.A.
in biology, then went on to received her Ph.D. and M.A. from the
U.C. Santa Barbara. She credits the education she received at SSU
as being the only reason she became a scientist. Currently, she
serves as the director of the Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental
Studies and professor of biology at San Francisco State University.
Arp is an internationally-renowned scientist and accomplished teacher.
She is a key figure in the efforts to advance understanding and
preservation of the San Francisco Bay Estuary and a strong community
leader. She is considered a world authority on extreme physiological
adaptations retained by animals living in environments ranging from
the deep ocean floor to local estuaries. Her research focuses on
the physiological adaptations of animals that survive in challenging,
and often toxic, environments. Arp's work has been significant in
bringing to light the peculiar adaptations of animals living around
deep-sea thermal vents. She has routinely been published in major
scientific journals and has made headlines in both the national
and international popular press. The first four scientific papers
resulting from her graduate and postgraduate research were published
in Science and received national media attention. Of special note
is her participation in eight deep-sea dives and over 22 oceanographic
expeditions, on six of which she served as chief scientist.
Teaching at SFSU since 1989, Arp has influenced many students.
She states one of her most significant accomplishment is in the
mentoring of numerous and successful undergraduate and graduate
students, many of whom are underrepresented minorities and women,
in her research laboratory. She has worked to enhance the learning
experience through curriculum development, securing support for
facilities and providing research opportunities. Arp received the
Meritorious Performance and Professional Promise Award from SFSU
in 1990 and was elected as a Regular Fellow of the California Academy
of Sciences in 1991.
Arp has served as the director of the Romberg Tiburon Center (RTC)
for Environmental Studies since 1995. Under her guidance, the RTC
has become an internationally recognized leader regarding research
and scholarship related to the study of estuarine and coastal environments.
She has successfully raised more than $12 million to support their
research activities. Arp manages an annual operating budget of $2
million and oversees facilities on 23 acres with six buildings and
80,000 square feet of utilized interior space. She develops and
implements student programs and curricula for 100 students.
Prior to her current positions, she served as a visiting scientist
at the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories in Monterey from 1988-1989.
She has worked consistently with K-12 schools, museums and non-profit
organizations and community groups. Arp is a member of the American
Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Physiological
Society, the Association of Women in Science, the National Association
for Marine Laboratories, Sigma Xi, the Society for Integrative and
Comparative Biology, and the Western Association for Marine Laboratories.
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