Who We Are

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Ali Wolman is a marine biologist and educator from San Diego, Ca and the newest addition to the Greenspace Cambria team.  Ali is assisting the Greenspace staff and board of directors in office operations, support raising, digital communications and education programs. 

Before joining Greenspace, Ali worked at the Coastal Discovery Center at San Simeon Bay as an educator and volunteer coordinator for 3 years. Before that, she worked as a research assistant in the Ruttenberg lab at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She earned her B.S. in Biological Sciences in 2018 with concentrated studies in marine biology, ecology and conservation. Ali lives in San Luis Obispo with her roommates, her frog, and too many houseplants. 

 Robert S. Cichowski has devoted most of his professional career to helping to ensure that young and old alike become scientifically and mathematically literate citizens.

Since becoming Professor Emeritus of Chemistry and Science Education from Cal Poly State University (aka retired), his focus has been working with Greenspace to share with K-12 students the uniqueness of Cambria’s Monterey pine forest and helping them to understand how they can participate in the preservation of this marvelous environment.

His career at Cal Poly spanned 40 years. In 2004 he served as the first Director of the University Center for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education (CESaME).  He served as Associate Director of Teacher Education and Public School Programs at the California State University Office of the Chancellor.  He has been Chair of the Cal Poly’s Liberal Study Department, the department housing the major taken by future elementary school teachers.   He has been director of the Cal Poly site of the California Science Project, a state-wide summer teacher professional development program.  He and his students have received four National Science Teachers Association awards for tying children’s literature to science.  With colleagues he shared a Christa McAulliff Excellence in Education Award for a teacher preparation program called S.E.E.D.S. (Science Enrichment and Educational Demonstration School).  He has received Cal Poly’s Distinguished Teacher Award.

He started his career as a research chemist for Philips Petroleum Company and holds 12 patents. He has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering (Purdue University) and a Ph. D. in Ceramic Science (Alfred University).