Dr. Narducci’s specialty is music theory, counterpoint, and musical form and analysis.  His planning is meticulous and his courses provide the best possible preparation for students, as well as maximum flexibility. If you’re not a musician, it may come as a surprise to you that performers don’t necessarily enjoy the theoretical aspects of music: chord structures, interval identification, aural transcription. So Dr. Narducci teaches the music courses that incoming music majors might be less-than-enthused about; to put this another way, he teaches courses that musicians absolutely need, but don’t know they need.  Dr. Narducci recently revamped the theory and musicianship curriculum, based on his research into different theoretical-pedagogical methods.  This curriculum has resulted in very positive student outcomes, from those students who didn’t know they needed music theory.

According to Dr. Narducci’s Music Department colleague, Dr. David Kendall, students feel Dr. Narducci’s excitement for the field, and his mentorship in composition. He is always available to his students and keeps in regular contact with them, especially if they are falling behind or having difficulties grasping concepts. He works individually with students outside of class, and coordinates with other faculty in the department to make sure students are successful. In short, he contributes to making La Sierra a great place for students to attend.

Dr. Arturo Diaz is an inspirational and caring instructor, and one of the most productive scientists in the Biology department. He has steadily published work from his lab. He has served as a peer reviewer for several journals, and as a member of the Howard Hughes Memorial Institute sponsored Pedagogy of Research Team. 
Dr. Diaz collaborates with colleagues at R1 institutions, yet in contrast with most R1 institutions, where faculty may interact only with graduate students, Dr. Diaz brings research to undergraduates. He incorporates research into his courses so that students serve as co-authors on published papers; this is an incredible opportunity for La Sierra students, and a huge boost for those who wish to pursue graduate study. Dr. Diaz also encourages the scholarship of his fellow Biology Department faculty.

Dr. Nate Sutter remarks, “He shares access to his wet-lab's equipment, talks through results, and models mentorship of students in the laboratory setting.” Chair of Biology, Dr. Lloyd Trueblood, notes that Dr. Diaz has repeatedly won teacher of the year in the Biology Department. This is especially noteworthy since students make that determination. Dr. Trueblood says, students “feel he is an excellent teacher and share his passion for Virology and science. All of his courses are project based, so his students have to learn critical thinking and experimental design as a result.” Similarly, Dr. Sutter remarks that “Dr. Diaz’s required Cell and Molecular course is a rite of passage among Biology students. They tell him ‘nobody made me think this way before, I'm learning so much more than I thought I ever could.’” 

Dr. Natasha Dean sums up Dr. Diaz’s strengths in this area, explaining that: “He empowers students. He encourages problem solving, idea generation, and more, without undermining a student's academic identity. He helps them to feel confident about their thought processes, as most students worry about how they are perceived when they ask or answer questions.” Professor Diaz sets high standards, but does so with kindness and compassion, fairness, and understanding. Beyond this, Dr. Dean notes, “He makes each student feel special. He's curious about them. He discovers their interests and shares a common ground with them. He remembers what they share, and earns their trust by offering suggestions and advice that is specific to who they are.” This is echoed by Dr. Trueblood: “I would argue that Dr. Diaz is the leader in the Biology Department when it comes to knowing our students personally, mentoring them both in science and life, and making sure each student knows how much the faculty care about them.”  

In the words of Shannon Grewel, a Senior Biology major, “One of the best feelings in the world is when a professor makes a student feel like they have high expectations for their success. This gives students, including me, motivation to reach my goals. Dr. Diaz is the perfect example of a professor that challenges, encourages, and motivates students to thrive at La Sierra.”In addition to teaching and research, Dr. Diaz serves as a Faculty Senator as well as the Faculty Athletics Representative. Over the past year, Dr. Diaz developed a saliva test with his colleagues at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and was placed in charge of all COVID-19 testing on the La Sierra University campus. We are grateful for his scientific innovation, dedication to teaching lab sciences, and mentorship of students who now want to go on to become him.