News & Articles

« Back

Pacifica Hires Founding Science Department Chair and Director of the STEM Scholars Program

November 5th, 2014

[Newport Beach, CA] – Pacifica Christian High School-Orange County (www.pacificaoc.org) announced today the hiring of Anne Mangahas as Pacifica’s Science Department Chair and Director of the STEM Scholars Program.  Ms. Mangahas currently teaches AP Science and serves as Co-Chair of the Science Department at Whittier Christian High School.  Ms. Mangahas is also the Biology Content Specialist & Instructor for Online Curriculum at Oaks Christian High School, and is a Teacher Fellow for the COSMOS Program at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). "Ms. Mangahas' expertise and passion for science inspires students toward curiosity and discovery, while equipping them in knowledge and truth to flourish at the collegiate level," says Dr. Ben Roberson, Principal. "Ms. Manghas is very skilled at integrating technology into the learning environment," says David O’Neil, Head of School.  "Her extensive experience makes her the prefect fit to lead the school's STEM Scholars Program and to work alongside our faculty and administration in implementing our 1:1 iPad Program." We encourage you to learn more about Ms. Mangahas by reading her biography below. Anne Mangahas’ Bio
Ms. Mangahas has served in the educational community for over a decade at the secondary and collegiate levels. She was a Biological Sciences major at Biola University with a minor in Religious Studies, graduating with honors in her class. The experience at Biola instilled in her a lifelong love for learning and pursuit of knowledge in the scientific and technical fields. After receiving her bachelor’s degree, Anne attended the University of Southern California, where she earned her Master’s degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Keck School of Medicine. During her time at USC, she served as a research assistant for the Institute of Genetic Medicine focusing on the disease pathology of Myotonic Dystrophy type I. She published her research findings in her thesis, "The possible aberrant function of MBNL1 with insulin receptor (IR-B) mRNA in myotonic dystrophy type I."

She continued her pursuit of knowledge and received a second Master’s degree in History & Philosophy of Science & Religion from Biola University. Anne later went on to teach as an adjunct professor at Biola University conducting the laboratory sections for undergraduate biology, teaching pre-medical, kinesiology, and human biology majors.

In 2008, Anne joined Whittier Christian High School serving as the Science Department Co-Chair. At Whittier Christian she taught AP, Honors, and college-prep biology as well as honors and college-prep chemistry.  She served on the mentor team for the school's International Space Station Project. This program guided students in the design, development, and implementation of a microlab module. The module sought to understand the effect of microgravity on the Intentional Space Station, in partnership with NASA, NanoRacks, and Valley Christian San Jose. Anne brought her passion for STEM initiatives to her job with UCI's COSMOS program, where she served as a Teacher Fellow. UCI's COSMOS program is a residential summer school program geared towards gifted youth, allowing them to conduct individual research projects with UCI faculty members in the areas of math, engineering, and science. Her cohort focused their study on the Big Bang and the Subatomic World. Specifically, they examined gamma ray excesses and the detection of dark matter. She worked with her students on a variety of techniques involving the interpretation of Fermi satellite data using Python programming analytics. It was a joy for her to see her students pursue their love for the sciences and technology while working with some of the top researchers in the field of astrophysics. The scientists her students studied with included professors who worked on the CERN's Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland, which is the world's largest and most powerful particle accelerator. During her tenure as an educator, she has also served as a subject-matter expert for Oaks Christian Online School.  Her work in online education has provided her with invaluable knowledge of various learning-management systems and tools used to advance 21^st century learning.

Anne is currently completing her Doctorate in Education from Azusa Pacific University. Her dissertation's focus is on the relationship between religious beliefs and the teaching of evolutionary content in the secondary science classroom.  She has given talks at educational conferences and has published articles and reviews in several academic journals including her review of Abigail Norfleet’s "How Girls Learn Math and Science", in the journal of Childhood Education. She also served as a contributing writer to the "BioBook" an app-based interactive biology textbook funded by the Gates Foundation. In addition, Anne serves as a member of the California Science Teachers Association, the Cognitive Neuroscience Society, and has attended numerous professional development seminars related to science and the improvement of science education at the secondary level. Outside of school Anne enjoys painting, writing and composing music, going to museums, reading, and spending time with her family and friends. She is a member of Faith Community Church, West Covina where she is actively engaged in her local community. In 2015, Anne will share her passion for the sciences with the students of Pacifica Christian High School-Orange County. As founding Science Department Chair and Director of the STEM Scholars Program, her goal is to prepare students for the future. Bringing together her extensive knowledge and experience in the sciences with her training in Christianity and philosophy, Anne will prepare her students to address the most complicated scientific issues of the 21st century. Her passions for utilizing modern technology, encouraging curiosity, instilling lifelong learning, and developing the faith of her students produces thoughtful, creative, and principled scientists who better understand how to use modern means to solve real-world problems.