Rate My Professor Virginia Oberholzer

Virginia M. Oberholzer Vandergon is a Professor of Biology at California State University, Northridge, having joined the faculty in 2000. She earned her B.S. in 1984 from St. Mary’s College, M.S. in 1993 from the University of California, Davis, and Ph.D. in 1999 from the University of California, Riverside. Prior to her university appointment, she worked as a high school biology teacher and department chair and holds a California State Teaching Credential. Oberholzer Vandergon has designed and taught science and mathematics courses for grades 9-12 and university-level science courses for prospective teachers. She serves as the K-12 science education outreach representative for the CSUN Biology Department.

Her research interests center on the molecular evolution of multigene families in plants, using bioinformatics and molecular tools to explore evolutionary processes in genome change, gene recruitment, and redundancy, particularly in the chalcone synthase (CHS) and myb gene families. She has published in plant molecular evolution and genetics and authored a biology study guide for the CLEP exams. Oberholzer Vandergon directs the San Fernando Valley NSF Noyce Scholars Program and the San Fernando Valley Science Project, co-directs grant components for teacher professional development, and presents workshops on the biology components of California’s 6-12 science standards. She has contributed to interdisciplinary initiatives, such as engaging students in LA River science, and secured grants including NSF Noyce funding, University of Oregon support for GeoGebra projects ($52,154 in 2023), and multi-year awards totaling over $700,000 for STEM education collaborations with colleagues in education and other sciences. Her work influences K-12 science education and bridges research with teaching practice.