Vanessa Woods

Bio

Vanessa Woods, Ph.D. is an Associate Teaching Professor (LSOE) at the University of California Santa Barbara. Vanessa also serves as a Faculty Advisor Board member for the Certificate for College and University Teaching. She is an expert in effective teaching practices and student success research. Vanessa is passionate about increasing success in ALL students, and her research looks at how traditionally underrepresented groups can be successful in educational settings—including women in STEM fields as well as transfer student and first generation student success. Vanessa is affiliated with the UCSB Opening New Doors to Accelerating Success (ONDAS) Center, which is dedicated to increasing the success of first generation and underrepresented minority students, and the Transfer Student Center, aimed at increasing transfer student success. As a trained teacher of culturally aware mentorship practices, she serves as a mentor trainer and faculty supporter for the ONDAS and Transfer Student Centers. In addition, she coordinates and leads campus-wide workshops for staff to explore culturally aware mentorship practices.