49er Industry Chats: Moving from Marine Ecology Research to Informal Science Education

Curator, Life Sciences at California Science Center

Dr. Kopczak pursued his undergraduate degree at CSULB with the goal of becoming a professor and researcher. Upon completing his master's degree at CSULB he began working at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro. He was accepted into the Biology Ph.D. program at USC, focusing his studies on the forests of kelp commonly found along our coasts. He held a research position at North Carolina State University then returned to Long Beach to become the founding director of the UCLA Ocean Discovery Center at the Santa Monica Pier. He developed plans and worked with architects to build the new Science Education Center beneath the historic carousel. Dr. Kopczak later joined the California Science Center as Curator of the expansion and aquarium build in Exposition Park, where his work in informal science education continues to date.