West Los Angeles College

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Steve Fink - biography

Having completed a B.S. in Physiology at the University of California at Davis, and a Masters Degree at the University of California Medical Center at San Francisco, I left the world of scientific research twenty-three years ago and became a communicator of scientific ideas; that is, a teacher. In 1977, I was hired as a full-time instructor at West Los Angeles College. Since then, I have had the pleasure of teaching almost every course offered by the Biology Dept. I have also taught courses in our former Nursing Program, and continue to teach and be associated with WLAC's truly outstanding Dental Hygiene Program. I am widely-known as a generator of extensive hand-outs, but over the last few years I have consolidated them into course lecture outlines in Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology, Health Effects of Environmental Hazardous Materials, and a Biology Laboratory Manual. My participation in collegial activities was pretty limited until 1987 when I was asked by the college president at that time, Linda Thor, to serve as MC at her inauguration ceremony. This led to serving on the academic senate and a number of committees. In 1988, I was elected Chairman of the Earth, Life & Health Sciences Division. During this time I had the good fortune of working with Paul Stansbury, who was then Dean over my division. He encouraged me to get involved in the small matter of developing a brand-new vocational program! This led to my going back to school, dressing in "moon suits" with firemen, gaining "hands-on" and "real-world" experience in waste management, drinking a lot of coffee with people from industry and business, developing a statewide curriculum in Environmental and Occupational Health, and becoming Director of WLAC's Environmental Hazardous Materials Technology Program. In 1991, after the Earth, Life & Health Sciences Division merged with Math-Science Division, I was elected Vice-Chair of the combined division to supervise all hourly instructors in the sciences. Today, I reside in the Pico-Robertson area of Los Angeles, feeling very blessed everyday to share my life with my treasured wife of 17 years, Sarah, and our four daughters and son. And feeling very, very lucky, indeed, to get up each morning and actually get paid to do something I truly enjoy. (I have attached a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson that I feel is apt) What is Success? To laugh often and much To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty To find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived; This is to have succeeded. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson