Local Biologist Joins Westmont Faculty

Westmont has hired Santa Barbara resident Steve Julio as assistant professor of biology. Julio graduated from Westmont in 1992 and earned his doctorate at UC Santa Barbara in 2001.

For the past three years Julio has been a postdoctoral fellow at UCSB. He was also a research scientist for several years at Remedyne Corporation, a vaccine development company in Santa Barbara.

His expertise is in working with bacterial diseases and studying pathogenesis, the mechanism by which bacteria make people sick. He has focused much of his research on respiratory infections such as whooping cough.

Julio says he’s excited about being able to teach at a small Christian liberal arts campus.

“The subject matter is the same (as at UCSB),” he says, “but the approaches we take to conveying it and the ability to integrate faith and learning really appeals to me.”

Julio says he’s also looking forward to getting to know his students on a more personal level.

“Instead of lecturing to 300-400 students, the smaller class size and mission of the college here provide the ability to engage students on a personal level, both academically and as brothers and sisters in Christ.”

Julio has had his work published by the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences, Infection and Immunity, Journal of Bacteriology, and Molecular and General Genetics.

He has given presentations at the UCSB Undergraduate Research Colloquium, American Society of Microbiology and Keystone Symposia.

Julio’s wife, Cheryl, has been a mathematics teacher at Santa Barbara High School for 13 years. She graduated from Westmont in 1992. The couple has four daughters. He is an active member of Santa Barbara Community Church.