Dr.  Kirsti Dyer  MD, MS

Kirsti Dyer
Title:    
Part-Time Faculty - Biology 
Department:    
Arts, Sciences and Human Performance 
Office:    
 
Campus:    
CC 
Phone:    
 
Email:    
 

Information


2013 - Fellowship Integrative Medicine, Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine
1992 - MD (Medical Degree) University of California, Davis
1986 - MS (Masters of Science) University of California, Davis Comparative Pathology (Now Integrative Pathobiology). Concentrations in Immunology, Immunopathology and Medical Parasitology
1984 - BA (Bachelors of Arts) California State University, Sacramento (Sacramento State). Double Major: Biological Science (Human Biology and Microbiology), Chemistry


I am currently an entirely online part-time faculty, so there is no campus office or campus phone number.

Contact Dr. Dyer via email, dyerk@yosemite.edu or for enrolled students via the Canvas Inbox.

Biography

Dr. Kirsti A. Dyer MD, MS, FT is a physician, health educator, professor, online instructor, lecturer, and longtime online student. She received her medical and master's degrees from the University of California, Davis. Dr. Dyer completed an Internal Medicine Residency program and practiced clinical medicine for many years.

After having her two daughters, her focus has shifted from clinical practice treating disease to health and wellness promotion through education. In August 2013 she completed the Fellowship program in Integrative Medicine with the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine. She was the first physician (and still only) to attain the designation of Fellow in Thanatology F.T. through the Association of Death Education and Counseling (ADEC). The Fellowship in Thanatology is technically death studies, but also recognizes expertise in death, dying and bereavement.    

Dr. Dyer has been teaching Bio 50, Nutrition since January 2005 as an enhanced course using online resources. Her Nutrition course has been fully online since Fall 2008 first in WebCT, then Blackboard and now in Canvas. Bio 50 was the first biology course available online at Columbia College. Both of her (now in college) daughters successfully completed the online Bio 50 nutrition course as middle college students while in high school.

Pre Covid, to provide safe opportunities and encouragement for walking in the community, Dr. Dyer organized and facilitated Walking Classes at the Wildcat Ranch. The walking classes have been a joint venture through Columbia College Community Education and the Sonora High School Wildcat Ranch in Spring and Fall 2016 on the cross country course. A session for Summer Morning Movers met early during the summer months and included runners from the cross country team. Walking with the Wildflowers was held at the Westside Railtrail in the Spring 2017 while the Fall 2017 Autumn Movers: Outdoor Walking Class was held at the Sonora High School Wildcat Ranch. The Spring 2018 walking class, Walk in the Spring: Outdoor Walking Class, was held at the Westside Railtrail (Mon) and the Westside Property (Weds) in Tuolumne, CA. The Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 Walking classes were held at Dragoon Gulch near downtown Sonora. The Fall 2019 walking class was held at the Sonora High School Wildcat Ranch. The walking classes have been 'on pause" since Spring 2020 due to the various Covid-19 outbreaks. Perhaps by Fall 2023  it will be safe to hold the walking class once again as a community health outreach..

The walking class was inspired by the former Surgeon General's 2015 Call to Action to promote walking and walkable communities. In 2016 our walkers and runners logged over 560 hours, with 70 hours as summer and fall running hours. Our dedicated group of Spring walkers, who for the first time included several dogs, logged over 100 people walking hours and nearly 20 dog walking hours in 2017. Participants in the autumn class logged over 175 hours with our first-time virtual participants logging at least 80 hours. Another 80 walkers and 20 runners showing up for the first Run/Walk after Turkey Day. Our Spring walkers logged over 100 hours between the two Westside trails in Tuolumne. In Fall 2019 our walkers logged over 135 hours and we hosted the third Run/Walk after Turkey Day.  

Courses I Teach

  • Bio 50,  Nutrition
    Section(s): 3867
  • Bio 150,  Elementary Anatomy and Physiology
    This is a late start course
    Section(s): 4888
  • Bio 50,  Nutrition
    Spring 2025 Section
    Section(s): 3867

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