Dr. John "Robert" Hatherill is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Natural Sciences at Del Mar College (DMC). Research in his lab focuses on understanding the prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in the environment and characterizing novel bacteriophage from local communities. He has served as a highly effective mentor of undergraduate students in his research lab, launching many careers from among his students. Beyond his own research lab, Robert has spearheaded the formation of a new and award-winning biotechnology program, supported student research internships, and procured state-of-the-art lab equipment. He created a new program and incorporated innovative pedagogical approaches, developed educational materials, provided students with real-world research experiences, and provided professional development for educators. Robert has impacted over 1000 high school science students from a Laboratory Loaner Kit program and trained 142 high school teachers. His mentored students that participated in undergraduate research showed greater gains in learning, increased recruiting and retention, greater participation in campus activities, and integration into the culture and profession of science. While at the serving as a faculty fellow for 12 summers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), he sponsored 12 student research cohorts. The DMC-LBNL students excelled in research presentations, publications, and won national poster competitions. Robert continues to be a hands-on mentor while extending his mentoring hand to a global community of other underrepresented groups. He earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Eastern Michigan University, a doctorate from the University of Michigan, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Stanford University.