Background:

A.J. Bates is a transplant from the Hoosier State (Indiana) to California. He holds a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Biochemistry and a Master of Arts (M.A.T.) in Chemistry from Indiana University - Bloomington.  A.J. has been at Skyline College for ten years, where he has taught Chemistry courses for the science majors sequence.  He has taught Chemistry at the high school and college levels for sixteen years.  

At Skyline College, A.J. is also one of the sponsors of the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA). This club organizes events on campus to raise awareness of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender issues.  The club holds weekly meetings on the Skyline campus, is politcally active, and sponsors social events for the LGBTQQI community and its straight allies. A.J. is also one of the organizers of the Science in Action Lecture Series.

In addition to his love of Chemistry, A.J. enjoys bicycling, photography, snow-skiing, and water-skiing. He has cycled from San Francisco to LA in the California AIDS Ride & Lifecycle events eleven times to raise money for HIV and AIDS services and education (and will again in June 2012).  A.J.'s current obsessions include fun, mostly science-related T-shirts, television series (Fringe, Breaking Bad, Once Uopn a Time, Game of Thrones, Castle, Bones, Modern Family, The Middle, Community, 30 Rock, Episodes, Dexter, Burn Notice, and a few others) and a nearly lifelong fascination with all things STAR WARS.