In this section I would like to describe some of my collegial activities. One of these is monthly attendance at Biology Research Lunches. These research lunches started in the fall of 2012. This is an important event where researchers and professors gather to share a meal and listen to the undergraduates present their research in an informal way. I have enjoyed sharing pizza and barbeque with these scientists of all ages. I especially felt a great sense of community when the lunches were made up of twenty or so people and we gathered around long tables and had “table fellowship”. At least one time each year, undergraduate researchers from my lab present their research to the group. This is a way that I publicly show my part in the community of research here at ACU.
Another activity that I am involved in is manuscript editing for Dr. Tom Lee. Several times he has asked me to read his manuscripts. As I have said before, it is difficult for me to comment on the science, but I can usually spot grammatical errors. If I understand a mammalogy paper, then it must be written clearly. These are the two papers I have edited for Tom.
- Lee, T. E. & Brant, J. G. (2014). The first distribution record of Sciurus pyrrhinus Thomas, 1898 (Rodentia: Sciuridae) from Ecuador. Check List, 10(30), 663-664.
- Martinez, S.G. & Lee, T.E. (2013). Predation On Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) by merlin (Falco columbarius). The Southwestern Naturalist, 58(4), 508-512.
Another collegial activity is hosting Biology Dead Day Cook-Out at my home in the Spring of 2013, 2014, and 2015. This was always a fun event. Students always seemed so excited to come to my house.
I have also shown collegiality with my research. Many scientists at other universities do not share their research well with members of even their own departments. During my post-doc, I distinctly remember being told not to discuss a thing about research outside of the lab and not to say the word “CRISPR” in the elevator for fear that we would be scooped by the other lab. In ACU Biology, we all help each other in research where we can. We are small parts of a larger team. Josh Brokaw and Diana Flanagan needed something for beginning research students to work on. I gladly gave them access to my 250 frozen bacterial isolates from the cave so they could classify the strains to genus. I can see how only good will come from this type of collaboration.
On February 26, 2014, I gave a departmental chapel talk entitled “True things about God and faith I learned from atheistic scientists”. I recounted conversations that I had with my atheistic scientist friends over the years. Two of their quotes were, “Religion is a crutch for the weak and poor” and “The virgin birth? Unbelievable. The resurrection? Impossible.” I talked about how these were true and that I was weak and poor, and the miracles are unbelievable, but it takes faith. After that talk several students, approached me and told me that was the best chapel they ever attended. I hope that is not so, but I value their compliments.
Rebecca Hunter and I have also worked closely together to design activities for the Girls in STEM day we participate in every spring. I have enjoyed brainstorming with her on ideas for how to best communicate biological principles in 25 minutes to groups of 10 middle school girls. We are currently planning a larger event for Taylor Elementary later this fall.
Another activity that I have been a part of for about the last year is the Women in Leadership Group at the Adams Center. I do not know why I was initially invited. I do not know why I agreed to be a part of the group. Jennifer Shewmaker asked me, so I agreed. I think I initially thought it was about encouraging women on campus. It is that, but it is actually about encouraging and teaching women to become administrative leaders on campus.
During the small group meetings, I encouraged women already with tenure to not be afraid to submit their papers for publication and not to wait until the manuscript is perfect, because that day will never come. I was surprised to see how many of the women thought that was insightful. They just needed the encouragement from me at that moment.
At about the last meeting of this previous semester, I looked around and thought, “Why am I here? I enjoy learning how to communicate better with other people I work with, but why am I here? I don’t want to be a dean or a provost. I like my job just as it is. Should I come back next year?”
Just before this past semester started, Tom Lee asked me to consider taking the position of the Assistant Chair of the Biology Department to assist in the transition to a new way of teaching the general biology labs. I accepted the position and decided to stay in the Women in Leadership Group. I think this position can help me use some of my strengths. I think I am good at listening to people and hearing what they have to say. I can also help navigate situations while actively trying to minimize conflict. My goals are to help the team navigate the changes, ease the transition, and support them however I can.
It is very difficult for me to see my own collegiality. I am told that is one of my strengths. I do my best to treat people with kindness and respect, but I do not do it because I am trying to be “collegial”, but because that is the way I believe Christians should interact with colleagues in work environments.
For more insight into my collegiality, please see Josh Brokaw‘s letter of support.