When I first visited ACU in the fall of 2010, I was not sure if I wanted to be a scientist anymore. I was in the midst of surviving a very difficult post-doctoral fellowship. It was difficult in several regards: 1) The scientists that I worked under and in collaborations with did not value collegiality. 2) I felt like the work that I did was not of true importance and did not really matter, even though the research was in the field of bioenergy development. 3) I felt like I was replaceable with any other person with a Ph.D. in microbiology.

By the time I started working at ACU, I had reinvisioned my career in science. I thought that maybe there was a place for me at ACU. I was still distrustful of all scientists at first. I expected my new colleagues to be selfish and self-promoting. Instead, I found kind, compassionate, helpful friends. I learned to love science and like scientists again. ACU may have needed another microbiologist that year, but I needed good, Christian scientist role models more.

I feel like working at ACU has been a precious gift. ACU has given me a defined purpose. What I do each day matters. What I do each day is important. I strive to teach my students biology concepts better every semester. I try to make the courses more meaningful, both in biological content and in their spiritual aspects. There are so many more aspects of my teaching that I would like to improve upon: more hands on activities, more inquiry-based learning, more strategies that help make concepts stick.

I feel like I have a place at ACU. I do not feel like any other person with a Ph.D. in microbiology could do my job at ACU. First of all, there are not many microbiologists who call themselves Christians. There are also so many aspects of my job that require more than a doctorate in microbes: mentoring, running a small undergraduate research lab, teaching labs, teaching lectures, and so on. At least once every semester, I say to myself, “Grad school did nothing to prepare me for this job.” When I say this I am usually frustrated with something, like not being able to help students in their mental health challenges or trying to figure out how to authentically integrate faith into an anatomy course. I get through those tough days with prayer and support from wise colleagues.

In the years ahead I hope to have a more organized undergraduate research program that is producing more journal articles, implement more faith integration into my courses, serve the Biology Department in a new way through the position of the Assistant Department Chair. I also hope to continue to be collegial and help to foster a collegial spirit on campus.