Biology

I was born in Bethesda, Maryland, and grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania, and Youngstown, Ohio. After earning my Ph.D. in microbiology from Ohio University, I was a Busch Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Biochemistry at Rutgers University for three years. From 1984 to 1986, I was a visiting professor of microbiology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. I came to Hillsdale in 1986 as a biology professor. For 15 years, I served as chairman of the Natural Sciences Division, and I have been chairman of the Biology Department since 2003. My wife, Pamela, teaches Kindergarten and second-grade reading at Hillsdale Academy. We have two grown children—Andrew and Amanda.

Mutagenicity testing (and anti-oxidant evaluation) using the SOS Chromotest; Microbiology, molecular biology and photosynthetic microbiology. Founded, coordinate and teach in the Hillsdale College Summer Science Camp Program (since 1991), sponsored by the Murdock Foundation.

Microbiology!

There are many, but quite a few years ago, I had a student from Nepal who decided to do his senior thesis project with me. Although English was his second language, I encouraged him to present the results of his project at our Regional Beta Beta Beta Conference. We drove all the way to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he practiced his talk and rehearsed in our motel room for several hours the night before the conference to get it right. He was surprised, and very proud, when he received a third-place award for his work and scientific presentation. He was extremely proud, as I was of him.

I really like the small class sizes and the ability to interact with students on a more personal level. Before coming to Hillsdale, the smallest class I ever taught consisted of 75 students, and the largest was around 400.

I think students today need to find a school that fits best with their personality, strengths and weaknesses. In order to do so, they need to not just talk to students, but they also should sit in on a few classes, as well as speak with some of the professors in their area of interest. That’s the only really good way to find if a specific school is a good fit for them.

I think our better students have a strong work ethic, which comes from their home environments. These core values are then nurtured in our curriculum, and it’s a real joy to see these students mature into responsible and knowledgeable young adults.

fxs@hillsdale.edu