Meet the new Associate Professor of Biology, Dr. Michael Jackson! We chatted with him to learn a bit about his story and what he looks forward to here at PHC.
Q: Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
I’ve been an epidemiologist for most of my career. I’ve worked in public health at the local and federal levels, I’ve been a research scientist, and I’ve worked for multiple health tech start-ups. My wife Bekie and I have been married for almost 24 years, and we have five children.
Q: How did you hear about the faculty position at PHC?
We learned about PHC through our oldest son, who is a freshman here this year. When he was applying to PHC we got introduced to Alyson Sothoron. Alyson reached out to us this spring and let me know that PHC was hiring for a biology professor.
Q: What are you most looking forward to as a professor?
I want to encourage PHC students to see the supremacy of God’s Word in every area of their lives and scholarship. That includes the sciences—how we approach science, what we expect to learn from it, and how to make sure that our understanding lines up with God’s revealed truths.
Q: What type of teaching opportunities have you had previously?
I’ve taught informally in various settings, such as high school science classes for our homeschool group, but nothing as a career. I’ve enjoyed the teaching opportunities I’ve had in the past. I love the process of trying to explain complex ideas in ways that are understandable to a wide audience.
Q: What is your favorite part of biology to teach/study?
As an epidemiologist, I love studying disease transmission dynamics—how bacteria and viruses spread from person to person—and the ways we can interrupt that spread.
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