I am a biophilist. E.O. Wilson coined the term “biophilia” to capture the innate need for nature that is a basic part of being human. To me every life form, no matter how gruesome (think tapeworms, flukes, and the corpse flower of Borneo), is beautiful and awe inspiring. I first fell in love with biology when I jumped into Bahamian waters with scuba gear, but the courtship started long before, growing up in small town Southern Illinois, about as far from the ocean as you can get. Over the past 15 years, I have focused my attention on under-appreciated microscopic life, particularly the mighty tardigrades or “waterbears”. These poorly studied animals have completely won me over, and sharing discoveries of new species in microscopic worlds with a bunch of eager, hard working Warren Wilson students has been a complete joy.
To be a teacher at WWC means, by necessity, to be a generalist. My students are eager and my subject is limitless, so there is always some new wonder to be discovered and shared.