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When the Teacher is Also a Student
For Sarah Myer, it's been challenging but also "endlessly cool"
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In 1999, when Myer began teaching at ORU as a full-time adjunct instructor, she also entered Oklahoma State University's doctoral program in biomedical sciences at the OSU Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa and has taken on the dual teacher-student role ever since. Not without rewards, however. After 90 hours of classes and research, she plans to graduate with her Ph.D. in the next year.
What's it like being both a full-time teacher and a student? Why ORU--first as a student, then as an instructor? What kind of research is she doing? And perhaps most importantly, how has she been able to juggle so many responsibilities?
The future Dr. Myer tells all...
Q: You're an ORU alumnus as well as a faculty member. What brought you to ORU as a student? And what brought you back as an instructor?
Sarah Myer: When I was looking for a college as a student, I wanted both good academics and a strong spiritual side. It was really important to me that the college I went to would have strength in both areas. There were plenty of schools with great academics but no spiritual life whatsoever. ORU gave me the best combination of both.
Then, after graduating with a biology degree in 1994 and a master's in education in 1995, I taught 7th grade Life Science in Sapulpa for four years, which was fun, though I realized I should be working at a different level. When you teach at a public school, it really makes you appreciate the ORU environment--the high academic standards as well as the spiritual emphasis--more. I wanted to be a part of that environment again and to help students fulfill God's calling on their lives. So I approached the biology department about teaching as an adjunct and told them of my interest to pursue a Ph.D. They were wonderful! I started as a full-time adjunct instructor and then became a regular instructor. After I complete my Ph.D., I will be an assistant professor at ORU.
Q: Talk about coming full circle! So what is it like to be both a teacher and a student simultaneously? How have you been able to do it?
SM: It's been challenging at times, definitely. But it's also endlessly cool to realize I've made it this far. I have to say that making this dual student-teacher role work is unmistakably the grace of God. He has guided me through every step of the way. But beyond that, it's also been a team effort between ORU, OSU, and my husband!
Q: In what ways have the three worked together to make your going back to school while still teaching possible?
SM: Well, first, everyone at ORU has been really supportive and encouraging. The ORU biology department faculty has been just wonderful in rearranging their teaching schedules so that I could teach sections that fit with my OSU class schedules. They've also allowed me to use a laptop, purchased with the biology alumni funds, for both teaching my classes and my own students. Also, my students have been great--they have blessed me so many times when we open our class with prayer; they pray for me, my research, and my classes! The deans have also supported me through tuition assistance, and understanding when I have had meeting absences due to class and research conflicts.
Next, OSU has been flexible as well, acknowledging my dual workload. They've often arranged the advanced graduate classes around my schedule. They have even taped some of the medical school classes when my teaching schedule prevented me from being there! Dr. Lee Rickords, my research advisor, has been more than understanding of my erratic research schedule.
And, of course I could not do this without Brian, my husband, who has been a constant source of encouragement while putting up with countless fast food meals, late nights, and a hectic schedule!
Q: Tell us a little bit about your research. What's it all about? What implications will it possibly have on the field of biomedical sciences?
SM: My project focuses on transcriptional differences in early embryonic development of the mouse and mouse stem cells. Basically, I'm interested in what genes are expressed in the developmental process and how this is regulated or controlled. The long-term goals and applications are in the areas of cancer and adult stem cell research.
In the area of cancer, it has been shown that, when cancer is present, normal gene regulation malfunctions, changing what genes are being expressed. Some cancers have even been shown to express genes which are normally used only in the development of the embryo! Much research is being done on understanding these gene regulation mechanisms.
The second application to adult stem cells comes from the goal of researchers to learn how to develop stem cells from normal adult body cells. These stem cells would be individual-specific and would have incredible potential for medical therapy, especially therapy that would not require immunosuppressive drugs that current transplant patients have to take. The key to this process is to learn which genes and regulatory mechanisms are essential for this process.
Q: You recently received an intramural research grant, supported by alumni, as a precursor to your Ph.D. research. What has that allowed you to do?
SM: The intramural research grant has been instrumental in my Ph.D. research. It is helping me get enough data to apply for larger grants from science foundations. It is also helping me bring my research to the ORU research lab.
Q: What's next? When do you plan to graduate?
SM: I'm taking a part-time leave of absence this semester so I can concentrate on finishing the degree. I have one class left to take this fall, Cancer Genetics, as well as the research and written and oral qualifying exams in mid-October. Then in the spring, I will focus on trying to complete the research, write my dissertation, and publish the data. My goal is to graduate in May of 2004--contingent on my research progress!
