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There are advancements of technology and new discoveries happening every day in the sciences. Lifelong Learning is an important tool whether you work in medicine, research, or data analytics. Hear a few reflections from alumni in these fields.
SANJAY DICK ‘07 is a small animal veterinarian and sees this first-hand. In his role he enjoys, “watching owners experience the joys of raising a new puppy or kitten, or saying goodbye to an old friend…it is incredible to watch cases come to a happy resolution.” Lately, he has been exploring soft tissue surgery, a more complex technique to give his patients the best available treatment.
As a Lancaster Mennonite (LM) student he remembers support, encouragement, and an emphasis on servant leadership. His advice on lifelong learning is to, “step outside your comfort zone, challenge yourself, and don’t let the pressure of success prevent you from having life experiences.”
HEATHER (GOOD) NYCE, PhD, CMPP ‘97 specializes in Medical Communications and Training as a Scientific Director for a pharmaceutical company. Her focus is on education around the best medications for cancer patients based on data from clinical trials.
Heather shares, “when I was in high school, I never would have imagined that I would be in the career that I am now.” Teachers at LM helped to influence her love for science and challenged her to grow.
She recently had the honor of speaking for the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP). “I am continually learning and working to stay up to date on scientific treatment advances. Along with that comes the responsibility to convey accurate and reliable information to providers and patients.” Her faith is also a driving force as she advances professionally and seeks “to work ethically and promote equitable access to healthcare information.”
KAREN (BRUBAKER) HOOBER ‘88 is the Associate Director for Graduate Education and Outreach at the University of Delaware, as well as an Adjunct Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry. She has always been passionate about the “act of learning.” To her, “science is a tool used in hand with God.” This was instilled in her at LM and has remained foundational.
Her Ph.D. research focused on isolating an unknown enzyme found in chicken egg whites. She has been recognized for her technique and for successfully characterizing a novel enzyme. She received the dissertation prize, and her findings have impacted cancer therapy.
Now, she helps to run the graduate program for Bioinformatics and Data Science. She mentors students in the program, helping them select courses and meet requirements. She is, “constantly engaging in an intellectual thought process surrounded by high innovators, which drives me to be a better person and learn new things.” To her, Lifelong Learning is about not giving up. “You never know what lies down the road, so use failure to catapult you forward and have confidence that God will provide the path for you.”
