Welcome to Pat Heithaus' Homepage

B.A. University of Iowa '67
M.S. Zoology, Univeristy of Iowa '69

My primary focus is teaching in the introductory laboratory where the program is aimed at assisting students in developing critical thinking skills and analytical tools. Since students come in with varying degrees of sophistication, one of the joys for me is seeing the tremendous growth in their understanding and confidence over the course of the year. I like to think of myself as one who is always ready to stimulate and facilitate learning. I encourage my students to stretch themselves, to challenge their results, and to use their previous knowledge and the literature to help them understand the context of their results. For me the joy of doing science is being actively engaged in the laboratory or field. For this reason I believe independent projects are the highlight of our introductory laboratory series and I look forward to the variety of topics my students investigate.

I have always enjoyed being in the field and have been actively involved in the development of the Brown Family Environmental Center (formerly the Kenyon Center for Environmental Study). The BFEC provides students an opportunity to learn more about the natural history of Knox County, become involved in the elementary education program, do ecological research, or just relax in a beautiful setting. As human numbers grow, more of us live in relative isolation from natural areas and I am committed to helping students develop a sensitivity for the beauty and diversity that surrounds them. It has been very rewarding seeing the BFEC evolve into a place where students and community members can share in learning .

Comments to: Pat Heithaus, at heithausp@kenyon.edu

Edited: 7/10/98

Biology Homepage

Back to Kenyon