ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
JANUARY 2015
Dr. Jeremy Conkle '03
What made you choose to attend Longwood over the many other colleges and universities?
I chose Longwood for a variety of reasons. However, the two major reasons were that when I visited my brother and friends, I had a great time and knew I would like the campus community. Second, I wanted to play collegiate soccer and I thought I would have a shot at walking onto the team.
During your time at Longwood, were you involved in any of the clubs and organizations the campus has to offer?
Yes, I walked on and played soccer for about 2.5 years. I was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, Chemistry Club and Beta Beta Beta. I also worked the front desk in Arc and Stubbs.
If you could relive a memory you made as a Longwood student, what would it be?
I would relive the 2001 CVAC Men’s soccer tournament, where as an underdog, we won the semifinals in over time and the final in a shootout.
Every student has a favorite professor. Who was yours and what was your favorite memory with him/her?
Dr. Rhoten. During my time at Longwood we had a small chemistry program and I was fortunate to have her as my professor for several classes. There is not one memory that really stands out, but she was always very helpful and willing to work with students when they were having trouble with assignments. We remain in contact today and we even got to catch up at an American Chemical Society conference in New Orleans a few years ago.
After graduation, what were some of the challenges you faced?
Other than the struggles of a graduate student, my biggest challenge after graduation has been the moving associated with graduate school and jobs. Ultimately each experience has been tremendously beneficial to my growth and career development, but it was always difficult to leave great groups of friends behind and start over in another state.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of since your time as a Longwood student?
To date, I am most proud of the body of work that brought me to my new faculty position here at Texas A&M Corpus Christi. However, I am also aware that this is just the beginning of my career and that my real work begins now. After the years of work it took to get here, it is exciting to finally be in control of my future.
What is your favorite aspect of being the Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Coastal & Marine Systems Science in the Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi and what does the job entail?
After 2 years in a master’s program, 4 years in a PhD program and ~4 years as a postdoc, I am excited that this position give me the freedom to build my own research lab, pursue my research interests and mentor students through education and research. My position, like most tenure track faculty, is split (in order of importance) between research, teaching and service. The research aspect of my position requires me to write grants to fund my lab and field work, mentor students (graduate & undergraduate), publish my research in peer-reviewed journals, present my work at conferences and be active in professional organizations. My research largely focuses on the fate, transport and ecosystem effects of pollutants (pesticides, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, flame retardants, etc.) in coastal ecosystems. For teaching, I typically teach 3 classes a year on topics that include pollutant fate and transport, environmental chemistry and wetland ecosystems. My service requirements are fulfilled by sitting on university committees that help to govern and improve the research and academic standing of the institution. This may include work ranging from serving on a hiring committee to the faculty senate.
What made you choose to become a professor yourself?
During graduate school and even for a time into my post-doc, I wanted nothing to do with a faculty position. This was due to my experiences in grad school I saw the crushing amount of time and effort required by my professors to get tenure. However, after some time weighing and exploring my options late in my postdoc, I discovered that a career in academia was the right fit for me. My new position allows me to pursue novel research of my choosing, something that is missing from government and private sector positions. Additionally, working in academia allows me to interact with and mentor students, which is also missing from other avenues of work. These two aspects of my job are what drove me to become a professor.
What is your best piece of advice for upcoming graduates?
I have received a lot of great advice along the way. But what I believe people need to hear is that it is ok to be uncomfortable, in fact if you want to grow (personally & professionally) you should often be uncomfortable. If you are comfortable how are you challenging yourself? Are you really learning new things? Are you adapting to the world evolving around you or are you falling behind?
At all levels in my education and today in my career, I have often been uncomfortable. Many people fear this feeling and avoid it where possible. You should do the opposite and embrace it; welcome the challenge. It is a sign that you are pushing yourself and setting the stage for growth and development. This should not end when you graduate, but continue throughout your life after Longwood. Being uncomfortable is a central driver of my research, I cannot just repeat past research and expect to receive grant funding, publish my research or obtain tenure. My success depends on pushing my research to and beyond my comfort zone. The same principle applies to various aspects of life outside of academia, where success is achieved by pushing the limits of your knowledge and capabilities. When you push yourself, you often find your potential is greater than you thought, because your original limits were only self-imposed.