My UMR with David Haines - Biology Faculty

Authored By: mknutson 02/28/2020

David HainesWhat brought you to UMR? 
I really liked the approach to teaching UMR took - the collaborative, interdisciplinary nature.It was an added bonus that UMR was willing to pay me to teach. I remember when I got the offer here, I didn't entertain any other offers.

What is your role at UMR?  
I teach integrative biology and Anatomy and Physiology I. 
 
What advice do you have for UMR students during their time here? 
College, like most things, is what you make of it. Be active, engaged, do things, try things, take hard classes, go to JustASK as frequently as possible, fail at some things, succeed at others, consider the other person's point of view and try to understand why they have that view. 

What is one interesting fact about you that you want others to know about you?  
My wrists do not allow me to supinate my hands, so it is physically impossible for me to orientate myself in the anatomical position. 

What hobby would you get into if time and money weren’t an issue?
I have so many things I want to do to my house. I've slowly been doing renovations and improvements as time and money allows and I find it really fulfilling. I've also started dabbling in woodworking, which is fun and challenging. 

What are some small things that make your day better?
Cleaning. I feel much better when my living space is clean, so I try to be intentional about doing that right away so I can relax. Also, coffee. 

If you could convince everyone in the world to do one thing at one point in time, what would that thing be?  
I've become endeared to the idea of required service. I feel like spending a year serving for something (Americorps, Peace Corps, military service, whatever) should be a requirement in this country. Service helps us to understand the scope of a problem better and consider potential solutions. If everyone just spent one year serving, we could tackle many of the problems our society faces such as poverty, homelessness, conservation, etc. It also helps to establish a sense of ownership in our country, which sometimes seems to be missing.