SHELBY TOWNSHIP Macomb Community College South Campus in Warren last month hosted approximately 2,500 students, educators and parents from Macomb County and beyond at the 38th annual Elementary Science Olympiad Tournament.
Aaron Davis makes a difference in people’s lives everyday as a pharmacist at Meijer. That commitment to work to help others was supported by the examples he saw while a student at St. Clair County Community College.
“Janice Fritz and Joe Gibbons both sparked my interest in science and were instrumental in my acceptance to, and success in, pharmacy school,” Davis said. “I remember the passion that Dr. Fritz had for teaching and the excitement she would bring to her lectures. Anatomy and Physiology was my favorite course I took in my entire collegiate career.”
“I also fondly remember spending hours with Professor Gibbons in the chemistry lab discussing not just the course material but also life experiences,” he continued. “These professors were more than teachers to me; they were sources of inspiration as well as friendly faces I could confide in. They deserve so much recognition for the incredible work they do.”
When Professor of Biology Janice Fritz started her Ph.D. program, she had no intention of being a teacher. As a student she was given financial support as a teaching assistant. “I was more than a little uncertain about teaching biology labs to undergrads,” said Fritz. “But it turned out that I loved it.”
The further she got in her Ph.D. program, the more she wanted to teach and the less she wanted to run a research program. After completing her postdoctoral training, she taught part-time at Wayne State University and Lansing Community College. “I really enjoyed both,” said Fritz. “But I really loved teaching at the community college level.”