Dr. Timothy Lin is grateful for the opportunities to build relationships with students that lead to deeper understanding of coursework as well as discussions about faith and life. “I really appreciate the students’ trust to discuss these sorts of things with me,” he says.
An avid supporter of student research, Lin has developed a new approach to undergraduate research projects that invites them to think critically and creatively about the biology. Using his expertise as a microbiologist, Lin helps his students conduct research on a wide range of scientific questions, from gene characterization to a survey of plant host species for the Japanese Beetle.
He also uses his experience growing up in Taiwan to introduce biology students to science around the world. “I enjoy sharing my stories of growing up in a small Asian country and encourage my students to share their stories as well,” he says. Out of his own experience and expertise, Lin has created a course, the Culture and Ecology of Asia, that includes a 16-day study tour to Taiwan.