How did you get your start at LCC?  What do you remember most from your first day/week/month?

I came to LCC after a career working for the State of Michigan and several private consultants. I was nervous because I had not taught before. I remember that my course coordinator, Meg Elias, was fantastic in making me feel more confident in my abilities to take on teaching. She was a great mentor and went above and beyond to provide materials and support as I started my new teaching adventure. The other thing I remember is that the other adjuncts I met at the time also went out of their way to offer support, tips and teaching materials - particularly Kirsten Robinson, Stephanie Hart, Linda Chamberlain and Keron Greene. I was so grateful for their help!

Have you held different positions at LCC? How would you describe your career path and the role that LCC played in it?

I started in the spring of 2008 teaching Biology 120 - Environmental Science. I have worked as an adjunct the majority of my time at LCC except for a 3-year period when I was temporary full time. During that time I was able to work on additional projects such as helping to develop the new umbrella degree program for the science department. I have also taught Biology 210 - Conservation of Natural Resources and ENVR 122 - Environmental Sampling. I became the online coordinator for Biology 120 and the course coordinator for Biology 210.

What's your favorite memory from your time at LCC? Who are the people who made working here great?

I have loved working with all the people at LCC. All of the instructors, administrators and support staff that I have worked with have been very supportive and collaborative. I particularly enjoyed getting to go on field trips with some of my coworkers and developing long lasting friendships. Volunteering for activities such STEMFest, Science Olympiad and MCCB (Michigan Community College Biologists) were rewarding and provided opportunities to interact with more of my coworkers within LCC and to meet other educators around the state. In the fall of 2019, I helped coordinate the 50th anniversary meeting of MCCB at LCC. Many of our LCC staff attended and one of the highlights was a trip to a nearby MSU bird banding station (see photo below). And of course, it is always rewarding when students tell you that you made a difference in their lives. Those are the moments that are the most rewarding.

What were your greatest accomplishments or successes while working at LCC?

Some of my successes include coordinating improvements to the online curriculum of Biology 120, revamping the curriculum of Biology 210, working on the new umbrella degree program for the science department and helping to develop two new potential degree pathways within the science department. During 2020, I made a series of wetland field videos that were used to revise an online lab in Biology 120. One of the videos was a tour of a 350-acre wetland mitigation site that was constructed to mitigate wetlands destroyed by the Enbridge Oil Spill near Kalamazoo in 2010. The site is so large that we needed an ATV to travel through the site (see photo below). That experience was definitely interesting and fun!

What are you looking forward to in your retirement? What plans are you most excited for?

My husband recently retired and we are looking forward to spending more time at our cottage up north and traveling to visit our daughters who both live out of state. We adopted a new dog during the pandemic, so she is very excited to have us spend more of our time hiking with her!

Is there any additional information that you would like to share related to your time at LCC?

I just want to let everyone know how much I appreciate all of your help and support over the years. I will cherish the memories I have of working at LCC and I wish you all the best in the coming years.

Supervisor: Dorothy Tappenden

What's your favorite memory of this employee? Do you have any other positive thoughts to share about this individual?

My favorite memories with Erica involve us coming to the realization that we grew up in the same area of California around the same time. It has been really cool to discuss memories of locations familiar to both of us over the years.

In a professional context, Erica's dedication to students, their learning, and their academic success has always impressed me. She has been highly collaborative with colleagues on academic projects, always striving to improve students' learning experience and environment.