Matthew Cowin, Staff Writer
Dr. Sue Buckingham is a new professor of biology at Sewanee. She earned a Bachelor’s in English at Wooster College, as well as a Master of Science in Plant and Soil Science and a Ph.D. in Anatomy and Neurobiology from the University of Vermont. Buckingham detailed her academic interests, series of jobs and movement around the Eastern United States leading to her arrival on the domain.
In high school, Buckingham’s early interests in English came before she considered pursuing science in college. “I wasn’t into science at all, particularly because I hated dissecting cats, and I wasn’t good at math either. I thought about vet school since I liked to be outside and explore animals in the woods but couldn’t go without taking science courses.”
This stood in contrast with her strong interest in English. “At that time, I liked English the best. Throughout my career, it has helped in reading science, writing papers, putting together lectures, and explaining/communicating things to others.” Her early interest led her to pursue a degree in college.
After earning a Bachelor’s in English at Wooster College in Ohio, Buckingham (like many freshmen) was not entirely sure of her path. “I wasn’t sure what I wanted with an English degree. I had no plans to teach English and wasn’t top-level at writing.” She stuck to doing various odd jobs in Ohio while deciding on her main path. “I got jobs at a bakery, did landscaping, and worked at a winery (vineyard). I then decided to go into natural sciences by taking undergraduate courses (chemistry and biology) as prerequisites for grad school.”
Buckingham furthered her career goals by returning to Vermont and gaining valuable work in the field. “I ended up working as a lab technician in Zoology research labs – from this, I got into the master’s program, where I started in Plant and Soil Science while working in Zoology. After my master’s thesis, I worked as a surgical research technician at the University of Vermont (UVM) before completing my PhD in Anatomy and Neurology program.”
Buckingham credited the opportunities of graduate school and its impact on her career. “It was a convoluted process—working and taking classes and not immediately attending grad school like many people. As a result, all of the students were younger than me; part of it was serving as a teaching assistant for medical school and its students. I liked it.” After her graduate degrees, Buckingham and her family moved to Birmingham for her post-doc position at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Originally from New England, Buckingham first felt uneasy about moving to the south. “I thought it would be backwards and unfriendly, but it wasn’t that way at all. I gave it one year, but we still have a house there since our 2007 move.” Her teaching experiences in graduate school led her to pursue an open position at Birmingham-Southern College (BSC). “After my post-doc, I began work there as a pre-health advisor. It would’ve been for one year, but I really liked it. Then, BSC closed down, which was terrible.”
Immediately after, Sewanee reached out for a new position in the biology department. “I was familiar with Sewanee at BSC. I live here during the week and go home to Birmingham on the weekends… definitely an adjustment. We did a lot for students at BSC (family), but Sewanee’s great. I do plenty of trail running with my dog, bird-watching, playing in the woods and hiking.” As for the future, Buckingham is most certain that teaching is her passion. “I’d like to keep teaching. I like college students, it’s a great time in your life. Challenging, but fun.” Buckingham’s patience, intellect, broad experiences and dedication to students are guiding forces to her thriving first year on the domain.