Furman welcomed several new professors to their faculty in multiple subject areas this semester.
Dr. Anderson is a chemistry professor who was raised in Madison, Ala. She completed her undergraduate degree at Samford University and her Ph.D. at Penn State. She moved here this year from Hope College. Dr. Anderson’s favorite part of Furman is the large research space she was granted for herself and her students. She considers seeing students develop the best part of her job. She even had the opportunity to see one
of her first General Chemistry students earn their Ph.D. this past summer. Dr. Anderson noted that her first Furman memory stemmed from her first year at Samford where her friend asked her “why didn’t you go to Furman? They have a good science program.”
It was the first time Furman made a lasting impression on her. In her first year, Dr.
Anderson hopes to achieve some significant research productivity, get to know students and start building a group of students to research with her. She encourages her students as well as prospective Chemistry majors to drop into her office hours.
Dr. Lori Alvin is a mathematics professor who joined the staff from Bradley University in Illinois. A native of Waukesha, Wis., Dr. Alvin completed her B.S. at University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and Ph.D. at University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. She says that the best part about Furman is the community where everyone is supportive of each other’s
goals and dreams. Dr. Alvin’s first Furman memory was from when she visited the campus on a rainy March day. She fell in love with the beautiful fountains and serene green spaces. The best part about her job is helping students when they do not understand a concept. Seeing the “Aha moment” light up their faces when they overcome a difficulty is a rewarding sight! She loves for students to visit her during office hours. Dr. Alvin previously taught at a larger school where students typically did not utilize office hours, but she has come to love the open door policy as she gets to build better relationships with her students. In her first year at Furman, Dr. Alvin hopes that students find her classes hard, but that they learn a lot and feel prepared for their future classes. She wants them to grow as students and as adults.
