While working on my doctorate I realized that, despite being an introvert, I loved teaching. I enjoyed the challenge of breaking down a difficult concept into easier pieces, developing analogies to help students relate to material that seems foreign to them, and creating lab activities to model the concepts that were being discussed in class. After more than 20 years, I still love this challenge. Encouraging students to think harder than they have had to think before and seeing them succeed is one of the primary joys of teaching at NCSSM. BS, Chemistry, James Madison University Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, Medical College of VA/Va Commonwealth University