Biophysical Newsletter - September 2014

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BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

2014

SEPTEMBER

their first presentation experiences at Biophysi- cal Society meetings.” Many of his students have gone on to pursue PhDs in scientific fields, but not only undergrads have benefitted from Deca- tur’s mentorship. Petty shares, “Working in Sean’s lab was the single most important experience in my life. He gave me the freedom to plan my own experiments and make my own decisions, while always being there with suggestions and guidance. He allowed me to grow as a teacher as well, which is something not many people are able to do as a postdoctoral researcher.” Given his dedication to undergraduate students, Decatur has enjoyed the transition to administra- tion. He served as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Oberlin College for five years before accepting the presidency of Kenyon College in July 2013. In many ways, his work as a dean and then college president has been a departure from his career in teaching and research, but his back- ground in biophysics has been beneficial in this new endeavor. Decatur explains, “The fundamen- tal activities in biophysics—collaborating across and connecting with different disciplines, integrat- ing different types of data and information to ad- dress a complex question, and experimenting with new approaches or ideas—have all served me well in my work in academic administration.” His new position has also given him the opportunity to advocate for science as an essential part of a liberal arts education. He says, “Too often, the phrase ‘liberal arts’ becomes shorthand for humanities. Two essential components to a liberal education are developing an understanding of the natural and physical world and practicing experimental/ scientific methods for gathering information and constructing knowledge systems. The study of biophysics helps with both of these.” Decatur has created for himself a supportive com- munity of biophysicists. Many years after men- toring Decatur at Stanford, Boxer is still there to cheer him on. Boxer says, “Sean is a remarkable scientist and human being. He is thoughtful, en- gaged in everything, tireless, and has a big picture view of science and human activities. It was a great thrill to attend his inauguration as the President of Kenyon College.” Decatur has carried on this tradition of encouragement with his own protégés. Petty recounts, “He would always make time to talk to me and his students about our future plans and dreams and would help us to make them a re-

ality. And, in spite of his incredibly busy schedule, he continues to make time to celebrate our suc- cesses: in 2012, he made the long trip from Ohio to give a celebratory seminar at Holy Cross when I was awarded tenure.” Decatur says, “I am enjoying life as a college president. I want to focus on leading Kenyon, advocat[ing] for undergraduate science educa- tion, improving access to science careers to groups historically underrepresented in the sciences, and bolstering the public understanding of science; I

“ Too often, the phrase ‘liberal arts’ becomes shorthand for humanities. Two essential components to a liberal education are developing an under- standing of the natural and physical world and practicing experimental/ scientific methods for gathering infor- mation and constructing knowledge systems. “ – Sean Decatur

hope that my position as a college president will continue to provide platforms for this advocacy and opportunities to advance the national dialogue on these issues.” When Decatur is away from his post at Kenyon, he spends as much time as possible with his fam- ily, and also enjoys running, cycling, and watching sports. He says, “I grew up in Cleveland, which means that sports teams are typically disappoint- ments. But I am eternally optimistic about every- thing. This could be the season!” Biophysicists just starting out in their careers, De- catur says, should “choose problems that you find interesting; take advantage of any opportunities to learn new techniques; be willing to take risks on ambitious projects; enjoy the work; and take time to think about how cool some of the experiments and results are.”

Profilee at-a Glance

Sean Decatur Institution

Kenyon College Course of Study Biophysical Chemistry