Dr. Lisa Bonner has seen many students come and go in her 35 years at William Peace University, but there has been one constant during her tenure.
While the students’ faces change as they come and go, her relationships and influence with them remain the same.
Bonner, the Department Chair of Science and Mathematics, and a biology professor, is constantly reminded of her students in her office. Pictures line the walls and bookshelves, each telling the stories of students with whom she’s connected.
One picture is of a student she taught more than 30 years ago. Bonner talks about staying in contact with the student and attending her wedding a few years ago. In another picture, Bonner is featured with a group of students during an international trip, one of the many times she’s ventured into another country with Pacers.
Dr. Bonner has sponsored international experiences for Peace students and has traveled to Italy, the Galapagos, Mexico, Jamaica, and most recently Costa Rica. She and Dr. Patrick Myer, Associate Professor of Biology, have led three study abroad programs to Costa Rica. The course, “Biodiversity and Conservation of Costa Rica” included adventures hiking in the rainforest to observe biodiversity firsthand, visiting research sites dealing with conservation of bat populations and leatherback turtle nesting, engaging in whitewater rafting trips, and participating in community service projects.
Dr. Bonner and Dr. Myer have led a long-term research project assessing the ecological integrity of Crabtree Creek, a primary tributary of the Neuse River, which has historically been a focal point with reference to ecology and health concerns within the state of North Carolina. Biology research students have monitored PCB contamination in Crabtree Creek in addition to assessing physicochemical parameters and sampling fish and benthic macroinvertebrates, which are the most commonly used targets of surveillance and biomonitoring in freshwater ecosystems.
“Each year, we have a new group of students who come in and piggyback on what past students have done,” Bonner said proudly. “They go out in the field and collect all of their data in the fall semester, and in the spring, we analyze the data, they make their PowerPoint presentations, and they present their research at the Peace Student Showcase or a scientific conference. It’s been great for the students; they get that experience at the undergraduate level that you sometimes don’t get until you’re in graduate school. It’s been fun to have that interaction and mentorship with students.”
Bonner arrived at Peace in 1988, having not yet graduated from Mississippi State University when she applied.
She says that the years go by fast, the days slow. The time sped up by the many faces that have come and gone, the constant Christmas cards from students she taught back in the ‘90s reminding her how fortunate she is to have landed at a place like William Peace University.
“That’s a testament to what all the faculty do here,” Bonner said. “They have relationships with students that transcend just academics because their success is our success. We are proud of their accomplishments and proud to have been a small piece of their journey and get them to where they want to be.”
The Peace Community
The small community feel at Peace has been a bonus for Bonner. She once taught at a bigger university with more than 250 students in her lecture. A student could walk into her office, but she wouldn’t even recognize them.
“It was impossible to know them,” she said.
At Peace, Bonner can see the look on a student’s face, and it’ll let her know when she needs to pause and go over something again. That’s a lot easier looking at the faces of 12 versus 250.
“Being at a small school gives you that intimate environment so you can get to know your students and understand that they are getting the information,” Bonner said. “I like the small setting. I think it’s important for students to get that one-on-one mentorship. I think it makes a world of difference in their educational experience.”
Bonner loves that science is constantly evolving, which means she has to spend time doing as much research as her students. She’ll spend her time reading and catching up on the latest research, eager to share it with her students whenever she returns to class. That keeps her fresh on her toes as science is an ever-changing field. In Bonner’s mind, that’s what keeps it fun.
“It’s never the same,” she said excitedly. “It doesn’t get boring. And I love science.”
And that love for science, Raleigh and her students have kept her at the downtown Raleigh campus all these years.
“I love my students, and my colleagues are fantastic. I like what I do,” Bonner said. “I enjoy teaching, being in the lab, and doing research with my students. They are interesting to talk to. I just like that you can make that connection, and I still keep in touch with people I taught many years ago. I’m always happy to hear about their life, their accomplishments, their children, and generally how they are doing. All of those things are very rewarding. It’s been a good run.”
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