Industry and education merge under Holleman's direction
By Brian Emshwiller
Staff Writer

The newest chemistry department member brings with him 30 years of experience with one of the country's most prestigious health care companies: Abbott Laboratories.

William Holleman, visiting associate professor, is filling in for Robert Armstrong, professor of chemistry, who is on sabbatical this semester.

Holleman's time at Abbott Laboratories, a health care company in northern Chicago, involved about 15 years as a "bench-level" (hands-on) scientist and another 15 years as research administrator. He worked in the pharmaceutical drug discovery division, focusing on cardiovascular research.

"When one says, 'research administration,' that means you sit behind a desk and push paper. It does not mean that you are at a laboratory bench," Holleman said.

During this time he also worked at Loyola University Medical School for four years giving presentations and lectures.

However, his position at Albion is his first experience with undergraduate teaching.

Holleman said the transition from industry to education has been easy, because he likes to teach. However, the time pressures involved with giving a lecture every day have been difficult. "I have found that to be a big change from what I am used to.

"I have always lived under deadlines. Whenever you work in industry - in a high profile position - you are working under deadlines." he said. "But I never had a deadline every day, like I do here." How did Holleman hear about Albion College?

"Dr. Armstrong and I went to graduate school together [at Michigan State University] and we have stayed in contact over the years," he said. "[Armstrong] knew I was interested in teaching, and so when he was going on sabbatical he asked if I would be interested in coming to Albion."

According to Holleman, teaching positions don't come along very often for someone who is older. He therefore considers this to be a great opportunity.

Holleman had heard of Albion long before meeting Armstrong in graduate school. Holleman is himself a Hope College graduate.

Holleman said he is very pleased with his own liberal arts education, which prepared him for graduate school. He holds a biochemistry doctorate from MSU.

"My son is a graduate of Hope also, and I have a great respect for these small liberal arts schools that are in the Midwest," he said.

"If you have seen the other side of the undergraduate teaching business - the Big Ten schools and other bigger schools - the amount of hands-on exposure a student gets from their professors here is extraordinary," Holleman said.

Another reason for Holleman's comfortable transition to Albion was his colleagues.

"The faculty here are extraordinarily friendly. It is really an amazing atmosphere of openness ... I am not used to that.

"In industry you do not have that openness and that friendliness, because everyone looks at you like maybe you will be my boss someday, or maybe I will be his/her boss someday," he said. "So there is much more competition between individuals."

One major difference for Holleman between industry and education is the level of personal involvement.

"Here, the faculty are involved in so many of the decisions and everything is done by committee. In industry, one person makes the decision, and you take it or leave it," he said. "If you don't like it, you leave."

This results in different attitudes toward time.

"In industry time is money - and people are on the expensive side - but here [in education] people's time is considered to be inexhaustible," he said.

Holleman is teaching three courses this semester: Chemistry 107 (Chemistry for the Non-Science Major); Chemistry 121 (Structure and Equilibrium); and Chemistry 323 (Advanced Laboratory: Biochemistry).

"I like Dr. Holleman as a professor because he seems to relate the concept of chemistry to his students well, due to his past job experiences," said Jennifer Haiduc, Saline sophomore.

After he finishes his semester at Albion, Holleman said he hopes to find another part-time teaching position - right after some rest and relaxation in Surfside Beach, S.C.