Faculty of the Week: Andrew McTammany
What do you get when you combine strawberry jam, liquid nitrogen, sugar, vanilla and cream? You get Science Instructor Andrew McTammany ’04’s homemade—or rather, class-made—strawberry ice cream: a classic treat for all of his students at the end of each term.
McTammany holds a quietly powerful presence on campus, contributing to the community in every way he can. Whether at the Harkness table in his chemistry class, on the pool deck year-round, on the Academy’s trails or in a fierce game of tennis with his colleagues, McTammany brings a liveliness to all that he does.
McTammany, more commonly known as McT around campus, started teaching at the Hotchkiss School in 2008. Interestingly enough, however, his start in teaching wasn’t spurred by his love of chemistry. “I became a teacher because I wanted to coach water polo,” McT said. “It made more sense to be a teacher and part-time coach instead of just a part time coach.”
He went on to pursue chemistry, jokingly recalling that it wasn’t synthesizing medications or building solar panels that made him love the subject. Rather, it was being able to light things on fire in class.
Anyone who knows McT will immediately describe him as humorous, friendly and genuine.
English Instructor Jane Cadwell, a long-time friend who has served with McT on multiple committees, complimented McT’s authenticity. “He's a very generous person,” she said. “He's not one of those people who just superficially chats.”
For Cadwell and many other PEA adults, McT is not only a colleague but a friend. Theater Technical Director Jacob Josef appreciated the honesty and support that he has found in his friendship with McT. “It’s important to find close friends here at PEA that you can be yourself in front of. I have found that in my friendship with Andrew,” he said. “I can leave for the summer having not seen him and know that when we return in the fall, we will pick up right where we left off!”
McTammany approaches teaching with excitement and appreciation. “You have motivated students, small classes and the freedom to try new ideas and labs,” he said. “Some days, it doesn’t even feel like teaching.”
Upper Binuki Thiruchelvam highlighted the energy that McT brings to the classroom. “He makes chemistry really fun, and I enjoy going to that class everyday.”
Senior Lucy Gilchrist agreed. “Mr. McTammany brings a healthy dose of humor to every class discussion,” she said.
McT’s love of teaching is not lost on his colleagues. Cadwell noticed that he “takes a humanities approach to teaching science.”
Josef concurred. “It’s important to have fun in the classroom, and that’s what McT brings to chemistry,” he said.
While bringing his fun and laid back demeanor to the table, McT still makes sure students have a thorough understanding of what they’re learning. “He’s really helped me do better through his unique teaching style,” Thiruchelvam said. Each day, McT starts off the class reviewing what they’ve previously learned, and if students still don’t understand, “he’ll do whatever he can to help us understand… I leave his class everyday understanding the big picture, and I’m very grateful for that.”
McT finds the same joy in coaching water polo as he does in teaching chemistry at Exeter–in both cases, McT finds it rewarding to provide invaluable support to students. “I love the team dynamic. Many athletes join the team with little to no experience with the sport, so it’s neat to teach a new athlete how to play,” he said.
Water polo itself has long been a passion of McT’s. “Water polo incorporates the most difficult aspects of many land sports, but with the addition of swimming for an hour,” he explained. “It’s really challenging but also beautiful.”
McT channels the lively energy he has in the classroom and pool into all that he does outside of it, as well, staying active through various outdoor activities. His love of the outdoors started when he was growing up in Florida. “My parents would take me boating all over,” he explained.
Later, when he first moved to New Hampshire, he began hiking mountains as well.
English Instructor Tyler Caldwell frequently goes hiking with McT–the two have scaled all 48 of New Hampshire’s 4000 footers. “When we hike together, he insists that we leave by 4:30am to beat all of the other hikers (though it’s [New Hampshire], so there are never many hikers),” he said. “But then, when we return by 2 or 3pm, he also insists on taking a two hour nap.”
In addition to being outdoors, McT also enjoys more creative pursuits. “He’s sort of an underground Renaissance man,” said Cadwell. “He’s fluent in Italian, and he's a really good cook.” Cadwell explained how McT enjoys cooking for his friends and family using recipes found in Italian cookbooks.
Caldwell elaborated on McT’s intellectualism. “He is deeply curious, which is one of the things I love about him. I will often ask him where he got the idea to read a particular book or why he is, all of a sudden, obsessed with reading about tree moss or peasant revolts Italy,” he said. “He never knows what led him to that book or that topic, which astonishes me. But I love that the world fascinates him and he wants to learn more.”
McT’s positive reputation around campus is the true testament to the generosity of his character. His consistently cheerful mentality is recognized and appreciated by everyone he interacts with. “He's a very generous person,” Cadwell summarized. “He's just one of those people who makes the community a better place.”