Michele Chapman
Biology Instructor Michele Chapman has been fascinated by animals since childhood. Originally from Kansas City, Chapman has travelled all over the world—from Wisconsin to Antarctica, she has pursued her passion in zoology.
Though she wanted to become a wildlife veterinarian at first, after several internships, she became more interested in studying animals’ environments through fieldwork. During one of her first field projects, she studied double-crested cormorants in Green Bay and the effects of the bay’s toxic pollutants on their development.
She later travelled to Virginia to study dark-eyed juncos, to Wisconsin to study the ecotoxicology of frogs and to Antarctica to study the breeding biology of Adélie penguins. “The most interesting field job that I’ve had is probably the one in Big Bend National Park, because I spent several months [studying amphibians] there with a whole field team, and we lived right in the park,” she said. “It was an amazing four months to live in the middle of the desert. In the desert, organisms are always living on the edge, and it’s incredible to see the adaptations that allow them to do that.”
Biology Instructor Elizabeth Stevens described the first time she met Chapman. “I was struck by her enthusiasm for, and knowledge of biology, her interesting life experiences and friendly personality,” she said.
Biology Instructor Anne Rankin respected Chapman for her expertise in birdwatching, noticing her talent when all of the biology teachers visited Yellowstone. “I wouldn’t have even seen a bird, and she would have already seen it, identified it and told you something about the biology of it. It’s just cool to see someone have a skill that you totally lack,” Rankin said.
After extensive fieldwork, Chapman discovered her passion for teaching in graduate school, when she became a teaching assistant. “I realized that I was a pretty decent teacher. People were giving me feedback: ‘You explain things well,’ or ‘I learn well from you’ or ‘This is really helpful.’” she said. “If I gave a review session, a lot of people would show up [...] taking these huge courses, [...] and it’s nice when you can get help from somebody who can spend more time with you.”
Chapman explained why she chose to teach high schoolers. “They are more open to the world […] They haven’t made their decisions about some things. I like their goofiness and the fact that they will share a little bit more,” she said. “I think it’s probably harder in college to get to know [students] because they’re adults, so they don’t have as much time to spend with their teachers.”
A major reason why Chapman came to Exeter after teaching at Lakeside School in Seattle, Washington was to experience the tight-knit boarding community and to live closer to family. “[At Lakeside,] I didn’t get to know the students all that well,” she said. “One thing I loved about [Exeter] was [knowing that] I’m going to see these students at night in the dorm, after class, at lunch, or on the track. I like being able to get to know the kids much better here at Exeter. That’s what keeps me here.”
Rankin also spoke to Chapman’s ability to manage Knight House. “She really loves the dorm. That’s something you might not know—she puts a lot of energy into the dorm; she cares about the kids in the dorm,” she said. “She’s invested in them in a way that I really respect.”
Stevens described Chapman’s compassion and how it translates to dorm life. “As a friend, she is an empathetic person and likes to have fun. These attributes transfer to her teaching and dorm parenting and have significant impact on many students’ lives.”
In class, Exonians feel welcomed and encouraged by Chapman’s enthusiasm for her students and the subject. “The first thing I thought was that she is very nice; she greeted everyone with a big smile. That’s how I knew I was going to like her,” lower Adia Allison said.
“She made topics interesting and made them more fun,” Allison continued. “She was always excited when she was explaining things, and that made me excited to learn about it and excited to go to her class because she had such good energy.”
According to lower Sadie Griffith, Chapman was always available to help struggling students. “She made it very clear that she would meet with us one on one, and she really went out of her way to make sure we had that time outside of class to meet,” Griffith said.
Allison noted how Chapman involved each member of her class. “She had a way of making sure everyone was evenly engaged. If she saw someone less engaged, she would try to ease them into the conversation.”
Biology Instructor Townley Chisholm described his teaching experience with Chapman. “Ms. Chapman and I worked together closely when she came to the school a few years ago, and we taught Bio 500,” he said. “She has always been hugely enthusiastic about biology and is very kind to her students.”
Chisholm noted that among Chapman’s best characteristics were her honesty and ability to be “forthright about everything.” He added, “She’s a positive, caring faculty member who cares a great deal about her students, her colleagues and her work.”
Rankin described how their relationship as colleagues parlayed into friendship. “She is gregarious. She’s confident, she has a ‘can do’ attitude and she’s outgoing because she’s extroverted,” she said. “The biology teachers spend a lot of time together talking about what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. I respect her input and perspective in the curriculum.”