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�黨�ǿ�mv alumna Dr. Susan Lentz has brought her experience in��gene and cancer research back to the students of LMC, teaching both science and non-science��majors how life functions at the cellular level, the mechanisms of communication��among cells, and an appreciation for the biological underpinnings of health.

Susan was a non-traditional, first-generation student when she started classes at LMC,��and worked in the chemistry department as a lab assistant for Dr. Paul Stright. She says��that LMC helped her gain confidence in her academic and leadership skills and made��for a smooth transition to Western Michigan University, where she earned her doctorate��in biology.

After WMU, Susan was awarded an NIH postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Texas,��M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. There she studied a transcription factor��involved in medulloblastoma, a form of children’s brain cancer. Her publications have��included articles on cellular proliferation, neuronal differentiation, and mutation detection.��

While in Houston, Susan was thrilled to see the biology instructor position come��available at LMC, as she enjoyed teaching as an adjunct at both LMC and at Western.��Now, the Coloma resident has taught at LMC for 10 years as an instructor in the��biology department. She says of her teaching experience that she most loves to “watch��the students get it” as they work with new concepts.

Susan was awarded the Alumni Service Award in 2014.