Who would have thought that at one time a Simpson professor hated the college workload or that they have quirky phobias? That is true of biology professor Pat Singer. In fact, her hatred of her post-doctorate work is what brought her to Simpson College 26 years ago.

Singer earned degrees in biology from St. Olaf College in Minnesota and Kansas State University. Kansas State is where she completed her post-doctorate work in biochemistry as well. It was after that when she found her first teaching position at Simpson.

“I hated my post-doc and my husband hated his job, so we started looking around,” Singer said. “He’s an engineer so he followed me wherever I went, and that was the plan. We found this place which is halfway between my parents and his parents.”

In Singer’s time off campus, she enjoys running. In fact, she logs 30-35 miles per week during the school year and “steps it up” in the summer time. She has run in the Des Moines Marathon twice and has also run in the Disney World Marathon once. Currently, she is training for the Dam to Dam this summer.

Singer says that she really appreciates the advantage of a liberal arts college as opposed to a university.

“I don’t think I could tolerate teaching to a big lecture class. I teach human biology for 60 students and I find that really difficult,” she said. “It’s just like talking to a wall. I really enjoy watching students mature and grow up. Those are some pretty exciting and trying times.”