Robert Burchell teaches Chemistry and Anatomy and Physiology, is an assistant swim coach, and a Perry-Fiske dorm parent. He grew up in rural Indiana and earned a B.S. in biology from Indiana Wesleyan University. He came to HPA in 2019, and lives on campus with his wife and three young children.
What led you to become a teacher?
I aimed to go to medical school, but ultimately decided that $300,000 in debt was not for me. I did a short stint of substitute teaching, and I absolutely loved it.
Do Chemistry and Anatomy/Physiology overlap in surprising ways?
Chemistry is very black and white. There are rules, and there are exceptions to the rules. If you can memorize all of those, you understand it. I like that. Biology is not just black and white… there’s some gray area that gives you the freedom to explore.
Do you have a favorite lab experiment or project you’ve done with your students?
In chemistry, I try to incorporate one or two labs a week with my classes. If I get bored, I won’t have fun on my face, and any lab is fun for me. They’re a lot of work, but fun. In Anatomy and Physiology, my favorite is dissection. Seeing my students cut open a cow eyeball or a brain, when they can see first-hand the parts that are synonymous with their parts… it’s amazing.
How would your students describe you?
Usually I’m really extroverted and outgoing. I have a lot of energy and I talk really loud. But I absolutely enjoy quiet times during the breaks in my day.
If you could only listen to one musician for the rest of your life, who would it be?
I work out a decent amount, so I listen to all sorts of music, but I’m a midwest guy. I like country music — and not modern country music. If I had to pick one, I’d say Kenny Chesney.
What do you enjoy doing on your own time?
During the pandemic, we refinanced our house and bought a farm. I always wanted to do that, and I have really, really loved getting into farming… learning about land management, and just working the land. My favorite times growing up were riding on farm machinery with my dad, enjoying being with him. I can do that with my own kids now.