During Myron Perry’s free time between classes, he walks down the hall in a chipper mood, greeting everyone passing by or sitting down. Perry is the microbiology instructor at Seward County Community College and will be leaving after this spring semester ends to pursue a job for several biofuel processes from biogas to another confidential process.

Perry started his journey at SCCC in 2013. The biology instructor taught microbiology, nutrition, and anatomy and physiology at SCCC. He stopped teaching anatomy and physiology but now does directed individual studies in biology.

Although Perry has been teaching here for six years, this is not his first rodeo. Perry has also taught as a sports medicine teacher at a high school in Poway, California for five years, before working at SCCC. Perry was also the athletic trainer there.

However, In his adulthood, the instructor has experienced more than just teaching. He joined the Army at the age of 32.

“I joined the Army to become a nurse but after I finished, the Army sent me to a combat engineer company. I served three years and decided not to re-up at the end of my contract,” Perry said.

After serving in the Army, the instructor met his wife and moved to Kansas. He ended up not getting into a nursing program, which is when his journey to becoming a biology major and professor began.

“I already had a lot of credits for a biology degree, so I just decided to do that instead. I went to graduate school at Pitt State because the economy was bad and there weren’t a whole bunch of job opportunities for someone with a B.S degree,” Perry said. He finished his master’s at the age of 48 at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas.

After teaching at SCCC for six years, Perry decided to stay and settle in Liberal because he was offered the opportunity to become the director of the Bridges Program. The Bridges Program gives opportunities to minority STEM students to research and participates in contests nationally.

“I wasn’t settled down yet in Liberal, but once I got the news, I decided to settle and buy a house to work here long term,” Perry said.

Before him, Todd Carter vice president of academic affairs, was in charge of the Bridges Program. With this new opportunity, Perry had the chance of making the bridges program his own. With a research background, he took the program in a different direction.

Before commencing his job at SCCC, Perry already had experience in research. When he conducted research on the H5N1 influenza virus and did a study on Vitamin D and current dosing while also completing his master’s degree.

“I got lucky and saw a job opening at SCCC for this position and got hired!” Perry said.

As a professor, Perry is driven to teach his students well enough in order for them to qualify for any job they apply for. Perry also goes out of his way to host study groups for his students outside of school to revise the class material.