“I can’t begin to explain how Professor Martinez-Vaz has impacted my education at Hamline,” said 2018 Biology graduate Anna Ries. “Learning from someone who obviously loves her job, loves her students and loves the material she teaches makes the learning environment unbelievably fun.”

Professor of biology and co-director of biochemistry Betsy Martinez-Vaz has been at Hamline since 2006.

“Since my first day at Hamline, I always look forward to coming to class to share a cool story about biochemistry or microbes with my students,” Martinez-Vaz said.

Senior Silvia Toledo Ramos has experienced first-hand this enthusiasm.

“The best quality Professor Martinez-Vaz has is her contagious enthusiasm and knowledge about what she teaches,” Ramos said. “She was the first person to encourage me to be a scientist and to believe in my own skills… If it wasn’t for Professor Martinez-Vaz, I would not have been as confident in my biology skills as I am today.”

Martinez-Vaz’s teaching philosophy strives to create students like Ramos.

“I think the most important aspect of teaching is to spark enthusiasm and interest in learning a subject rather than memorizing facts. Science changes constantly, but the enthusiasm for scientific exploration is something that will stay with students through their lives,” Martinez-Vaz said.

Professor of biology and Department Chair Irina Makarevitch gave a comment on ways she has seen Martinez-Vaz stay true to her philosophy.

“She helps students find persistence and motivation to succeed.  She looks for the ways to introduce all students to research by running research-driven exciting laboratory modules in regular courses,” Makarevitch said. “She engages her students with active learning approaches: from small group discussions to larger team projects.”

A second faculty member to sing Martinez-Vaz’s praises was professor of history Katharine Bjork.

“Some methods I learned from her when we taught together include Think-Pair-Share and also the imaginative use of case studies to bring real-world issues into the classroom for discussion and analysis,” Bjork said. “In the class we taught together she also came up with great ways to provide opportunities for students to use data sets and statistical tools to formulate and test hypotheses.”

Martinez-Vaz has long felt a connection to the field and to research.

“I was fascinated by science and research since my middle school years. I got interested in Biochemistry when my grandmother was in the hospital with heart disease,” Martinez-Vaz said. “During this time, I learned how cholesterol could block your heart arteries and make you very sick. I spent my high school years doing research on plant extracts that can decrease levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.”

It seems Martinez-Vaz has passed this passion onto Junior Maddy Bygd.

“I got to do my first research project with [Martinez-Vaz] and I learned a lot. Because of that same research experience I have developed a great interest in microbiology and am looking into doing a graduate program in a similar field,” Bygd said.

Students like Bygd are why Martinez-Vaz has found a home here at Hamline.

“Working with students is the best part of my job. I know that I am in the right profession when I see my students succeed in my classes and beyond my courses at Hamline University,” Martinez-Vaz said. “I know I have done my job when students walk away from my classes with their minds challenged and their thinking broadened.”

But her love for the job does not end with her student interactions.

“Collaborating with other faculty member has been one of the most enjoyable aspects of my

career at Hamline,” Martinez-Vaz said. “The best part of collaborating with faculty across disciplines is learning new ways of thinking and applying different skills and points of view to solve a problem.”

Martinez-Vaz does hope students walk away from their time at Hamline ready for the challenge of the world.

“Compete with yourself, not with other people… Know your weaknesses and face them.”