Faculty Bio

Jeffrey White

Biological Science Instructor
Math & Science General

Contact

Phone: 217-234-5418
Email: jwhite@lakelandcollege.edu

Education Information

College/University
Bachelor of Science (Double major in Botany and Zoology), Eastern Illinois University
Master of Science in Education in the Biological Sciences, Eastern Illinois University

Professional Affiliations/Award

Lake Land College Faculty Association Outstanding Service Award Recipient 2010

Laker Student Athlete Faculty of the Year 2016-2017

About

Hobbies and Interest

I enjoy being outside working in my yard or hiking whenever I can.  

Courses Taught

BIO-130  Environmental Science

BIO-100  BioScience I

BIO-111  General Botany

BIO-212  Vertebrate Zoology

Faculty statement/Why do you like teaching at Lake Land College?

My educational philosophy is centered in my goal to help my students become better stewards of the earth.   My goal is to help students learn the scientific concepts which are at the root of our complex environmental issues and teach them to differentiate between science and popular or personal opinion.  I must take topics that never should have become politicized and depoliticize them.  I must make difficult concepts easier to comprehend and work to change long-held misconceptions about our environment.

By helping my students learn the “science” of the natural world, I can help them develop a better appreciation for our interdependence with other organisms and the physical earth.  Students must recognize that we cannot exist without the resources afforded us by the earth; that we do not simply exist on our planet, but we are in fact a part of our planet and our planet is part of us. 

Understanding the complexities of earth and appreciating the resources it provides are not enough.  My worth as a teacher is ultimately determined by what happens when students leave my classroom.  If I have been successful at my job, my students will learn to take responsibility for their environmental impact and use resources more sustainably.  If I am worthy of calling myself an environmental educator, I will have inspired my students to create an environment which will sustain all forms of life.  If I have been true to my teaching philosophy, I will have empowered my students to literally change their world.

Community Service

Boy Scout/Scouts BSA leader for many years

Sullivan Community Unit District #300 Board of Education President

Sullivan First United Methodist Church Administrative League President and Praise Band Member