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Faculty in Action
Dr. Brett McMillan, Upper School Science
Dr. Brett McMillan came to Bryn Mawr five years ago, after teaching for several years at the college level. He was immediately impressed by the curiosity and engagement that Bryn Mawr girls brought to the classroom. As a teacher of biology and AP Environmental Science, Dr. McMillan is passionate about the environment and is always looking for ways to introduce topics in a way that students can immediately relate to the world around them.
On Founders Day this month, he was awarded the Julia Clayton Baker Chair in Environmental Stewardship. This endowed chair was created by Mayer Martin Baker, a former member of the Board of Trustees and parent of Alden Baker ’06, with the strong support of William C. Baker. It is intended to afford Bryn Mawr the opportunity to recruit and retain an outstanding teacher and provide a unique level of support for this teacher’s specialized professional development. The holder of the Baker Chair also serves as a leader for students, faculty and the larger Bryn Mawr community with respect to the integration of issues related to environmental stewardship into all aspects of campus and community life. Dr. McMillan will hold the chair for three years.
What made you want to be a teacher?
I figured out that I wanted to be a teacher my first year in college. I was really impressed by the impact that my professors had on us, and I wanted to emulate that.
If you weren’t a teacher, what would you be doing?
That’s a good question, because I usually think in terms of what subject I would teach besides science. But if I had to quit teaching…I like the idea of psychology, and I could see myself being a counselor, a nurse or a nurse practitioner.
What do you like about teaching at Bryn Mawr?
This is the most collegial place I’ve ever worked, and the students are great. I came here from higher education, and I feel like the level of curiosity and initiative I see in our students meets or surpasses what I used to see when I taught much older students.
You received the Baker Chair at the Founders Day Ceremony. How did it feel?
I was totally surprised! I was in a bit of a fog on stage – very happily surprised. It gradually sank in as the Founders Day ceremony went on that I had just been awarded an endowed chair. That is such an honor.
Why do you think it is important for Bryn Mawr to have these kinds of endowed funds that provide opportunities like this for faculty members?
It seems like a great way of directing funds for specific things that are important to the donors. It's also nice to establish the history of the school, and to mark the evolution of the school, the people who have been here, and the impact that they have had on the students. It makes me feel really good to be part of that history. I’m just beginning to plan what I will do over the three years that I hold the chair, and I am so excited to have the funding and the opportunity to put some of my pie-in-the-sky ideas into action.
What is your teaching philosophy?
I always ask myself if I am teaching in a way that the students will remember at least one of the big things that I am teaching them 10 years from now. I try to find different ways to really help this information sink in, and I try to pay attention to research about how we learn and the kinds of experiences that make things stick in our long-term memory. When I was in college, I had a field botany class with a professor who, every time we went out, would stop us somewhere and say, "This looks like a good place for a quiz." We’d all groan, and he’d basically point out five trees and we’d have to write the names down. After awhile, we got used to the stress of these quizzes, and it taught us the material so well and really cemented our class together. It was the best class I ever took, and it is the reason that I teach what I teach.
You’re trapped on a deserted island. Assuming food, water and shelter are taken care of, what three items would you want to have with you?
A good library – that’s the big thing. Then, something to keep me busy. Some of my hobbies now are knitting and cooking, so let’s say a lot of yarn and knitting needles, and a way to cook good vegetarian food.
Describe a Bryn Mawr girl in three words:
Precocious, curious and involved.
On Founders Day this month, he was awarded the Julia Clayton Baker Chair in Environmental Stewardship. This endowed chair was created by Mayer Martin Baker, a former member of the Board of Trustees and parent of Alden Baker ’06, with the strong support of William C. Baker. It is intended to afford Bryn Mawr the opportunity to recruit and retain an outstanding teacher and provide a unique level of support for this teacher’s specialized professional development. The holder of the Baker Chair also serves as a leader for students, faculty and the larger Bryn Mawr community with respect to the integration of issues related to environmental stewardship into all aspects of campus and community life. Dr. McMillan will hold the chair for three years.
What made you want to be a teacher?
I figured out that I wanted to be a teacher my first year in college. I was really impressed by the impact that my professors had on us, and I wanted to emulate that.
If you weren’t a teacher, what would you be doing?
That’s a good question, because I usually think in terms of what subject I would teach besides science. But if I had to quit teaching…I like the idea of psychology, and I could see myself being a counselor, a nurse or a nurse practitioner.
What do you like about teaching at Bryn Mawr?
This is the most collegial place I’ve ever worked, and the students are great. I came here from higher education, and I feel like the level of curiosity and initiative I see in our students meets or surpasses what I used to see when I taught much older students.
You received the Baker Chair at the Founders Day Ceremony. How did it feel?
I was totally surprised! I was in a bit of a fog on stage – very happily surprised. It gradually sank in as the Founders Day ceremony went on that I had just been awarded an endowed chair. That is such an honor.
Why do you think it is important for Bryn Mawr to have these kinds of endowed funds that provide opportunities like this for faculty members?
It seems like a great way of directing funds for specific things that are important to the donors. It's also nice to establish the history of the school, and to mark the evolution of the school, the people who have been here, and the impact that they have had on the students. It makes me feel really good to be part of that history. I’m just beginning to plan what I will do over the three years that I hold the chair, and I am so excited to have the funding and the opportunity to put some of my pie-in-the-sky ideas into action.
What is your teaching philosophy?
I always ask myself if I am teaching in a way that the students will remember at least one of the big things that I am teaching them 10 years from now. I try to find different ways to really help this information sink in, and I try to pay attention to research about how we learn and the kinds of experiences that make things stick in our long-term memory. When I was in college, I had a field botany class with a professor who, every time we went out, would stop us somewhere and say, "This looks like a good place for a quiz." We’d all groan, and he’d basically point out five trees and we’d have to write the names down. After awhile, we got used to the stress of these quizzes, and it taught us the material so well and really cemented our class together. It was the best class I ever took, and it is the reason that I teach what I teach.
You’re trapped on a deserted island. Assuming food, water and shelter are taken care of, what three items would you want to have with you?
A good library – that’s the big thing. Then, something to keep me busy. Some of my hobbies now are knitting and cooking, so let’s say a lot of yarn and knitting needles, and a way to cook good vegetarian food.
Describe a Bryn Mawr girl in three words:
Precocious, curious and involved.
Above: Dr. Brett McMillan leads fifth graders on a nature walk in Bryn Mawr's North Woods.
I came here from higher education, and I feel like the level of curiosity and initiative I see in our students meets or surpasses what I used to see when I taught much older students.
Located in Baltimore, Maryland, The Bryn Mawr School is a private all-girls pre-kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school with a coed preschool for ages 2 months through 5 years. Bryn Mawr provides students with exceptional educational opportunities on a beautiful 26-acre campus within the city limits. Inquisitive girls, excellent teaching, strong student-teacher relationships and a clear mission sustain our vibrant school community where girls always come first.