Alfred Buchanan

Professor

“Teaching for me is ‘showtime!’ There’s a tremendous adrenaline rush I get in the classroom.”

Quite apart from his formidable knowledge of biochemistry and clinical microbiology, Alfred Buchanan may well be Jamaica’s leading authority on “permafrost.” “I wound up studying in the frozen prairies of Manitoba, Canada, because my principal had graduated there,” says the native of Kingston, Jamaica. “But he conveniently forgot to mention how bloody cold the place was!”

But Alfred conquered the frost and carried a full-time teaching schedule on his way to masters and doctorate degrees in microbiology. And then there came a call to SMC where a meeting with Dr. Moore left a deep impression on him. “Richard Moore is one of the most dynamic people I’ve ever met,” says Alfred. “He has a knack for seizing the moment and my interview with him was pivotal in my decision to come here.” But the Life Sciences department in general also impressed Alfred.

“The people in our department have such an amazing diversity of experience,” says Alfred. “It’s a great group to work with and they’ve made me feel instantly at home.”

Alfred feels that microbiology “actually dominates our very existence. I point out in my classroom how these ‘simple’ microbes are more successful than man can ever hope to be. Studying them is on the cutting-edge of sciences. It’s exciting and I like excitement. I like the sparks to fly in my classroom.”

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