Meet Prof. Marcus Freeman, Pre-Health Sciences

My journey to Sheridan College has followed some interesting twists and turns.  I knew, as a high-school student, I was going to be a marine biologist. I took up SCUBA diving, and received a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology from the University of Guelph. After several years of working as a contract biologist on birds and wildlife, I became a fisheries biologist with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Sadly, a change in government resulted in massive downsizing of the MNR. One of my lovely parting gifts was tuition to re-train. I returned to Guelph and discovered the joy of research, earning an MSc and PhD studying muscle mechanics and the physiology of exercise. Although I enjoyed research, I have found greater satisfaction sharing my passion for biology with students. I taught in the Environmental sustainability program at Lakehead University for five years. I feel very fortunate to have found a home in the Pre-Health Sciences program at Sheridan, where I can share the breadth of my experience and education.

I have a lifelong love of learning, and am always pursuing new interests and skills. I’m currently learning how to use AutoCAD to aid in my hobbies of model aircraft and model trains.  I love building things, whether a sauna, a self-watering planter, a scale model or just some doo-dad. In my spare time, I also enjoy travelling, SCUBA diving, camping, canoeing and fishing.

Marc Freeman answers Alchemy‘s Proust Questionnaire

Favourite virtue:  Integrity.

Most overrated virtue:  Beauty.

Most important lesson I learned in kindergarten: Don’t eat the paste.

My favourite qualities in a student: Inquisitiveness.

My favourite qualities in a teacher: Compassion.

Moment in my life I’d like to re-live: My wedding.

My idea of perfect happiness: Any place with trees, water, books, music, and my family.

My idea of complete misery: An endless job of unchanging tedium and drudgery.

In my opinion the secret to success is: Sincerity. Once you can fake that, you’ve got it made.

My favourite word: You can’t print it.

My least favourite word: Rationalize.

My favourite quotation:  “There are those who scoff at the schoolboy, calling him frivolous and shallow: Yet it was the schoolboy who said ‘Faith is believing what you know ain’t so.’” –Mark Twain

The phrase I overuse in the classroom: We’ll talk more about this later.

The talent or skill I wish I had: Legible handwriting.

Language I’d love to be able to speak: Italian.

A place I’d like to visit: Galapagos Islands.

On my bucket list: Hiking the Munros in Scotland.

My least favourite literary or cinematic character(s): Sparkly vampires.

My favourite food/meal and drink: Anything rich and savory, and anything grape-derived or foamy.

My favourite painter/artist: Troels Kirk.

My favourite singer/musician and song: Martin Sexton, “Black Sheep.”

The most embarrassing song/album in my iTunes or music collection: Meow Cats Christmas Album.

My guilty TV/film/gaming pleasure: FPS games like the Fallout and Half-Life series.