Most students struggle with staying organized and with due dates, but did you know that some of your teachers do as well? This is especially true for those who happen to be students too. Dr. Paul Donat is a teacher at Hampton Bays High School and the club advisor for the high school Robotics Team. Until recently he was also a PhD student at Stony Brook University.
This past spring, Dr. Donat earned his doctoral degree for plant evolutionary genomics. He completed his degree at Stony Brook University under the department of ecology evolution. Plant evolutionary genomics is how plants in certain groups change as their entire genome evolves and differs within a specific group. Despite Dr. Donat being a teacher, he was also a student during that time. Just like many students he also struggled with staying organized and making sure he kept on top of his work for his PhD. “It was hard for me not to procrastinate because everything is up to you.”
Dr. Donat was inspired by his high school teacher to pursue science. “I realized I would’ve never done anything in science, had it not been for my high school AP Chem teacher who really gave me a love for science and made me want to pursue it.” He hopes that his students will also be inspired and pursue science as a career as well.
This can be seen in the students that he has in class this year. When discussing Dr. Donat, Hampton Bays High School junior, Andrew Japa, said, “He is a good teacher … very helpful whenever you need help.”
A significant piece of advice Dr. Donat would give to students or anybody who is working toward a difficult goal like he did with his PhD is to “Remember that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”
