Faculty Profile: Dan Stoebel

Professor of Biology Dan Stoebel has been at Harvey Mudd for 14 years. As a member of the Department of Biology, he teaches and performs research and academic service. His research lab focuses on the molecular biology and evolution of bacterial regulatory networks. Get to know more about Dan in this Q-and-A.

What is something people don’t understand about your job that you wish they did?

Even though faculty are only paid for nine months per year, we work most of the summer. What individuals do varies, but most people are doing some mix of their own research, supervising Mudd students who are doing research, revising current courses, creating new courses and doing service or administration for the College or broader academia.

What is your favorite hobby, activity or creative outlet?

I have been a dedicated birder since I was a teenager. Time outside looking at (and listening to) birds is a joy and a relief from hard times. It helps me make sense of myself and the world.

What is your most effective strategy for dealing with stress?

My challenge isn’t knowing the strategies to relieve stress, it’s taking the time to implement them. So the thing I need most is to remind myself that taking the time to deal with stress is time well spent.

What book or podcast are you enjoying right now?

I’m reading We Don’t Know Ourselves: A Personal History of Modern Ireland by Fintan O’Toole. I lived in Ireland as a post-doc from 2007–2009, and reading this book is helping me understand things about the country that I witnessed first-hand but didn’t really comprehend.