When we run, our feet smackagainst the ground, audibly expressing the force of impact on our bodies. The heel hits the ground first, triggering an impulse up the entire length of the leg. Over time, this impact causes problems like shin splints. Scientists are constantly developing and testing running shoes meant to lessen the bodily damage caused by running. Some of the most promising research is not done in a lab, or at a shoe company, but in a classroom. MIT’s Dr. Patricia Christie, a longtime professor and coordinator, teaches a class, entitled Chemistry of Sports, which explores various sports-related processes.

This class is a perfect example of Christie’s contribution to the MIT community. Commonly referred to as “Patti,” Christie is a full-figured woman with medium-length curly brown hair. Her booming voice and contagious smile signal her presence in any room. Between teaching classes, you’ll find Christie in her bright office, which is usually littered with microscopes, stacks of natural science textbooks, and some of her latest projects (including a few pairs of running shoes to be tested). With the door always open, students can freely enter with questions and problems. Christie’s insight into the process of education makes her an integral part of MIT.

Yet, she began her career with no intention of becoming an educator, in a place academically and geographically distant from MIT. In the 1980s, Christie enrolled as a pre-med major at Canada’s Lakehead University, a small liberal arts college. As a sophomore, in the midst of completing a double-major in chemistry and biology, she recalls she “caught the research bug.” During her first lab experience, she collected plant samples and analyzed them with “traditional botany” techniques. Christie then joined a close-knit, three-person research team comprised of a technician, a graduate student, and a faculty member. After her junior year, she began collecting water samples while on the faculty member’s boat.

After earning her Lakehead degrees, Christie continued her educational pursuit at one of the premiere scientific institutions in the world, MIT. She remembers, “It was very eye-opening because everyone was interested in science. So, it was cool.” At MIT, she pursued a graduate doctoral degree in chemistry. As part of her research, she performed ground-breaking work with nitrogenase, a valuable enzyme used in the conversion of airborne nitrogen to aqueous forms, such as ammonia. Her team wanted to figure out exactly how the enzyme functions. For six years, she developed methods for purifying and fermenting bacteria containing nitrogenase. Ultimately, using iron labeling, her team identified the site of reactivity on the enzyme, allowing them to understand how it works. This research helped Christie earn her PhD.

Despite her impressive accumulation of degrees, Christie pursued even more education. She did post-doctoral work in MIT’s biology department for another six years. Alas, her love of research met its limit. Twelve consecutive years of graduate research left Christie feeling “burnt out.” So, once she finished her post-doc work, she decided to try something new:, teaching. For one summer, she taught chemistry through the Office of Minority Education program at MIT. After seeing her notable work in the OME, MIT’s Experimental Study Group (ESG) asked her to teach chemistry for them. (ESG is a small-class-oriented program that gives students more individualized attention from professors.) Eventually, ESG faculty convinced Christie to assist their chemistry professor. When that professor retired, Christie took over his position. Now, she has advanced to become the head of the biology and chemistry departments in ESG.

Christie does not do formal research anymore. She focuses on her classes, through which she pioneers new educational methods. Her greatest joy in teaching is helping students overcome their frustrations. Even though science can be, in her words, “a pain and a half… it’s fun exciting people about science because science is really cool.”

Christie’s innovative classes inspire students to actively participate in science. In her Chemistry of Sports class, students test the effects of sports equipment on the human body. They swim, run, and bike while learning the physical and chemical processes behind these activities. Currently, they are testing and studying Newton running shoes, which alter the pressure distribution on the foot during running. During our interview, Christie pulled out the Newton running shoe and placed it on her hand, excitedly showing me how it works. These shoes feature internal cantilevers (beams) and external bars that encourage runners to land on the middle of the foot. This landing disperses the force of impact. The class’ findings indicate that Newton-shoe wearers run faster and exert less energy than people wearing traditional running shoes. Christie is in the process of publishing these findings.

Doctor Christie demonstrates her love of education and natural science beyond MIT and even the United States. She writes curriculum for the chemistry department of the Singapore University of Technology and Design (an institution recently developed by MIT). Christie contributes lecture notes, problem sets, exams, and answer keys. Her efforts culminate in frequent trips to Singapore. She “bring[s] the chemistry course to life” by showing the SUTD faculty the active-learning style she envisions. During her first trip, she taught the faculty by example, giving the lectures she wrote and helping students with their homework. Christie admits that she hopes her next visit to Singapore will “go smoother.” She is excited for her summer 2013 trip, when she will be there for eleven weeks with her seven-year-old daughter.

In every aspect of her career, Christie always tries “to figure out how to get people more interested in the process of education.” Her classes serve as dynamic learning environments for both her students and herself. Christie warns that using students as research participants is difficult. To maintain a stable classroom environment, she must design her experiments very carefully. Christie also strives to improve her teaching methods using resources outside her classes. She is currently taking an educational video-making seminar taught by one of her colleagues in ESG.

Natural science education is Christie’s passion. Her extensive background in biology and chemistry make her a valuable asset tothe MIT community. Still, Christie’s career did not proceed as she expected it would. She even admits, “I didn’t really know what I was getting into,” when she decided to study at MIT. Nevertheless, Christie does not regret the direction of her career. Components in a chemical reaction can combine to yield unexpected products. (That’s how penicillin and plastic were discovered.) In the same way, a person is the product of their experiences. Christie’s educational journey exposed her to what would become her life’s work. Now, she teaches her students to find their passions by actively engaging in their studies, just as she does. Both the educational process and the end result are worthy of celebration. Years of schooling are not an obstacle on the path to success. They provide an opportunity to discover and explore what excites you. To Christie, education is “always rewarding at the end cause you can look back and say ‘This is what I accomplished.’ I like that idea.”

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