James S. Hall, PhD

Professor of Biology
Metz Hall, Room 411
210-528-7091
jhall@ollusa.edu

Curriculum Vitae

Areas of Expertise

I've taught MANY courses at OLLU during my 40 years here; currently I teach on a regular basis: anatomy and physiology I and II, microbiology, pharmacology, microscopic anatomy (histology), drugs and the body. When mentoring undergraduate student research projects, most involve combining concepts/techniques in microbiology and pharmacology.

Teaching Philosophy

Student growth as life-long learners and scientists and student maturation as responsible adults are the goals that shape my learning/teaching philosophy.

Most students who come to our classes at OLLU are not prepared for success. Nurturing their confidence, showing them how to succeed while maintaining high expectations are my three major strategies for achieving these goals.

I try to build student confidence by providing positive feedback when we discuss topics in class, when I grade assignments, lab reports and exams, and when I interact with them outside of class during office hours or electronically. I make it clear that success cannot happen without their individual effort.

Maintaining high expectations is a key to knowing if students are truly succeeding as learners. Never playing favorites and sharing my time with all students equally gives students a role model for maturity and responsibility that will help them achieve future success.

Outside Interests

My outside interests include traveling with family, traveling with Sigma Zeta students and faculty colleagues, reading (mostly science fiction), watching movies,  doing yard work, bicycling on and off road, kayaking on local rivers – Guadalupe, Medina, San Marcos, San Antonio, Llano, Frio, and windsurfing at Boerne Lake. I am a big sports fan (Spurs, of course). I also enjoy playing disc golf at many San Antonio courses and on out-of-town trips. Finally, I regularly workout in the UWAC weight room.