Enthusiasm is contagious.

If one is passionate about the work they do, it can ignite a “fire” in others, merely by association. It’s something that’s often been observed in the educational realm. Anyone can stand at a lectern and read from a text. It’s not hard to do, but it IS boring for the audience.

HBJNeilLamb Then, there are educators who possess the gift of bringing subject matter to life. Dr. Neil Lamb is one of those educators.

The power of having the right teacher can often make a big difference in a child’s life. It could also be said that Lamb’s “superpower” is the ability to break down complex ideas and present them to the public in an easy-to-understand way, delivered with genuine enthusiasm.

“Neil’s creative and engaging approach to connecting with people at all levels allows him to make the most complex topics understandable,” said Dr. Richard M. Myers, president and science director at HudsonAlpha.

As a faculty investigator and vice president for educational outreach at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Lamb is a subject matter expert in his field. A member of the HudsonAlpha staff since its doors opened in 2006, he is a brilliant mixture of teacher and researcher.

“When HudsonAlpha first announced in 2005 that they were coming into being and mentioned that there was going to be an education component, my mother-in-law (his wife’s family is from Huntsville) called me and sent me the newspaper article and told me, ‘I already dropped your resume off with a pile of dirt,’” said Lamb. “It was thrilling for us to come to Huntsville for lots of reasons, not the least of which is to be here with family.”

In many ways, his childhood served as an informal science class, fueling his love of the field. Surrounded by family members who were in science-related fields: his father, an electrical engineer; and his mother, a nurse, Lamb was also inspired by his horticulturist grandfather.

Lamb was one of the first students to receive a bachelor’s in genetics from Auburn University. While completing his PhD and post-graduate training at Emory University, Lamb was a faculty member in human genetics. He was responsible for lab management, bioethics oversight, and genetic education in the School of Medicine.

His career path expanded from scientific research to include science education when he realized that he had a gift for explaining concepts to others, thus further igniting the passion for human genetics and technology.

Now, he oversees all aspects of educational programming at HudsonAlpha, including teacher training, public enrichment, and digital resources that re-imagine the delivery of science education.

In 2019, Gov. Kay Ivey appointed Lamb to lead the Governor’s Advisory Council for Excellence in STEM.

“I’m really honored to chair the state’s STEM Council,” said Lamb. “And as part of that, we are creating an entire television show that will air on public television. All about Alabama STEM explorers. Each episode focuses on a different stem topic and includes hands on activities which are really cool.”

Each episode includes two career profiles of people throughout the state, with a keen focus on presenting a diverse mix of race, gender, ethnicity, along different levels of the career ladder.

“That was very intentional for our Alabama students to see that there are people and opportunities all over this state to be working in STEM,” said Lamb “Most kids only know of the jobs that they see immediately in front of them, and we wanted to give them broader exposure.”

In July, Lamb received the 2021 Arno Motulsky-Barton Childs Award for Excellence in Human Genetics Education award. The award recognizes individuals who contribute to human genetics education globally.

As a genomics educator, Lamb is truly dedicated to the study of genetics and serves as an inspiring role model for the next generation of educators and mentors.

“Neil built HudsonAlpha’s educational outreach program from the ground up,” Myers said. “And it now reaches not only across the state of Alabama, but across the country and around the globe.”