Focus on a Family

by Eric Stevenson '08

Houghton College has its share of family legacies. The Luckey family has been part of Houghton since before it had a college, and still has a strong presence today. The Woolsey troupe has been involved with the college for years as students, staff and professors. Even the Stevenson family (to which I just happen to belong) has made Houghton College its educational home for generations. The Ulrich family is well on its way to developing a rich tradition of its members leaving Houghton and making their marks in the fields of science and medicine.

The family legacy begins with twin brothers Richard Ulrich '62 and Wesley Ulrich '62, both pre-med students who had grown up on a farm in Iowa. After Houghton, both went on to medical schools: Wesley went to the University of Chicago; Richard received a full scholarship to Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia.

After his graduation, Richard joined the United States Air Force as a flight surgeon and served in Korea. Upon his return he met a librarian with the beautiful name Angelia, whom he married in 1969. Soon after, Ulrich began a residency in ophthalmology (the study of diseases concerning the visual pathways in the eyes, brain and areas around the eyes) at the University of Iowa. He finished his USAF career as a colonel and—about 20 years ago—moved to Georgia where he, in his own words, does "eyes and souls, four days a week." Along the way, the Ulrichs had four children, all sons: Lane, Marc, Paul and Luke. Each one would follow his father to Houghton.

Lane '92 says that the biggest influence for him to attend was the fact that his father had come to Houghton. He majored in biology as part of a pre-med program. After graduating, he took another cue from his father by becoming an ophthalmologist: at the Medical College of Georgia, where he has practiced since completing his residency in 2000. He is also the residency program director there, involved with the post-medical school training program in the ophthalmology department.

Next came Marc '94, who started off following his brother as a biology major, only to find his calling in physics. Naturally he had to tweak his brother a bit, adopting a motto to go along with his decision: "In biology, one just memorizes facts while in physics, one learns to solve problems." Marc met his wife, Becky (Long '95), while at Houghton, when she and her twin sister needed rides home for Christmas. After graduating, Marc went to Auburn University in Alabama to pursue a doctorate in physics, which he received in 2001. North Carolina is now their home, where he researches opportunities in condensed matter physics as a scientist for the Army Research Office.

It wasn't long after Marc left before Paul '00 arrived at Houghton. He says that, given the family history, he never seriously considered another college. It should come as no surprise to learn that he was a biology major, with a minor in chemistry. After graduating, he went to the University of Delaware, where he earned his master's and doctorate degrees in marine biology.

Hard on Paul's heels came the last Ulrich man, Luke ('01). Majoring in biology, he entered Houghton aiming to become a medical doctor. However, in his junior year, he decided that path was not for him; still, he finished his undergraduate work with the biology major and with two minors: mathematics and chemistry. With the broad science and math background and a self-taught understanding of computers, Luke became one of the first students accepted into a newly established master's program for bioinformatics (the use of computers to solve biological problems, usually on a molecular level) at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

All of the Ulrichs credit their Houghton College education with aiding them greatly in their careers. Lane even goes so far as to claim that, in his experience, medical school was actually easier than his Houghton academic experience. "In my first year of medical school," he says, "there were only a few courses I had not already had, and some of the courses used the same textbooks as I had at Houghton."

"Houghton had a very powerful effect on me," Marc says, "Houghton was an incubator that protected me during those years away from home, by surrounding me with godly friends and teachers who were also my mentors." These days, he says, "I get to work with the best of the best in my field, steer a small corner of the science world, help mature emerging technologies and conduct my own research—all at the same time."

Interestingly, when asked to recall some important Houghton experiences, Luke doesn't talk about science or math, but remembers, instead, the graphic design classes he took from Professor of Art John Rhett. "The skills I learned in his classes are an invaluable asset in more areas of my life than I ever would have imagined," he says, "Presenting scientific data for a conference/publication, designing marketing ads for my real estate business, creating my wedding invitations, poster presentations. His teaching still influences virtually every design decision I have to make."

Maybe that shouldn't be so surprising, because the Ulrich men did more than just hole up in the science building for their four years at Houghton. Paul fondly remembers using dinner trays as sleds on the ski hill, and admits that he spent time serenading the girls' dorms with his fellow Shen men. Marc can recount his frustration as "Jake" Jacobson conquered him time after time in racquetball. Luke is infamous for rallying more than 100 people for an Ultimate Frisbee tournament on the Quad, which, unfortunately, occurred on a rainy day and ended with the once-lush grass in a muddy mess.

When asked about his college experience, Paul recalled some of the challenges to his faith that he faced while at Houghton, and how the community helped him through them. "One of the greatest struggles was that of God's hand in creation," he says, "Dr. Karen Cianci was particularly influential in my life at that time. Houghton continued the work that my parents started long ago in teaching me to trust God and to see his hand in all aspects of my life. This foundation was critical when I moved to graduate school, where much of what I held was challenged, not only by those around me, but by criticism from within me. I'm thankful that God holds on more tightly to us than we do to him!"

With twin brothers who became medical doctors, followed by a second generation of four who all achieved either medical or doctorate degrees, the Ulrich family has contributed a great deal to the Houghton legacy of preparing professionals in the science and medical fields. And it may well be that it's not done. After all, Lane and his wife Debra (Pollard '92) have four children, as do Marc and Becky. In a few years, there could be another generation of Ulrichs studying in the Paine Center for Science.

Eric Stevenson '08 is the son of Daryl and Gudy (Mindrebo '70) Stevenson '70 and the grandson of Herbert and Margaret (Watson '38) Stevenson '38 and the brother of Eric Stevenson, Kyle and Sarah (Gagnon '00) Stevenson '96 and Tyler and Diane (Benedict '04) Stevenson '03. He is an intern with Milieu this semester.