Forewords

As a high school senior, Tim visited IC with his mom. To him, the campus felt just right, especially its size. It was large enough where he felt like he could meet a new person every day but also small enough that he’d never be, in his words, “just another number” on campus.

When Tim reminisces about his time on campus as a student, he is nostalgic: “I grew and developed so much between the time I was a freshman getting dropped off at upper Quads to when I was a senior jumping in the fountains. But those memories wouldn’t be as significant if it weren’t for the people I shared them with.”

After completing IC’s doctoral program in physical therapy, Tim returned to Ithaca College as a faculty member, a decision sparked by a text message from IC professor and department chair Tom Swensen inviting him to teach an anatomy lab. This opportunity allowed Tim to give back to the community that had given him so much.

Now a faculty member himself, Tim encourages his students to maximize their time at Ithaca College and tap into all of the resources and people available to them. “I’m grateful that now, as a faculty member, I can possibly be that individual who ignites someone else’s passion,” he says.

When Tim’s students suggested he start posting on TikTok, he admits he initially dismissed the idea. But then, the more he thought about the opportunity to turn a place of entertainment into an arena of joyful learning, the more he warmed to the platform.

“This generation is different than any other generation that’s come before us. As an academic, it’s our pedagogical responsibility to try and find ways to improve not only student retention of material but also student engagement,” says Tim. Over 900,000 TikTok and 200,000 Instagram followers later, with content ranging from anatomy quizzes to dad jokes, Tim is sharing his enthusiasm for teaching in playful and impactful ways. “Now, I’m low-key TikTok famous,” chuckles Tim, noting that some of his current students followed him on his channel before they decided to attend Ithaca College.

On campus, Tim encourages all of his students to make the most of every moment. Once a year for each of his classes, he notes the number of days until graduation and advises students to find their path towards happiness. “Diversify your joy portfolio,” Tim says. “This is a time in your life where you have so many amazing resources here on campus. You have all these faculty that care about you. You’re surrounded by some of your closest friends. This is a time in your life that is very hard to replicate in the future. And so, what do you want to do between now and graduation?”