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Peggy Noel ’79 remembers his high standards for students and rigorous teaching style — even for ˮ���� College. In early morning classes, he’d often remind students, “While you were sleeping, I was working!”

She smiles at the memory.

“He was a demanding professor who took no excuses,” Noel said. “But he also had a great sense of humor and always believed we could meet his standards. He especially had a heart for students who didn’t have the necessary resources and helped us find opportunities that wouldn’t have otherwise been available. My life has been enriched by knowing him.”

Like the doctors he shadowed, Lane filled in wherever he was needed, whether that meant sorting medications, taking vitals or helping splint a broken leg. The ˮ���� group also accompanied hospital staff from Mwandi into more rural villages, where they’d set up their mobile clinic, hand out Malaria tests and treat those living beyond the hospital’s reach. 

“Even within Zambia, there’s a huge difference between living in the city and living in a rural area,” he said. “It was interesting to hear from the doctors who were committed to working in rural villages. They have such genuine care for the community.”

Back at the hospital in Mwandi, Lane especially enjoyed hosting a clinic for young children. Immediately after returning to the United States, he shadowed a heart surgery at the Boston Children’s Hospital and said seeing such a stark difference in resources inspired him to think about going into pediatrics. 

“My time in Zambia helped me realize more fully why I wanted to go into medicine,” he said. “I saw countless hospital staff put so much effort and kindness into caring for their patients. It was essential to understanding the relationship between healthcare and the community. Their actions will stick with me and help me become a better physician and human.”

The group consisted of all kinds of scientists, and McDonnell, as the only researcher with a strictly-biology background, found herself taking a leadership role. She became especially interested in bringing her knowledge of biology and genomics to the social and environmental context of the Patagonian region. 

“It was a perspective-shifting experience to conduct science outside of the Western academic system,” she said. “Because we all came from different academic and social backgrounds, no one was embarrassed to ask questions, and much like at ˮ����, faculty prioritized community involvement. It also gave me confidence in my ability to travel, communicate and secure funding on my own.”

Her experience in Chile changed the course of McDonnell’s academic career, making her realize she wanted to pursue a doctorate in extremophile microbiology. She returned to the Boyd Lab at Montana State, where she continues to study glaciers after securing a NASA FINESST fellowship in her first year. 

“My time in Chile made me realize the questions I’m interested in are theoretical and evolutionary,” she said. “It helped me get excited about science again in its most basic form.”

A Legacy of Learning

In the coming years, thanks to support from the ˮ���� community, more students will get to pursue life-changing experiences studying biology abroad. 

For the Class of ’79 friends who launched the fund, the biggest reward is honoring Professor Putnam in his retirement by continuing his legacy of adventure and curiosity. They have been deeply moved by the outpouring of support from ˮ���� alums whose lives Putnam shaped over his  decades of teaching. 

“As tough as he could be, he never said ‘no’ when a student was struggling,” Parkerson said. “He was always finding a way to get to you, to get on your level and take the extra time to try something different. Almost everyone I talked to said they wouldn’t be where they are today if not for his mentorship and guidance.”