Unsolicited Student Comments

Public Facebook Post from 2021 LU graduate 5/19/2021:

Thank you!!! I hope too see you soon I miss our talks after class. I'm in need of some graduate school advice. lol


LinkedIn private correspondence from former LU student 4/7/2021:

Hi Malcolm! Thank you SO much for your kind and thoughtful recommendation. It means so much that you have that perspective of working with me. I enjoyed my time with you, learning from you, and all that you shared with me. It was always great seeing you through those EL Holloway halls! Thanks so much again! :)


Text Message from 2009 student received 9/12/2020:

I found a snapping turtle on top of a mountain, that sound normal to you? There were no close water sources.


Private facebook message from 2008 spouse of a graduate received 2/22/2020. Elementary education student who married a former student had sent me a propaganda article and asked for my opinion. I gave a lengthy explanation of why it was very inaccurate. Student responded:

Wow. One more reason I am not in science, although I have been watching YouTube videos about soil web life and how to balance the nutrition with forage plants. Michael said I was watching a combo of organic chem and biology this morning!


Private facebook message from 2007 graduate received 5/1/2019:

Hey, I need your help! Mowers came and this <picture of chopped up banded watersnake> came running out of the grass. My kids play in the back yard every day so freaked me out it was 2 feet fromm my backdoor. <response: its a watersnake>. Watersnake like a cottonmouth? copperhead? LOL I don't remember all that! <response: nonpoisonous!> Thanks!


Private facebook message from 2007 graduate received 7/8/2018:

Where are you living? We had a neighbor with a bee hive but didn't manage them right and they started in a huge hive in the other neighbors attic! What do we do?


Email from undergraduate student in Sustainable Food Systems receive 12/23/2013:

Hi Dr. McCallum,

I really enjoyed this class and have to tell you it was one of the most interesting electives I have taken. Hope you have a merry Christmas and happy New Year! Regards,

Email from graduate student in Sustainable Food Systems received 12/13/2013:

I have to tell you--this is without a doubt one of the most interesting classes that I have ever taken (and that is saying something as I have been in school forever!). This is not final-related sucking up either. I really enjoyed the readings, video links, and assignments. I came into this class without having any idea what I would be getting into. I honestly chose it because of all of the assigned books. It looked very interesting. I am leaving the class with the knowledge of a stronger connection between the food system and public health.

By the way---you have more publications to your name than anyone I have ever encountered!!! IMPRESSIVE!!!

I hope to keep in contact with you via sharing interesting articles or opportunities. If you are ever interested in touring a local public health department with a large community garden, Farmer's Market, & demonstration...please contact me. CU Public Health has all of that!

Email from undergraduate student in Sustainable Food Systems received 12/13/2013:

Hello Prof. McCallum. Attached please find my final exam... which completes my undergraduate education! :-)

This is my final semester at UIS and next semester I begin my Master of Public Health studies at Northern Illinois University. I am concentrating in Health Promotion and I will no doubt take a lot of the information from this class and apply it to my future studies, work, and to my kitchen garden! Thank you for a great final semester!

Email from undergraduate student in Sustainable Food Systems received 12/18/2013:

I had a wonderful time this semester and learned so much! Thank you for the exposure to such great material. Maybe someday we will have the opportunity to work together again. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season! Best wishes,.

Email from undergraduate student in Sustainable Food Systems received 12/19/2013:

I hope that you have a wonderful holiday! Thank you for a great semester. This course was not at all what I was expecting it to be, actually I'm not really sure what I expected, but I feel that I have learned a lot and will be working to make some changes in the way that my family lives.

Best wishes!

Email from Spring 2009 graduate received 11/18/2013:

I'm glad that you are sharing your wealth of knowledge with students. You are one of the best educators I ever had. Thanks for all you taught and for all your help.

Facebook Text Message from Spring 2010 graduate received 11/9/2011:

I thought you would find it interesting that we are using the same veterinary histology textbook here at LSU that we used in undergrad. One of the few classes this semester that I've known something about thanks to you :) hope life is treating you well.

Email from spring 2009 graduate received 2/10/2010:

Dr. McCallum,

First semester in my masters at Texas Tech went well, I feel like the most prepared person in the program. Reading all the journal articles in class sure paid off just like you said it would! When the professor asks questions about the assigned articles, I’m almost always the only one who can answer. My advisor suggested I consider switching to the PHD program in environmental health, what do you think?

Email message from 2008 graduate, 1/9/2009:

They finally got it yesterday afternoon. I am now officially an A&M Masters student. I am SOOOO excited. One of these days, maybe we will be teaching together! Or researching...I am sure it is not a problem on your end. All of our services have been disrupted since Hurricane Ike, and there are times that I call, send text messages, or emails that just go into the ether, and nobody ever receives them! All that matters to me is that it is in my file right now.

I appreciate you so much. Wish I could have stayed in Texarkana and worked with you more. You really inspired me more than Dr. Mac and Dr. Allard to go ahead and pursue this path, instead of just staying at the Bachelor level, and working for the COG. I loved doing the work in the lab on the frogs. It was the best. I hope that we cross paths in the future, as the Masters I'm going into is a resource management focus, and has a strong ecology leaning.

I had the opportunity this last summer to intern on a Kemp's ridley sea turtle project, and to work with Loggerhead sea turtles with NOAA. So I'm still officially into herps, even if they are just a little different. Really do miss Texarkana, but definately not the cold! Thanks again, so much, for everything you've done for me, and especially for

being an inspiration. If I ever finish my PhD, I hope that I am as great a professor as you!

Thank You Card from Spring 2007 graduate, postmarked 5/28/2008:

Dear Dr. M,

Thank you so much for the letter of recommendation you wrote for me to be accepted into graduate school here in Galveston. I finished my first semester with a 3.5 GPA! I'm hoping to begin working on some biofuels research in the fall. I'll never forget my first adventure into research was through you, and I'll be sure to keep you posted.

Thanks again and Gig Em!

Email from Spring 2007 graduate received 03/04/2008:

Dear Dr. McCallum,

Thank you for the excellent education I received in your classes. I was really prepared for my first semester classes at Baylor (Baylor College of Dentistry). I set the curve in histology thanks to learning most of the material in your class!