Ms. Candace Petty

I started my academic career off in Nursing. However, God had other plans for my life though. I made it so close to the end of that degree, but alas it was not in HIS plan. So after many trials and tribulations, I switched to Biology Pre-med track. Once I graduated with my B.S. in Biology, (with no issues) I had to figure out what I was going to do next. So, I got my Secondary Education certificate in Broad field science and only taught one year. I knew that teaching High school was not my calling. So I went back to college and fast tracked my Master's in Biology. I loaded myself down with all the Anatomy, Physiology, and Microbiology classes that I could take. Those were the areas that spoke to me the most.

I was hired right out of grad school as a Biology lecture Instructor, where I happily taught for 2 years until my student loans were calling my name. Since I was a single mother of 3 half grown boys, I had to come up with another plan of action. This is when I enlisted in the US Active duty Army. That was a very interesting 4 years of my life. I got my student loans paid off, along with 2 deployments to Iraq out of it, what a bargain. When my contract was over God was aligning things for me here in Texas. I was hired here at UMHB a week after my military contract had ended. I have been serving the Lord ever since, teaching lots of Anatomy and Physiology classes every semester. I am able to use what I learned in my Nursing classes to enrich my A&P lectures and labs. God did have a plan for me.

I am a member of the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS) and I attend the conferences annually to stay cueent in my discipline.

My passion in Biology is infectious disease, emerging pathogens, anatomy & physiology, and pathophysiology. I am fascinated with the human body, how it works, and the different disease processes associated with microorganisms. I love most disciplines of Biology. I never really cared for plant taxanomy courses, but i appreciate the benefits they contribute to our lives. My favorite classes were Human Physiology, Comparative Physiology & Anatomy, Pathophysiology, Microbiology, Advanced Medical Microbiology, Virology, Immunology, Emerging Pathogens, and Molecular Cellular Biology, Histology just to name a few.... As you can see I really love how the different body systems work and interact with one another. I guess you can say, I was kind of a geek growing up.

I'm a proud mother of three grown young men, Wayne, Adam, & Michael and two grandsons Logan & Alix. I love anything outdoors, exploring new state parks, and exercising. I derive great pleasure from arts and crafts. I enjoy baking as it is a fantastic stress reliever.

I have a wonderful time with the ladies in my Sunday school class and enjoy participating in Bread of Life ministries. One of my life verses is proverbs 3:5-6. With that driving thought, I know that God is always in control of my life so long as I trust in Him.