By: Alex Burris, The Circuit
As summer comes to an end, students and especially professors are ready to get back on campus feeling more refreshed from a much needed break.
Marketing professor Clay Johnston had far from a boring summer. He is involved in several activities, one including a microbrewery. Johnston helped launch the Brew Lab last year.
“This was the brewery’s first full summer in operation,” Johnston said. “My job out there is to continue to sustain its growth by working on handling events and all social media marketing.”
He also enjoys letting out his inner rock star.
Johnston has been a part of the same band for sixteen years, the band met while in college. He plays the Caribbean Steel Pans with his band that prefers the genre Island Rock.
“It’s summer time music that people want to listen to while they have their toes in the sand,” Johnston said. “It’s just fun to be able to share music I really enjoy with some of my best friends.”
Throughout the Midwest, they played 30 to 40 shows. They’ve played at parties, weddings and some college events.
Johnston spends his most valued time with his family. He is the father of three young children.
Chemistry professor Dr. Larry Sutton spent his summer doing research work for his company, Gladius Pharmaceuticals.
“We’re working on making new antibiotics to fight superbug infections,” Sutton said. “These antibiotics help fight Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, also known as CRE. CRE can be considered drugs of last resort in antibiotics.”
He first founded the company in 2005. Although it has gone through a few revisions, he continues to help build his company with research. This summer he received 8 million dollars in funding for his research at Benedictine.
“We just recently found out that we soundly beat the older drugs set in place,” Sutton said.
Sutton worked closely with his wife who has her masters in chemistry, along with Jeremy Larson, junior. Larson worked as a paid laboratory technician.
“Most of the students that are doing work with me are wanting to go to med school. I’m open for more students to help research with me, depending on their qualifications,” Sutton said.
While the classrooms may have been empty this summer, the professors continued to put their skills and knowledge to good use.
