“Some alumni look back on their college years and wish they had partied more. Others look back on wish they had studied more. I doubt any alumni look back and wish they had watched more TV. Turn it off and live your life.”

That’s the piece of advice Barry Aronhime, gives to all students. Aronhime graduated from UNA in 2004 as a marine biology major. He is originally from Kentucky, and stumbled upon UNA while searching for universities with marine biology programs. Strictly by chance, he had the opportunity to send his SAT scores to one more school. That school was UNA. After an academic scholarship offer, Aronhime and his mom decided to tour the campus on their way to Auburn. They loved the campus, the price, and the proximity to his home, but also that he would taking the same classes that students at the University of Alabama and Auburn University would be taking.

Currently, he is an instructor at LSU. He teaches Principles of Ecology, Marine Communities, and is also the program coordinator for LSU’s Marine Biology in Alaska program.

Aronhime says that while research is fun and important, he loves teaching the most. He also says his time at UNA was so valuable that he now implements some of the very same teaching methods he observed from UNA faculty members. “Their passion was infectious and kept students engaged. I try to replicate that passion in all of my classes.”