Faculty Spotlight: Julie Chew

Dr.Chew is originally from Pennsylvania, her parents moved to St George when she was in high school so she graduated from Dixie High and went to Utah Tech University back when it was called Dixie College

There are electronic textbooks with a custom designed platform that shares over 16,000 pieces of data. Dr. Chew goes through the platform and creates connections so the students can seamlessly move from one thing to another. This makes sure they are studying the latest resources.

Outside of work Dr. Chew loves to go rock hunting with her husband. She also enjoys fishing and playing with her grandchildren. She loves to read and plays the piano too.

Dr. Chew enjoys teaching the concept synthesis class because the students are in their last semester of their senior year. They are all ready to go out into the world. It’s very fun for Dr. Chew taught these students in their first semester. It’s a great adventure for Dr. Chew to start them off in their higher education career and finish it with them. It’s great to be able to see how much the students have grown over the years. “I love the students. I love their enthusiasm. I love their dedication to being the best that they can be.”

Dr. Chew’s most difficult teaching challenge is when students don’t work as hard as they need to reach their potential. Dr Chew can see their potential but the students don’t see it and it’s hard for her to get them to see it and put forth the effort required to achieve their highest potential. Dr. Chew has come to learn that everyone is different and what motivates people is different for everyone. She tries to put herself in their shoes. When she’s creating assignments she’s designing them with the students in mind and how the assignments will help them uncover their passion and work hard to achieve the goals the students have.

The students being continually excited about learning inspires Dr. Chew to continue learning and investigating, trying to reinvent the way she teaches every semester. Dr. Chew is a lifelong learner and finding new information every semester inspires her teaching. If a student has a question she doesn’t know the answer to she will find the answer with the student or give the student the best resources to search for answers.

Dr. Chew told me about pinning. It’s one of her favorite teaching experiences every semester. There is a ceremony to both welcome the freshman and wave goodbye to the seniors. Everyone in nursing brings their friends and family. A tradition at this ceremony is pinning. The nurses graduating are given pins to wear on their uniforms or however they choose to display it. They talk about the history of nursing and share the nursing pledge. Dr. Chew likes it because it’s the culmination of the students’ education, the pinning ceremony and the hard work over their education.