Dr. Arrel Toews, Professor of Biochemistry & Biophysics, who served UNC for 37 years (1977-2014) retires.
A reception was held to honor Arrel Towes on his retirement from UNC – Chapel Hill on September 5th at the Horace Williams House. His reception was attended by students, faculty and staff from UNC in various departments. Many of his former student whom were medical, nursing and dental students spoke about how he had changed their lives and in many cases their not only their understanding of Biochemistry but their majors as well. Arrel was the course director for “Introduction to Biochemistry” – Biochem 107 (1995-2013) and Biochem 108 (1992-2014),
Arrel has been awarded all of the university-wide teaching excellence awards he is eligible for. These teaching awards include the James M. Johnston Teaching Excellence Award (1996), the William C. Friday/Class of 1986 Teaching Excellence Award (2003), and the Tanner Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (2009). He was also selected for the “Faculty of the Year” Award by the UNC Student National Medicine Association in 2008. In 2009, Arrel was selected by the UNC medical students to present the Richard H. Whitehead Lecture, one of the highest honors bestowed by UNC medical students. Arrel stated: “not being able to teach students and help change their lives is what I will miss most when I retire from UNC after more than 38 years.”
“Throughout my life, beginning at a very early age, I have always tried to be a good and perpetual student myself – always seeking to know and understand both old and new things in the world around me, and then to help others understand them as well. It has been a remarkable journey for me thus far, and I will of course continue that during my subsequent years after retirement from UNC.”