Passing the Test: Short Answer

Short Answer with Dr. Mohamed El-Bermawy

Hailing from a small town in Egypt, Dr. Mohamed El-Bermawy joined the Culver-Stockton faculty in August 1999, where he teaches courses primarily in chemistry, biochemistry and organic chemistry. Dr. El-Bermawy is the department chair of chemistry and mathematics, coordinator of physics and physical science and serves as the pre-health advisor. He previously taught in Egypt and Saudi Arabia and now lives in Canton with his wife, Omaima Ebeid, with whom he shares three children – Noha, 29, Ayah, 27, and Ahmed, 25.

Why did you decide to come to the United States to teach?

I came to the U.S. in 1983 to the University of Connecticut to get my master’s and Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry. I started teaching pharmacy labs at the School of Pharmacy there while working on my Ph.D. and realized that teaching is my passion, so I decided to pursue it.

If you were not teaching at CulverStockton, what would you be doing?

Teaching is my passion and top priority, but if I absolutely have to choose another profession, I would work as a pharmacist.

If you could tell all of the students at C-SC one thing, what would it be?

Manage your time, work hard, and work closely with your professors, and you will achieve your goals.

Who is the most famous person you have ever met?

Dr. Ahmed Zewail, who is the father of femtochemistry and a Nobel Prize winner. I had a fruitful and great conversation with him at a conference.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were in college?

Try hard but seek help when needed. Being independent doesn’t mean to suffer and struggle alone. Colleges have good resources. Do not hesitate to use them.

The word in the dictionary that best describes me is …

Kind. My father used to tell us to treat people as you want them to treat you. He taught us that you cannot buy people’s hearts with money or power, but you can buy their hearts with kindness and respect.

My favorite spot on campus is …

Science Center, Room 321. It’s like my home. I teach most of my courses, conduct research with students, and hold help sessions in that room.

Tell us one thing about being a chemistry professor at a college that the public ought to know but probably does not.

Chemistry is involved in every aspect of our life. Chemistry is in everything we touch, taste, smell, and see. Professors have the unique opportunity to guide students at such a crucial point in their lives.

The older I get, the more I realize …

That we know very little. We should never stop learning. The more I learn, the more I have questions that need answers.

The most useful piece of advice I ever received was …

From my father, who taught me that sometimes we will face challenges and difficulties in life. Don’t hold on to them. Let go, learn from your mistakes, and move forward. I also learned from Mr. Raeyah, my high school principal, that people will like you if you are humble and respectable. They will not like you if you think you are better than them.