Spotlight: Faculty and Staff Contributions

Christopher Dromey

It’s a popular trend in our society to wonder if anything worthwhile can come from watching television. For Christopher Dromey, of the McKay School’s Department of Communication Disorders, a PBS documentary positively changed the course of his life.

“I don’t watch television much any more,” said Dromey. “But many years ago, before getting married and having kids, I did watch TV sometimes.” Dromey had graduated with his bachelor’s degree in German. He was fascinated with the ability to communicate in another language, but could not find much work in Canada that directly related to his major. “Many humanities majors experience that,” he said with a smile. “They graduate, look around, and say, ‘What shall I do now?’” He came home from his office job one day and began to watch a PBS documentary on speech disorders. It caught his attention. After further investigation, Dromey decided to pursue a master’s degree in speech pathology. He earned it in 1990, then began doctoral studies after two years of work as a hospital speech pathologist. After receiving his doctorate, Dromey spent four years as a scientist at the Toronto Western Hospital, and taught at the University of Toronto before joining the faculty at BYU.

Christopher Dromey was born in Wales but spent most of his formative years in England. He immigrated to Canada in his teens with his. His father’s career as an electrical engineer served as the reason for most of the moves. He earned each of his degrees in the United States, having spent time in Germany and Austria as a missionary and study-abroad student.

Dromey now lives in Provo with his wife, Anita, and their children. “Among our four children we have three Americans, three Canadians, three red heads, and three lefties,” said Dromey with a chuckle. “We’re a little statistically unusual.” Anita plans to start the graduate program in Communication Disorders Fall Semester2008 at BYU.

Dromey includes his family in everything he does, even in his hobbies. “I’m always saying how I don’t know how people find time for hobbies when they have kids,” he said. He enjoys woodworking, and has recently spent time in his woodshop with his daughter Bronwen, who is currently a freshman at Timpview High School in Provo. He also enjoys spending time with his other children—Michael, age 11; Jonathan, age 9; and Hannah, age 6.

Along with family activities and his full-time position in the Department of Communication Disorders, Dromey currently chairs the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at BYU. The IRB reviews proposals for research involving human subjects to ensure the safety of those individuals. “The physical safety of research subjects has seldom been a problem at BYU, but we still need to ensure that all possible risks are minimized, and that individuals are fully informed before they agree to be in a study,” said Dromey. This position serves the entire university, not just the McKay School. “It is a substantial additional commitment beyond my ‘day job’ of teaching, researching, mentoring, and advising students,” he commented.

“I feel very supported by the School of Education,” said Dromey. ““We get along wonderfully as a faculty in Communication Disorders. We have respect for one another, and I love working here. It’s great.”

4 June 2008

Cindy Horrocks

Cindy Horrocks, part-time instructor for the Department of Teacher Education, said that though she always wanted to be a teacher, she never imagined she would become a teacher of teachers. “I never even knew it was a possibility,” she recalled. “Things just fell into place, without really planning for them.”

Horrocks was married in 1987 in the Salt Lake Temple. She started teaching high school in 1988, with a bachelor’s degree from Utah State University; she continued to teach on and off for seven years before suspending her teaching career to raise a family. “I was quite content to be a stay-at-home mom,” she said. “Most of my joy comes from raising my children.” However, in 2001 Horrocks got a call from Dr. Merrell Hansen, of BYU’s Teacher Education Department. He asked if she would be interested in supervising student teachers in the Jordan area. She decided to try, and she loved this role from the very beginning. In the fall of 2006 she began teaching as well: Exploration of Teaching 276 for Social Studies Teachers. “I love training new teachers,” Horrocks admitted. “I love seeing their excitement for teaching and watching them grow and gain confidence.”

Horrocks has always had a passion for education. She grew up as one of five daughters and remembers playing school, reading, and learning with her sisters. Her mother taught 4th grade at Cherry Hill Elementary in Orem, and both of her parents stressed the importance of education. Out of the five daughters, four are now teachers.

Horrocks does not recall a time when she did not have a desire to teach. She chose to work in secondary schools instead of elementary. Now after having children of her own, she is sure she made the right choice. “I totally respect elementary school teachers, and I love what they do,” she said. “But I don’t think I have the patience.”

Horrocks loved English, so during her undergrad years at Utah State she majored in English and minored in math. “Someone told me I could not do both English and math,” Horrocks remembered. “So I started on the path and went as far as I could go. Before I knew it, I had a math minor.”

This diverse interest base is also reflected in Horrocks’ use of her spare time--usually reading. “I read anything,” she said. “I’ve rarely met a book I don’t love.” She expressed a similar interest in movies. Horrocks also enjoys sewing, cooking, baking, and what she referred to as “all those mother things.” She quickly added, however, that she does not enjoy laundry or housework. She also enjoys traveling with her family. She recalled a vacation in which she, her husband, and all five of their children went on a three-week cross-country excursion in the family suburban. They visited American historical sites such as the Liberty Bell and Washington, D.C., along with sites involved with LDS church history. Her broad interest base helps Horrocks keep her passion for teaching.

Being very involved in the lives of her children helps Horrocks in her teaching career, and her career as a teacher helps her support her children’s education. Horrocks affirmed that being a mother only strengthens her excitement and ability to teach. “If you are teaching and you love it, it is among the most wonderful and rewarding careers possible,” she explained.

5 March 2007