Dr. Nick Flynn, a professor of biochemistry, became part of the College of Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics at West Texas A&M University in 2010. He earned his B.S. in Biochemistry from Texas A&M in 1992 and completed his Ph.D. in Nutritional Biochemistry at the same institution in 1997.

Dr. Flynn’s passion for teaching emerged during his time as a research assistant at Texas A&M.

“He asked me to give a guest lecture for him,” Dr. Flynn said. “I probably spent 10 hours working on a 75-minute lecture and I enjoyed every single minute of it.”

In addition to his academic pursuits, Dr. Flynn is an avid home brewer; his interest first sparked in 1993 while assisting with a keg repair.

“I was running security for a party, and they were having problems with a particular keg,” Dr. Flynn. “It was a Shiner Bock keg, so I helped them out with that. I ended up getting beer all over my face, and I tasted it and thought, ‘Wow, I didn’t know beer could taste like this.’ So, that was my first introduction.”

Dr. Flynn has integrated his expertise in chemistry into home brewing, particularly evident in his creation of a Mesquite Smoked Irish Red.

“So normally, when you keg your beer, you will release some of the CO² to basically get rid of the oxygen,” Dr. Flynn said. “So when I do a Mesquite Smoked Irish Red, I will add a little bit of antioxidant to the brew that kind of replaces that purging. That will keep that Mesquite aroma in the headspace of the keg.”

Regarding the balance between academic responsibilities and personal passions, Dr. Flynn emphasized the importance of unplugging and engaging in activities that bring joy.

“If you want to be healthy, you have to find ways to actually unplug yourself,” Dr. Flynn said, “Find whatever it is; if it’s home brewing, playing checkers or chess, or whatever you like to do, do that!”