The Hartemink Family visiting with Maasai tribesmen

Prof. Hartemink (right) teaches his biology students

Butter-fried flying ants

After a heavy rainstorm, flying ants swarmed out of the ground. Professor Alex Hartemink and his six-year-old daughter did the logical thing -- filled a container with the insects, pulled off their wings, fried them up with a little butter, and enjoyed a late-night snack.

Last year was not a typical sabbatical for Hartemink, an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science with research interests in computational systems biology and machine learning. In August 2009, Hartemink and his family flew to Kenya to teach for nine months in the village of Kijabe. "We’ve always wanted to live in Africa," says Hartemink, "so it was a great opportunity for us."

At Rift Valley Academy, a K-12 boarding school for the children of missionaries serving in Africa, Hartemink taught AP Biology and Calculus BC, while coaching the JV soccer team and mentoring students. "It was very busy: there are no grading assistants there," laughs Hartemink. "But I loved it. The earlier you work with students during their education, the more impact you have." His wife, Melissa, taught second grade and worked with the elementary school library and music programs, while their son and daughter, ages 4 and 6, attended the school.

In addition to teaching and eating ants, the Harteminks enjoyed sharing meals in the homes of local villagers and getting up close and personal with elephants, lions, and giraffes. They also saw ancient pyramids and temples in Egypt and visited missionaries in Uganda ministering at the war-torn edge of the Congo. "It was really important for us to see the efforts our work at the school was supporting," says Hartemink.

Though they were pleased to return to North Carolina, the trip left an indelible impression on the Hartemink family. When they returned at the end of April, their six-year-old daughter had a single question: "When are we going home to Kenya?"