Staff Spotlight/Shadow #7: Brinton Domangue, biology and chemistry lab coordinator, adjunct instructor, greenhouse and herbarium curator

This occasional series features Eastern Mennonite University staff members. Read Staff Spotlight #1 about Lynn Veurink, #2 about Vanessa Derrow, #3 about Betty Lee, #4 about Sarah Gant, #5 about Tony Brenneman and #6 about Jennifer Ulrich.

Brinton Domangue – the EMU biology and chemistry departments’ lab coordinator, an adjunct instructor, and greenhouse and herbarium curator – would perhaps prefer being featured in a “Staff Shadow” over a “Staff Spotlight,” as he is “99% introverted,” he said.

Domangue grew up in Broadway, Virginia, and really likes plants. 

“Sometimes I pretend I’m in a Pokémon game and I have to ‘catch ’em all,’” he said. “I like to collect plants, ID plants, press plants, dry plants, preserve plants, draw plants, paint plants, study plants, share plants, receive plants, dig plants, eat plants, wear plants, plant plants (even picking the particularly persnickety plants to plant), and throwing plants at people. Catchweed Bedstraw is my favorite weed.”

He gets cold easily.

A ‘Braw-way’ blend of Louisiana and Michigan:

Where am I from? That depends on who you ask. I was chatting with a stranger one day and told him my dad is from south Louisiana and my mom was raised in Michigan. He said, “Oh, you’re not from around here, then.” But sure enough, I grew up in Broadway (pronounced “braw-way” or alternatively “brawww-way”) and lived in the Valley my whole life. My parents met at Clemson and settled here to start work at JMU. 

When people notice I get cold easily, I tell them it’s because I’m half Cajun, but that doesn’t explain the other half. You’ll sometimes find me wearing a jacket in the office, at the store, on the beach – doesn’t matter.

Educational and professional highlights:

My father, now retired, was a professor of statistics at JMU, so I always assumed I would end up there. I got both my undergraduate and master’s degrees in biology there. There was no special degree for botany, but I always focused on the plant sciences. For my master’s thesis, I did a large-scale plant collection in Shenandoah County under the mentorship of Conley McMullen, a 1978 EMU alumnus and good friend with whom I still collaborate. I also still collect and preserve plants here at EMU to add to our herbarium (Did you know we had one?). 

I am a plant taxonomist more than anything. I don’t mind answering plant questions of all sorts, but sometimes I have to respond with, “Do I look like a horticulturalist to you?” or “Do I look like a plant pathologist to you?” I like collecting and identifying plants, and especially finding rare plants. Sometimes I pretend I’m in a Pokémon game and I have to “catch ’em all.” Great idea for a spinoff… maybe “Botamon?” Of course, if people are expecting robot monsters, they might be disappointed.

What was your path to working at EMU?

At JMU I had opportunities to explore both research and teaching. After graduation, though, I still wasn’t sure where God was leading me. My only plan was to keep exploring until I found a good fit. I did some adjunct teaching and then landed a job at one of Virginia Tech’s research extension centers in Winchester. 

My job was to help identify the insect vectors for a lethal grapevine disease. Most of that project was travel and field work at vineyards across the state. On site, I would count the infected plants and sweep vegetation with a giant bug net to collect and identify tiny leafhoppers, believed to be the primary disease vector. Back in the lab, I would extract DNA to isolate the disease from host plants and potential alternative host plants. I liked the work, but was looking for something closer to home. 

When I applied to EMU, the biology and chemistry departments were looking for a lab coordinator, as well as someone who could potentially teach a course that semester. By that time I fit the bill. There is always something new to do and learn in the Science Center. I enjoy it a lot!

Skipping out on genealogy discussions … or not

By now you may have guessed that “Domangue” is a French name. If you still don’t know how to pronounce it, the “ue” is silent, so it is simply “Doh-mang” with equal emphasis. Clearly it is not a common name in Virginia, so when I get a sales call it is usually “Dah-mang-goo” or “Doh-mang-geh” or “Wilson” (that may have been a wrong number). To be honest, I am relieved to skip out of the genealogy discussions on campus, but I get a little dose of that through my wife, Michelle, who was a Lantz and is also related to Funkhousers, Doves and Esteps. 

Michelle grew up in Bergton, where we now live with three obnoxious cats.

Nickname:

I go by “Brinton,” or more commonly “Brint.” In high school for a short time, my friends called me “Spike” due to my curly hair. If that doesn’t make sense, this story is for you: I grew up in the ’90s, so I took cues from the grunge scene and wore my hair a little on the long side. For about a year, though, my hair inexplicably curled up. It wasn’t tight enough to be an afro, but more like a whimsical brown mushroom shape. 

As it so happened, my friends and I were all watching a popular anime of the time called “Cowboy Bebop.” The main character was named Spike Spiegel, who had similar hair. Anticipating a trip to Otakon that year, I dyed my hair a subtle shade of moss green to match the character better. I never made it to Otakon, but felt pretty awkward for a while. 

Years later I was talking to a friend’s mom, and she admitted to thinking I’d gotten a perm (on purpose) during that time. That did not make me feel better.

Life away from EMU

It’s been a long time since I took a personality test, but the last one claimed I was 99% introverted. I asked the marketing team if they would change the name of this article to “Staff Shadows” for people like me, but I’m not sure they’ll do it. I can be outgoing, but I do enjoy the quiet, peaceful things in life more. 

Did I mention plants? I like to collect plants, ID plants, press plants, dry plants, preserve plants, draw plants, paint plants, study plants, share plants, receive plants, dig plants, eat plants, wear plants, plant plants (even picking the particularly persnickety plants to plant), and throwing plants at people. Catchweed Bedstraw is my favorite weed. 

Before I got into plants, though, I was very much into the arts. As a hobby I still draw and paint. I’m a generalist when it comes to crafting, and will dabble in anything from woodwork to jewelry. Believe it or not, plant presses are quite expensive, so now I make my own. 

I’m an active member of my Brethren church in Broadway, a Bergton Ruritan, and on the E.J. Carrier Arboretum Botany Committee.

Two truths and a lie about Brinton:

• I am a self-proclaimed origami master known as Leaf Piece. 
• I once won a local writing contest for longest plant-themed alliteration.
• When I was younger, I wanted to be a pyrotechnician.