Grad Story #1

UNCF Merck Science Initiative Fellow '08 

On choosing UND... "UND provided a good support network for me throughout my studies. The community and the school was really helpful. Grad school is tough. You have to have people that constantly encourage you, and can create opportunities to excel. I had that support from my supervisor and my colleagues." 

On the Department of Chemistry's research at UND... "When I began my degree, my hope was to design and do research for a pharmaceutical company. But I learned there are many paths to achieve the same goals. The methods I have learned in computational chemistry complement and sometimes set new hypothesis for experimenters to do more research. Ithink Ican apply many of the same methods in drug discovery. I am excited about the research at UND because it has set a great platform to apply its techniques to so many different things:" 

On receiving the Merck Award... "UND's program enabled me to present papers at conferences where I met people who helped by asking questions and who challenged me to think through my research projects. This framework played a huge role in the proposal for the Merck grant and in getting my job. I am truly indebted to have worked under that framework at UND:" 

Advice for new students? * Believe in yourself. * Make use of all the resources that the University has to offer. * Learn from your peers and their experiences. * Develop good relationships with faculty. They've been there!