Why did you choose graduate school at IU Indianapolis?
When looking at graduate schools, IU Indy stuck out to me due to its proximity to major hospitals and research centers. My goal has always been to perform medically relevant research through chemistry, and I have been able to do this throughout my time here.
What has been your favorite academic accomplishment since you’ve been here?
I plan on defending my thesis this upcoming March, and I have had time to reflect on the work I have completed during my time in graduate school. I cannot point to a single accomplishment to highlight; however, I am very proud to have published multiple times and to have presented my work across a variety of forums, most recently at the 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, where I was recognized as the competition winner.
What do you enjoy most about life in Indianapolis?
Indianapolis offers a unique blend of being a relatively large city while not feeling overwhelming to live in. The cost of living for graduate students is also substantially better compared to other large cities in the United States. I really enjoy running along the canal and being able to visit different parks that are within 20–30 minutes of the city. Overall, this provides a wide variety of activities to enjoy.
Please provide some details about your work/research as a graduate student and/or any activities you are involved in.
My research focuses on developing new methods to capture exhaled breath and identify biomarkers with the goal of creating noninvasive diagnostics. One day, instead of needing an invasive test, we could breathe into a device that looks like an inhaler, and it would tell us if we are sick. Beyond my research, I completed an internship at Eli Lilly and Company, served as President and Vice President of the Chemistry Graduate Student Society (CATALYST), chaired the mentorship program for the American Chemical Society Indiana Local Section, and volunteered at events such as National Chemistry Week, where I performed chemistry demos with kids.