“At Assumption University, I had the exceptional opportunity to conduct summer research for two summers in a row. One summer was spent studying axonal patterning in C. elegans with Dr. Michelle Lemons, and the second summer involved the biomimetic synthesis of biaryl macrocycles, a project that was governed by Dr. Elizabeth Colby Davie and eventually became the topic of my thesis. My experience conducting research at Assumption was undoubtedly the most beneficial activity that I partook in my four years there. There is no superior way to learn the material than to work in a lab in a hands-on manner, driving the frontiers of the subject that you are so interested in. Working with incredible faculty on exciting, cutting-edge projects helped to set me up for success in graduate school. I learned an immeasurable amount as a summer research student: from the obvious things such as learning how to use the scientific equipment, to the more abstract, such as learning how to think outside of the box and how to critically analyze and interpret the results of a challenging experiment. All in all, my experience as a summer research student at Assumption University is an experience that I would not trade for the world.”
Rachel Avard, Ph.D. Candidate in Chemistry
