Biophysical Society - July 2014 Newsletter

3

BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

2014

JULY

PATRICK MCCARTER Patrick McCarter became

LIOR VERED Lior Vered did not grow up with a particular inter- est in science. She did not have any family members in scientific fields; her father served in the Israeli Air Force and later worked in finance, and her mother had a career as a print and

interested in science during his time as an

undergraduate at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State Univer- sity. He spent a summer working with Dave Mack at the Thomas Jefferson

television journalist. Lior herself studied sociology and philosophy for a year at Tel Aviv University before deciding to change career paths. When she began her undergraduate studies at Fayetteville State University, Lior planned to become a medical doctor. In a pre-med chemistry class, Lior says, “I was fascinated by the magical world of orbitals and electron transfers hidden beneath the surface. My professor noticed my curiosity and offered me a position in his lab computationally simulating the orbitals of a single molecule transistor.” Throughout her undergrad- uate career, Lior increasingly became interested in physics, but was still passionate about studying living systems. Biophysics seemed like the obvious choice for her graduate program. She is currently a third year PhD student in Timothy Elston’s and Beverly Errede’s labs at UNC. When Lior learned about the BPS Summer Research Program, it seemed like a great opportu- nity to support budding scientists. She explains, “I feel very passionate about STEM education generally speaking, and specifically for minorities and women. The support and encouragement I received from my faculty as an undergrad were crucial to my decision to become a part of the scientific community. I strive to play a similar role in the lives of other scientists.” Thus far, Lior has enjoyed her experience with the Summer Program students, saying, “My fa- vorite aspect of the course is the ability to witness and play a role in the personal growth of the stu- dents. The transition between an undergraduate to a graduate research environment is a challeng- ing one. Supporting my students as they navigate these challenges is a privilege.”

National Accelerator Facility, where he had the opportunity to conduct research and present it to other scientists. The experience was a valu- able one, and also helped Patrick realize that he wanted to work in a field more closely related to human health. After graduating with his BS in Physics, Patrick pursued an MS in Computational Science and Engineering, during which time he was able to explore a more health-oriented career path via the BPS Summer Research Program. He says, “The BPS Summer Research Program was paramount to my development as I finished my MS…I found that biophysics is my niche. The program gave me the opportunity to really see what a PhD program was designed to do.” He entered a program at UNC after completing his MS, and is currently pursuing his PhD in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology with a certificate in the Program for Molecular and Cellular Biophysics. It was his own experience in the BPS Summer Re- search Program that made Patrick eager to work as a TA this year. He explains, “I definitely ma- tured a lot as a Summer Course student. I felt that because I once sat in their seats, I would be able to help the current students make the most out of their summer here at UNC.” Patrick hopes one day to hold a tenured faculty position from which he could design courses that would benefit from his varied experiences. His goal as a professor will be to help students see “that problems in nature are often not isolated to one discipline, and that the solution to those problems can benefit from all of our combined knowledge,” he explains.

Profilees at a Glance

Jaime Campbell Institution University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Course of Study Biochemistry Patrick McCarter Institution University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Course of Study Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Lior Vered Institution University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Course of Study Chemistry