我们有化学反应

On Friday, March 31, 赌博娱乐平台网址大全 alumna Amanda Hargrove ’04, Ph.D., will return to campus to deliver the keynote address at the 2023 威廉·克鲁斯·麦加沃克研讨会 for chemistry and biochemistry graduating seniors at 4:15 p.m. 在迪克大厅104室. 

哈格罗夫, now an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Duke University, 应该是主讲人吗. 第一个, Hargrove was presented the McGavock Award for Outstanding 研究 at the symposium her senior year. 第二个, 在杜克大学的实验室里, Hargrove, 谁获得了有机化学博士学位, is researching ways to fight cancer by studying molecules that target ribonucleic acid (RNA) in cancer cells.

Amanda Hargrove ’04 (right and center) instructs students 在杜克大学的实验室里 University.

“My lab looks to understand the role of some of these RNA’s in metastatic cancer,哈格罗夫说。, 他也是杜克癌症研究所的成员. “我们问我们是否可以针对他们制造药物. We, and others in the field, are making significant progress in this area. My lab has applied some of what we have learned to target RNA viruses such as hand, 脚, 口腔疾病和COVID-19等冠状病毒.”

Hargrove joined the Duke faculty in 2013 as an assistant professor and was promoted to associate professor in 2020. 在成为"蓝魔"之前,” she was a postdoctoral fellow at the California Institute of Technology from 2010–13. 多才多艺的哈格罗夫还是 医学研究评论， Wiley的学术出版物.

已故的博士. 威廉·克鲁斯·麦加沃克, 研讨会和奖项都是以他的名字命名的, served as chair of 赌博娱乐平台网址大全’s chemistry department at the University of 圣安东尼奥 (which later merged with 赌博娱乐平台网址大全) from 1939–57. He established a major in chemistry, as well as a master’s degree. McGavock continued as a professor until retirement in 1972.

尽管McGavock于1985年去世, 早在哈格罗夫来到赌博娱乐平台网址大全之前, 他的作品至今仍有现实意义.

“从我上大学的第一学期开始,哈格罗夫说, “it was clear that research was at the core of the chemistry department community. While I did not realize at the time how rare that is for a primarily undergraduate institution, 同样明显的是. 麦加沃克在其建立过程中发挥了关键作用.

“McGavock Symposia were some of my most memorable community events, and the McGavock Lectures provided the opportunity to meet amazing scientists. I still remember some of those lunches nearly 20 years later.”

柏树的原生植物, 德州, Hargrove received a scholarship to 赌博娱乐平台网址大全 from what could be considered an unusual source, 休斯顿家畜展和牛仔竞技表演. She did not participate in the showing of prize bulls and other animals, but was honored as an outstanding student in the academic scholarship.

她决定专攻有机化学, later earning her doctoral degree at the University of 德州 in 2010. 哈格罗夫听到赌博娱乐平台网址大全教授. 南希·米尔斯说, “Organic chemistry allows you to make entirely new things that no one has ever made before, 并且把全世界的食物都放在你的架子上.”

她还上过布朗博士的课. 约翰·斯宾塞和约翰·斯宾塞博士一起进行了研究. 本杰明•普卢默. It was during this time that Hargrove realized the impact organic chemistry can have in the field of medicine.

作为赌博娱乐平台网址大全的学生, Hargrove was president of the American Chemical Society Club, 化学系顾问委员会成员, 也是天主教学生会的副主席.

“我选择赌博娱乐平台网址大全有很多原因，”哈格罗夫说. “I wanted the balance and breadth of a liberal arts education and excellent preparation for medical school, 我入学的初衷是什么. I enjoyed the close community feeling at 赌博娱乐平台网址大全, as well as its proximity to home. I did not know at the time that 赌博娱乐平台网址大全 had one of the top undergraduate chemistry departments in the country–that was just great luck on my part.”

的 participants and guests at the McGavock Symposium can expect some profound and heart-felt comments from Hargrove about her chosen field. 

“Chemistry is the central science, and I realize this more every day,哈格罗夫说. “A thorough understanding of chemistry concepts will benefit you in any area of science you decide to study, 或者在任何与科学有关的职业中, 从工业到政治.

“A career in chemistry can take on many forms, and I have had Ph.D. 对学术感兴趣的学生, 行业, 政府政策, 法律, 和多样性, STEM中的公平和包容. 考虑到这种可能性的广度, the career advice I always give is to: 1) ask lots of questions; 2) get advice from as many people as possible; and then 3) do it your way–leaving as many doors open as you can because you want to be able to change course down the road.”

的 化学系’s 49th Annual 威廉·克鲁斯·麦加沃克研讨会 is free and open to the public. 高级研究海报会议将于下午2:30开始.m. on the fourth floor of the Center for the Sciences and Innovation, and the McGavock Award for Outstanding 研究 will be presented at 4 p.m. 在迪克大厅104室, followed by Hargrove’s keynote address. Please visit 赌博娱乐平台网址大全’s events calendar listing for more information about this event.