Kimberly Wodzanowski, ’17

I am a Chemistry and Biochemistry PhD student with a concentration in Biochemistry at University of Delaware. I was also selected for the Chemistry-Biology Interface Predoctoral Fellowship which is funded through the National Institute of Health and only present at 29 schools around the country. I am studying the way bacteria activate our innate immune system in inflammatory bowel disorders and Crohn's disease.

I was a Summer Scholar in Summer 2015 in the lab of Dr. Jose Cerda in the Chemistry department. During that summer, I fell in love with solving scientific problems through research and continued my research as an independent study for my junior and senior years. I had the opportunity to present my work at the American Chemical Society National Meeting in Fall 2016. After attending a graduate student fair, as well as my adviser Dr. Cerda suggesting it as a career path due to my love of teaching and working in the lab, I realized my calling was to go to graduate school in Chemistry/Biochemistry.

My SJU education was the guiding factor in my professional goals in attending graduate school. SJU taught me to 'Live Greater' and pushed me to tackle challenging yet rewarding opportunities when they presented themselves. I learned to follow what I felt called to do to better the community around me. By 'Living Greater,' I found myself pursuing a double major in the sciences, serving as a Supplemental Instructor for three years, a Teaching Assistant for 3 different classes, and pursing research for two and a half years, all opportunities I imagined when I entered SJU. Without those opportunities, I would never be where I am today as one of two students from my department selected for a predoctoral fellowship coming into graduate school and following my passions in my research opportunities.

As part of the Environmental Science major at SJU, I participated in an internship at the Philadelphia Zoo as an Environmental Education and Animal Behavior Intern. I staffed 'Exploration Stations' throughout the zoo with interactive activities and biofacts relating to specific animals and their conservation as well as completed various animal behavior research projects. I was a Supplemental Instructor (SI) in chemistry for three years and the mentor for chemistry and physics SI leaders for two years. I was a Summer Scholar in the Chemistry department. I also was involved in various service opportunities and trips including Appalachian Experience (APEX), Romero Residential Learning Community, and Collegiate Challenge (with Habitat for Humanity), which I led one of the trips my senior year.