The four years I spent
at Niagara University were a time of personal and professional growth.
I originally came into the university as an undeclared major but
quickly found my place in the Chemistry Department at Niagara. Thanks
to the guidance of my professors, I graduated with a BS in Chemistry
(and a minor in Criminal Justice) and am now in a Ph.D. program at
Emory University in Atlanta, GA.
Niagara U. gave me a solid background in the fundamentals of chemistry
and was flexible enough to offer individualized research experience, a
key factor in my acceptance into Emory. Class sizes are small enough
for students to receive personal attention as well as allowing for the
class to move ahead at its own pace. Perhaps one of the most important
life skills I learned at Niagara was how to manage my time. While
chemistry courses were demanding, I was able to balance these with an
active social life. This was crucial in my first year at Emory, where
I was subjected to intense courses, a rigorous teaching load and a new
home.
The
professors at Niagara were approachable and understanding, helping me
make the best decision for summer research as an undergraduate and then
later, as to graduate school. Currently, I am finishing my second year
of graduate school. I have passed my second year defense and am
continuing on for my Ph.D. in Organic chemistry under the direction of
Dr. Fredric Menger. After graduation from Emory, I hope to land a
position in industry, possibly working abroad. I am investigating the
perfume and food industries, where I would hopefully manage people and
resources in a corporate lab.
SUNY at Buffalo Medical School Class of 2004
Since graduating from Niagara University in 2000, my life has been a
whirlwind. I started medical school at the University of Buffalo in
the Fall of 2000, and have been very busy ever since. I am currently
in my third year of medical school, with an anticipated graduation date
in May of 2004. I will be most likely going into Family Medicine, with
a fellowship in Sports Medicine. I also recently married my college
sweetheart, Jennifer Constantino, in August of 2002, and we are
currently living in Amherst, NY.
Niagara University had a great deal to do with my present and
future successes. I majored in Biochemistry at Niagara, which allowed
me to take classes in both Biology and Chemistry. I enjoyed the hands
on education I received at Niagara, with the small student to faculty
ratio. The professors were excellent and very personable. I
particularly enjoyed classes in Biochemistry, Physical Chemistry, and
Organic Chemistry. I will always be grateful to Niagara as the school
provided me with the background necessary to succeed in medical school,
and a chance to meet my future wife.
University of Michigan Doctor of Pharmacy Class of 2007
Niagara University, specifically the Biology and Chemistry departments,
prepared me for any career in the Physical and Biological or Health
Sciences. I elected to to attend the University of Michigan School of
Pharmacy because Pharmacy seemed like the compromise between Biology
and Chemistry that I was looking for. I picked the University of
Michigan because the program they have allows people to combine the
Pharm.D. and Ph.D. programs and graduate in less time than would be
required to complete the programs individually. This is the course that
I would like to follow.
Niagara University was the perfect match for me. The classes were
just the right size to create both cooperation and competitiveness
between the students. The professors made sure that you got every
concept and pushed you to succeed. Niagara offered me options that
students at larger universities would not have, like completing two
majors while still getting individual attention. Some of my favorite
classes at Niagara were Organic Chemistry, Cell Biology, Pharmacology,
and Calculus I-III. If anything I said sounds like something you would
be interested in, I encourage you to check Niagara out in person. Check
out some of the web page stuff we do here at my Pharmacology web page
Feel free to email me with questions at JFree500@aol.com
University of Buffalo Medical School M.D. Ph.D. program class of 2010
The Niagara University Chemistry department prepared me with the tools
necessary to achieve my goal of getting into medical school. The unique
ability to conduct cutting edge research with faculty members at an
undergraduate stage is provided by the Chemistry department here at
Niagara. In addition, the "open-door" policy implemented by all of the
faculty members is a tradition that is not usually followed by most
universities. The one-on-one attention that students receive at the
school are invaluable. The faculty members are experts in their
respective fields and live their days at Niagara passing on this wisdom
to students. Research in organic synthesis, computational chemistry,
and electrochemistry have been successfully conducted at our school.
The school provided me with the preparation for medical school. Through
the guidance and instruction of my professors, I was able to score in
the 97% percentile on both the Physical and Biological Sciences
sections on the MCAT. This, in conjunction with my writing skills that
were enhanced through scientific writing at the school (I scored in the
top section of the writing section on the MCAT also), were critical to
my success with the medical school application process. I was invited
to a very large number of interviews at some of the top medical (MDPhD)
programs in the country, and also was accepted to top medical programs.
I love the program so
much that my brother is now attending. I truly believe that there is
continued excellence lying ahead for this program. It just keeps on
getting better. If I could do the whole college process all over again,
no doubt I would choose Niagara. The learning experience here has
changed my life and has sparked an increased desire to learn and
succeed.
I am a Canadian student
and initially heard about Niagara because of the soccer team. I came
to Niagara not having known too much about the program or the
environment here. Niagara University has provided an excellent
learning environment. This was because the classes were small and the
professors were very knowledgeable and helpful. They always had time
to answer questions and give advice. The seminar classes for both
biology and chemistry are very informative and prepared me for future
endeavors. They tell you what you need to do in order to get into
Graduate programs, how to impress during interviews, how to write
resumes and cover letters, as well as lab safety and many other
things. The professors have provided constant support and always are
quick to inform you of job openings and special events.
I am interested in doing biomedical research and I plan to attend
Graduate school in the near future. For now I am looking to work in
San Diego at a pharmaceutical company, to get a feel for the industrial
setting. My long term goal is to develop therapeutic treatments and
design drugs for human genetic diseases. I feel that with the lab
experience I have attained at Niagara, I will be able to accomplish
this desire. Niagara University provided an opportunity for me to
present my undergraduate research at science conferences where I was
able to meet many people in the field.
Altogether
Niagara University, has been an excellent experience and if I had the
choice to make over again, I would still choose Niagara. I highly
recommend Niagara University, and more specifically the chemistry
department.
Feel free to e-mail me with any questions you might have amyt101@hotmail.com
I decided to write
a letter as an alumnus telling whomever wants to know what I think
about the NU Chemistry Department. When I came to NU, I was a Bio
major and it turned out that it wasn't for me. That is when I started
my transition to Chemistry by switching my major to Biochem. Even
then, I found myself gravitating more towards the Chemistry side of
science. As Dr. Krause can tell you, I didn't have the greatest first
semester in Organic Chemistry. I actually thought it ironic because he
told me that maybe chemistry wasn't for me. That is when I made up my
mind to be the best Chemistry student I could be and finished out the
next semester with a B+.
I believe that I owe everything academically
to my two strongest mentors at NU my professors. They, more than anybody
else helped me through the hard times and guided me through the good
times. As a Chemistry major at NU, I believe I was afforded the best
education that I could've had.
As I sit here typing this letter in
Korea, I reflect back on what might have been the most beneficial task
I learned at college; that would be multitasking taught primarily by
Dr. Krause. In his classes he always challenged us to work on and
finish more than one experiment or lesson at a time all the while
looking up formulas to help ourselves. It was hard at first, but I can
say with some experience that it has helped me tremendously as an
Officer in the US Army.
Chemistry at NU was more than just learning
and memorizing concepts in books, it was looking at the current issues
in science and applying what we learned to it. The professors opened
up our eyes to all the possibilities that were out there. I talked
with Dr. Schreiner for countless hours discussing where I could go and
what I could do when I got out of college. Even now, I still keep in
touch and seek advice via email. I see Chemistry at NU growing
stronger and stronger every year because the program more than speaks
for itself. We were always excited to get the younger students
interested in Chemistry and seeing them at meetings and special events
was the best. Niagara Chemistry sponsered a show and tell with 3rd
graders at a local school to show them the "cool" things about
Chemistry. I think this gets their mind going and maybe someday they
will be a Chemist somewhere hopefully having attended Niagara
University.
I truly
believe that education can happen anywhere with whatever means you
have, and although we may not have had the latest equipment, we did
have the best professors that experience had to offer. The two
individuals I mentioned above along with the rest of the staff at NU is
why students excel at life after NU. I don't know if this letter helps
anyone’s cause, but maybe just to let people know what one alumnus
thinks about his experiences at Niagara University - The Chemistry
program is the strong faculty and staff, and that is all there
is to it. Thanks NU for everything, I will never forget what you've
done for me.
