Students and Alumni

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.