News
Biotechnology and Molecular Bioscience BS

From an early age, Allison Keeler always knew she wanted to be a scientist. As an adult, that dream has come true as she is an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Chan Medical School and the lead researcher in the Keeler Lab within the Horae Gene Therapy Center.

Within Brown Hall on RIT’s campus, newly renovated lab spaces house state-of-the-art equipment allowing for essential research. One such space is the genomics lab, where Elle Barnes, assistant professor in the Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences, is working to help protect one of the key members of the local ecosystem: salamanders.

The recent fires that have devastated Maui have hit home for one RIT student. Third-year biotechnology student Maximillian Balter, who is one of four RIT students from Maui, has been busy in the relief efforts. His family’s company, Maui Flight Academy, took the initiative to air deliver supplies.

Elle Holland discovered her dream job as a genetic counselor while still in high school, and she came to RIT to become a scientist as the first step toward her career goal. She is one of several 2023 graduates finding careers in health care.

Since graduating from RIT, Dr. Nicole Arroyo has earned her Ph.D. in immunology and received a prestigious Science and Technology Policy Fellowship from AAAS.

Innovation, value, co-op education, and excellence in undergraduate teaching are among the categories in which RIT is highly ranked and listed as one of the best national universities by U.S. News & World Report.

Tori Russell, a second-year biotechnology and molecular bioscience student from Warsaw, N.Y., recently added the College of Liberal Arts’ applied modern language and culture program as a second major. Russell is enrolled in the newest French option for this program.

A team at RIT has been named the winner of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Inclusion and Diversity Prize, which celebrates those who strive to improve access to the chemical sciences and progression for all.

RIT College of Science students were recognized as part of a select group in the 2022 cohort of the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) Honor Society.

The National Institutes of Health are funding RIT scientists to explore vesicular stomatitis virus’s (VSV) potential for treating prostate cancer. Associate Professor Maureen Ferran from the Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences secured a three-year, $451,718 Research Enhancement Award (R15) grant from the NIH to investigate prostate cancer cells’ susceptibility to the virus.

RIT students planted trees in Louisiana, revitalized farms and greenhouses in West Virginia, and repaired hiking trails in Georgia and Virginia as projects during this year’s Alternative Break.

With the help of strong mentors, undergraduate researchers cultivate critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. Conducting research can help students synthesize concepts they learned in their classes to create something new.