Although she finished her undergraduate work at Millikin
less than five years ago, Emilie Porter 98 of Mt. Vernon, Ill., has already
made a name for herself in the field of biotechnology. The University of
Wisconsin Madison graduate student was honored in 2000 with a nationally
recognized award for her work in the discovery of a molecule that can be
developed into an antibiotic.
She won $20,000 in the Collegiate Inventors
Competition for the discovery of a synthetic peptide that can be used to fight
antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Although it may be years before it is developed
into a drug, her discovery, which was announced in Business Week magazine (as
well as several other news and scientific publications), is an important step in
the right direction. It also bodes well for a promising career.
She says, I am interested in working in the
biotechnology industry in the area of pharmaceutical discovery, so having the
experience of making a pharmaceutical discovery in graduate school--and winning
an award for it-- should help me when I am looking for jobs. Also, we have
applied for a patent on this molecule, so it was a good learning experience for
me to go through some of the patent process.
Porter credits the chemistry department at MU
with helping her decide on a career direction early on. She says, The
chemistry faculty helped me figure out what my interests were and pointed me in
the right direction. They were very helpful to me by encouraging me to get
involved in undergraduate research and by being wonderful classroom teachers.
She offers this advice to anyone
considering a degree in science Get involved in research very early on.
Coursework is important for understanding the basics, but research is where you
get the experience of actually doing science. Starting undergraduate
research early really helped me to find my calling.
To read the full-length profile of Emilie Porter '98, check
out the summer issue of Millikin Quarterly Magazine.
