Future scientists who will make groundbreaking discoveries in the life sciences are already honing their skills at Merrimack College.
This is thanks in part to a $750,000 grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) that the Merrimack community celebrated at an event on Thursday, Oct. 24, in Palmisano Hall.
Guests, including MLSC leadership, external partners and government officials, had the opportunity to view state-of-the-art instrumentation purchased through the grant that will give undergraduate students valuable research experience and prepare them for co-ops, internships and ultimately careers in the life sciences.
“We are here to make a difference in human beings’ lives,” said Merrimack College President Christopher E. Hopey, Ph.D. “We are going to do something special here. (This grant) is a great accomplishment but there is no way we could do this by ourselves and I want to thank Mass Life Sciences for its support, its kindness and its leadership.”
The grant will also help to accelerate Merrimack College’s pursuit of R2 classification and its commitment to enhancing faculty research and making a more significant impact in society.
Among the instrumentation purchased using the grant money includes a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) instrument, which is used to identify the molecular structure of a compound, and a high-pressure liquid chromatography instrument, which separates and identifies the compounds that make up a sample.
“This teaching instrumentation will allow us to increase the pipeline of students entering life science careers through industry-based curricula and infuse new talent into the workforce at labs and industries both here in the Merrimack Valley and beyond,” said April Bowling, vice president for research.
The event’s speakers included Havilland Clark ’23, M’24, an applied chemistry graduate student whose research focuses on creating methods to detect pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the Merrimack River, tying environmental protection with a better understanding of how human activity impacts the local ecosystem.
“What makes my time at Merrimack even more special is the access I’ve had to top-of-the-line instruments and technology,” Clark said. The School’s recent addition of advanced research tools has significantly enhanced my ability to conduct my work, making me more marketable as I prepare to enter the workforce this winter.”
Merrimack’s event coincided with Massachusetts STEM Week 2024, an annual statewide event that seeks to boost students’ interest, awareness and ability to see themselves in STEM opportunities. MLSC is an economic development investment agency dedicated to supporting the growth and development of the life sciences in Massachusetts.
“I know when I am in a place that cares,” said Kirk Taylor, president and CEO of MLSC. “And that feeling is definitely here at Merrimack College.”
