Handout #3
My name is ______________________, and I am a senior in the Chemistry Department at the
University of Puerto Rico at Cayey. I discovered my passion for science at a young age. I found
myself mixing kitchen ingredients to observe the change in color, texture or taste of the original
materials; sadly, it didn’t always end up well. These childish experiments sparked in me an
interest in chemistry that continues to grow as the outcomes of my reactions grow. As a chemist,
I feel deeply fascinated in studies regarding matter and how it changes to produce all kinds of
things especially living things.
I live on an island, where work is preferred over studying, and money has more value
than knowledge. Being a young Puerto Rican woman in science and the first person in my
family to obtain a bachelor’s degree, me applying for graduate studies represents not only a great
personal and academic achievement, but also a small cultural breakthrough. My minority
experience in science as a woman has shown me the relevance of education and perseverance as
an important factor for success in life. During my academic years as an undergraduate, I have
discovered research as one of my greatest passions.
During the academic years, since August 2011, I have been working as a research assistant
at the University of Puerto Rico in Cayey (UPR-Cayey) on “Agave Americana (Maguey)
homemade therapeutic treatment: Characterization of chemical compounds” with Dr. John
Smith. Puerto Ricans have been using this plant root infusion as a therapy for Diabetes type II for
generations, even though there is no scientific explanation for its therapeutic effects. The main
purpose of our project was to characterize potential chemical components of Agave Americana’s
root that could work as therapeutic agents against diabetes type II. We discovered a
phytochemical that can potentially act as plasminogen activator inhibitors in the human body,
and thus can be used to treat cancer rather than diabetes type II. My experience with organic
chemistry research taught me a lot about extracting and characterizing chemical components.
This working experience enhanced my interest in organic chemistry topics relating chemistry and
biological mechanisms. This semester we are working on our first paper, and I will be presenting
it in the next American Chemical Society Conference to be held on March 2014.
In summer of 2012, I had the first opportunity to perform undergraduate research outside
my campus in a 10-week program at Pennsylvania State University. I worked under the
mentorship of Dr. Moses Chan on the synthesis of superconducting-ferromagnetic nanowires.
Many types of nanowires have been synthesized, with different techniques, to study basic
science in low-dimensional systems and to use them in nano-electronic devices. One unexpected
phenomenon, observed in experiments on electrodeposited ferromagnetic Co and Ni nanowires
contacted with superconducting electrodes, is the long-range superconducting proximity effect
(LRPE). The LRPE is surprising since ferromagnetism typically precludes superconducting
order. My goal on this project was to synthesize and characterize segmented superconducting/
ferromagnetic (S/F) nanowires to see if LRPE persists in this new geometry. Throughout the
summer, I explored several tin and cobalt solutions that could allow the construction of the
nanowires. I carried out consecutive electrodepositions and successfully produced segmented
nanowires with a Sn/Co/Sn arrangement. We obtained monocrystalline structures of both metals
in the nanowire arrangement; we characterized the structure using electron diffraction patterns
and transmission electron microscopy. During my stay at Penn State University, I was able to
work on an interdisciplinary research project. This environment helped me realize that
understanding atomic interactions is essential for the development and modification of any
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process or phenomena. This project was presented at SACNAS national meeting on October
2012.
During the summer of 2013, I worked on the Summer Undergraduate Research
Fellowship (SURF) program at Yale University. I worked under Dr. Eric Altman for eight weeks
on the development and calibration of a new ultra high vacuum system for epitaxial oxide
growth on silicon surface. The research group goal was to create nanotransistors that would be
able to maintain their on and off state when power is removed, by studying metal/ silicon and
metal oxide/ silicon monolayer depositions. By depositing various materials on silicon
semiconductors new physical characteristics may form at the interface between silicon and the
deposited materials. These characteristic changes allow for the possibility of fundamentally
changing the function of nanotransistors. Special ferroelectric properties of deposited oxide
layers may make way for the development of nanoelectronic devices in the near future. For
these purposes a new ultra high vacuum system was designed and my goal on the project was to
optimize the conditions for metal and metal oxides evaporation on silicon surface, using
zirconium and cobalt. I worked with Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) and Low Energy
Electron Diffraction (LEED) to characterize the sample’s surface prior and after metal
evaporation. At the end of the summer we were able to optimize the silicon surface cleaning
conditions and deposition of cobalt on silicon surface.
Through these summer research experiences, I overcome language barriers that could
have limited my higher education aspirations. Working with scientists from different countries
helped me to improve my English communications skills as well as my ability to work in groups
and to develop research methods. Moreover, while working during semesters as the organic
chemistry tutor at the University of Puerto Rico Cayey, I learned how to work with many types
of people. These multiple experiences allowed me to develop and enhance my interpersonal
skills, problem solving skills, and teaching skills.
In the course of my experience as a young researcher and student, I was able to discover
that Chemistry is a powerful tool to understand the world through atoms and energy from the
micro-scale to the macro-scale. The research I am interested in is driven by the fact that all
women in my family have suffered from fibromyalgia, which today is recognized as a disease,
but whose chemical cause is not fully understood. For this reason, I have decided to pursue
graduate research in chemistry and its potential applications on biological mechanisms to explain
diseases and develop novel treatment methods.
I want to pursue a PhD in chemistry at an institution that will allow me to perform
interdisciplinary research seeking to develop new ways to understand new and challenging
diseases. My long-term goal is to pursue a career as a principal investigator, based on the
discovery of chemical mechanisms that can explain diseases such as Fibromyalgia or
neurological disorders like Alzheimer disease and other health disorders. The fact that some of
the most interesting interdisciplinary research is being conducted at Stanford University’s
Chemistry Department influenced my decision to apply for this program. The department fulfills
my concern for educational quality, and it will provide me with the tools to achieve my goals and
future directions as an academian and investigator. Moreover, I am especially interested in the
research conducted by Chaitan Khosla on transaminase 2 and its relation to celiac disease.
Working with Dr. Khosla and his research group would be a unique opportunity to gain
significant insight on understanding protein biomarkers and their pathways to induce diseases; it
will be an important step to achieve my future goal. I am also interested in the work of Dr. Paul
A. Wender on the discovery of new drugs and molecular transporters of drugs. I would
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especially like to be involved in his research on resinferatoxin and its relation to neuropathic
pain. In addition, I am interested in Dr. Hongjie Dai’s work on Plasmonic gold films for
sensitive human antibody profiling. The possibility of working in any of these research projects
is very exciting for me. As a young Puerto Rican woman in scientist who is a first generation
undergraduate, my strong commitment to research and the understanding of challenging diseases
have led me down a road I would have never envision in August of 2009 when I first entered the
gates of UPR-Cayey. Now that I am leaving it, I am confident that if I become a part of the
graduate student body at Stanford University, I will contribute to your cultural and linguistic
diversity as well as maintain the high standards of your institution.
(copyright)
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