Outstanding Senior Awards: Ika Lin
Each semester, the College of Science recognizes outstanding graduating seniors from each of its departments. Today's award recipient is Ika Lin from the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry.
College of Science: Why did you choose your area of study?
Ika: I changed my major a lot. I applied to UA as a Pre-Nursing major wanting to help others and liking science, as all pre-health majors do. I eventually settled on Biochemistry after taking general chemistry with Dr. Tori Hidalgo my freshman year. Coming into college, I worried that transitioning back to in-person classes would be difficult since my senior year of high school was completely asynchronous. While the content was challenging at times, Dr. Hidalgo and her learning team were incredibly supportive. I fell back in love with learning and found that the conceptual and mathematical inquiries in chemistry made intuitive sense. After talking with Dr. Hidalgo about the merits of a chemistry degree, I promptly switched my major.
COS: Tell us about a class or research project you really enjoyed.
Ika: My work in Dr. John Jewett’s lab focuses on synthesizing fluorogenic triazabutadiene probes. Our goal is to develop a logic-gated small-molecule probe that reports on multiple biochemical conditions in real time, expanding the utility and applications of current methods in fluorescent detection. The mentorship I have received from the Jewett Lab and MARC program have been invaluable, and I am so grateful for their guidance and belief in my potential.
COS: What is one specific memory from your time at UA that you'll cherish forever?
Ika: Playing intramural volleyball with The Oasis. Even though we lost every game, I had so much fun. I am very grateful for how close my CBC cohort has become. They made struggling through instrumental analysis problem sets much more bearable.
COS: What are you most proud of having accomplished in your time at UA?
Ika: I am most proud of “finding” myself during my time at UA. A large part of that has been learning to follow my intuition and trusting that things will work out. Having incredible friends and mentors absolutely helps too.
COS: What is next for you after graduation?
Ika: I will be pursuing a Master of Science in Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. My experience working as an EMT on campus and internship there last summer helped me realize that quality healthcare begins long before a patient calls 9-1-1. While I am still drawn to the interpersonal nature of medicine, I aspire to create systemic change.