Designed to Excel

August 24, 2009

After earning a Bachelor’s degree at Syracuse University, Angelene Elliot moved to New York and went to work in fashion design. After two years, she realized a career change was in order.

“What I really wanted to do was study medicine,” she says. So she enrolled in BMCC and spent two years making up the science courses she would need to apply to medical school.

Along the way, she was selected by BMCC’s Honors Committee to present an original research paper at the 2009 Beacon Conference this past June. Her paper, entitled “The Organic Chemistry and Synthetic Analogues of Curcumin,” was singled out as the outstanding entry in the conference’s Mathematics and Science category.

Showcasing excellence
Held this year at Maryland’s Montgomery College, the Beacon Conference was established in 1993 to recognize and showcase the achievements of outstanding two-year college students in academic research and writing. It is open to colleges in the mid-Atlantic region.

Elliott’s paper focused on the medically beneficial properties of Curcumin, a chemical found in turmeric, a common spice. She originally wrote it to fulfill a requirement in honors organic chemistry; Prof. Brahmadeo Dewprashad served as her mentor.

“When the Honors Committee informed me that they wanted to submit my paper to the Beacon Conference, I said, ‘sure, why not?’ not expecting anything,” she recalls. “The competition is very tough and I really didn’t think I had much of a chance.”

In her paper, Elliott described the organic chemistry of Curcumin, which has been shown to be effective as an anti-carcinogenic, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. She also conducted a thorough research of relevant scholarly articles and papers and examined current efforts to develop synthetic analogues of the chemical.

A chance to make a difference
Elliott plans to apply to medical school later this year with a view to beginning her studies in the fall of 2010. “Back when I was working in fashion design, I didn’t feel I was making a significant contribution to the world,” she says. “So I reassessed my situation and goals and came to the decision that through medicine I could really make a difference.”

As Dewprashad sees it, the Beacon Conference has gone a long way toward raising the profile of community colleges and the students who attend them.

“Many people wrongly assume that community college students are not academically well-prepared,” he says.  “What the conference shows is that the students are not only well-prepared, but, as in Angelene Elliott’s case, have the potential to go on to do really big things.”

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