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MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (Sept 23, 2019) — Dr. Kristen Mudrack, assistant professor of chemistry, has established a sustainable research initiative at Milligan College where chemistry and biology students can develop, synthesize and test antibiotics used against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections that affect Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients.
Mudrack will discuss her approach to mentored research at the college’s upcoming Faculty Lecture Series on Monday, Sept. 30, at 6 p.m. in the lecture hall in Derthick Hall. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Her presentation, “From the Classroom to the Bench to Beyond,” will focus on her efforts to connect student research to actual issues with unidentified solutions. Specifically, Mudrack has integrated Milligan with an intercollegiate database of research on improving antibiotics for CF patients.
Milligan’s mission focuses on preparing students to address real problems. With committed faculty and small class sizes, Milligan students have the opportunity to engage in meaningful, innovative research even as undergraduate students. Through Mudrack’s efforts, students can commit a year or more to research that will aid researchers across the United States.
“When I was an undergraduate student, I had the opportunity to do research, and it opened a whole new world of science to me,” said Mudrack. “Rather than reading a textbook in class or testing lab projects that hundreds of people had already tested, I was doing something new, and the outcomes were unknown.”
Mudrack wanted to provide a similar experience for her students, and she wanted their research to change lives.
“Our students’ research not only applies the things they are learning in the classroom to a real world problem, but what they discover affects a population of people who suffer from CF,” shared Mudrack. “This research has a practical application for our students who are interested in medicine and biochemical research. The opportunity to be involved in innovative research isn’t offered everywhere, and I’m grateful to be able to work alongside students as they make a difference and work toward their career goals.”
Mudrack earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and biology from Gordon College and a doctorate in biochemistry and molecular biology from Michigan State University. Prior to coming to Milligan, she was a visiting professor at Goshen College.
To learn more about Milligan, visit www.milligan.edu.