Thamar Etienne

Senior Thamar Etienne says she KNOWS she’s in love with biology but has had kind of a love/hate relationship with chemistry.

So when picking a major, Etienne found her perfect match in Towson University’s MB3 (molecular biology, biochemistry and bioinformatics) program, which allows her to combine her passions.

Don’t worry, she and chemistry are getting along well these days.

The Haiti native also knows that living happily ever after—in her case, that means attending medical school—requires preparation through hands-on scientific research, which is also mandatory in the MB3 major. Currently, under the mentorship of Associate Professor Barry Margulies, Etienne is helping to develop a new drug release device for herpes patients.

She says that working in the lab is “the glue that ties together” the concepts that she learns in the classroom. Drawing from different areas to do research, she explains, reveals how those areas are linked.

Etienne’s research contributions were recognized at the 2014 Women of Color STEM Conference in Detroit, where she received a student research award.

When she’s not in class, the lab or jetting off to a virology conference, Etienne is an active member of Beta Beta Beta, the biological sciences honor society, and community service chair of the MB3 Club, for which she organizes charity fundraisers.

“ Working in the lab is ‘the glue that ties together’ the concepts that I learned in the classroom. ”