From Shaky Ground to Graduate School: A Mentor Made the Difference

By Chelsea Mandell ’12

I excelled in math and science in high school, but had little idea of what to major in at college. Then I visited Geisinger Medical Center with my grandfather for his oncology appointment and overheard laboratory scientists and technicians in their white lab coats talking in line behind me. I wanted to be the one in the lab coat talking about the day’s results. I told my grandfather that I was going to major in chemistry.

I entered Lafayette intending to major in biochemistry and become a medical laboratory scientist. These thoughts soon began to waver. Having perfectionist tendencies, I expected ideal results. After two semesters of not getting ideal results (despite receiving A’s), I felt anxious in lab, blaming myself for anything that went wrong. I began to doubt my choice of majors.

Another first-year student and I attended the weekly chemistry department get-together. Intimidated by the professors and older students, the only thing I said when offered chocolate-chip cookies was, “No thank you, I don’t like chocolate.” Later, I received an email from a professor apologizing for not having chocolate-free snacks and asking if I would be interested in summer inorganic research. I was shocked and honored, sending a “Yes, thank you,” but then I remembered my lab experience so far. No one wants a crying scientist in the lab. I decided to go ahead — this would determine if I could truly be a laboratory scientist!

It was one of the best decisions of my life. Working with Dr. Chip Nataro in inorganic chemistry has taught me valuable lessons: public speaking isn’t that bad, experiments rarely go as planned, setbacks can be dealt with. Most important, I’ve learned I absolutely love working in the lab.

One of our fi rst conversations was about my fear of public speaking. Dr. Nataro said, “I’ll make sure you get over that.” After a few presentations for the chemistry department and outside speakers, I was ready to take on the American Chemical Society conference in San Francisco, where I presented a poster that has been published in Inorganic Chemistry with me as first author. I also co-presented on the benefits of undergraduate research. Since then, another manuscript I co-authored has been accepted by the Journal of Organometallic Chemistry.

I have continued to work in the Nataro lab, including my senior thesis project. The only break was last summer when I interned at one of Geisinger’s medical research laboratories. Growing cell cultures, harvesting mouse organs, and conducting RNA isolations were enjoyable, but I missed transition metal chemistry. So I’ve decided to focus my graduate school studies on inorganic chemistry.

After receiving a Ph.D., I am considering a few options — working in the pharmaceutical industry to help create medications for cancers that took the life of my grandfather and so many others; or working within a hospital laboratory, which first inspired me to major in biochemistry; or a life in academia to become an influential mentor as Dr. Nataro is to me.