KSU SAACS

This month interview was conducted by Busola with one of our staunchest members Clay Owens.

1). Did you always want to be in the science field?..Did you try other fields and decided that they didn’t work for you..they didn’t challenge you enough?

-I decided I wanted to be in the sciences during high school. My high school biology teacher loved what he did and enjoyed sharing what he knew. His knowledge and personality really made a lasting impression on me.

2). What eventually made you become a chemistry/biochem major?

-I entered KSU as a nursing major, in hopes to become a nurse anesthetist. I then decided to become a biology major and pursue medical school. I did well in my general chemistry sequence, but my introductory biology course was not very appealing. When I started Organic chemistry, my biology friends told me it was the hardest class I would ever take at KSU and I was worried about how I would do. I found that the concepts were very straightforward and I did well. It didn’t seem like “just another class”, it held my interest and I enjoyed it. It was then, after much opposition from my biology peers, that I changed my major to biochemistry.

3). What are the plans for the future?..graduate school?, professional school?

-My plans have recently changed course. After many hours of debating with my friends, family, and myself, I have decided to pursue graduate school and get my Ph.D. in organic chemistry. I decided that medical school is not right for me. After graduate school I plan to work for some time in the chemical industry and then become a teacher.

4). Which teacher( could be science or non-science) has motivated/inspired you the most?

-I can’t say that any one professor at KSU has inspired me the most, but two that stick out are Dr. Daniela Ţapu and Dr. Kevin Gwaltney. When I took Organic I with Dr. Gwaltney he made it as simple as he could while expecting a lot from his students at the same time. After a few months in his class I met with him for what I thought would be a brief advising session (since I could never get in touch with my assigned biology advisor). He suggested the biochemistry track and proceeded to plan out my future (the next 2 years) at Kennesaw as a biochemistry major. The meeting lasted almost two hours and he did not hesitate to answer any and all of my questions. This meant a lot to me personally because I was torn between the typical biology pre-med and my new found interest in chemistry.
I took Organic II with Dr. Ţapu. She moved very fast for most of us, but expected a lot from each student. I very much enjoyed this type of classroom environment. She held (and continues to hold) help sessions for her students that wanted extra practice and needed extra help. To maintain my interest in organic chemistry, I joined Dr. Ţapu for undergraduate research in Fall 2006. Doing undergraduate research has been the best learning experience I have had at KSU. Dr. Ţapu has been extremely generous with her time helping me understand chemistry concepts and gain practical laboratory experience. She has also provided opportunities for doing research here and abroad, and helped me with the entire application process. Her hard work and genuine concern have inspired me to strive to work hard and do my best. It is because of her I was able to do research at KSU and at the University of Alabama. She also helped me realize even more that chemistry is fun! Overall, the atmosphere of the chemistry department and its faculty has made my experience here at KSU a great one.

5). You’ve probably had a semester that knida sucked…you know …your classes were just hard and blah…How did you survive such an intense semester?

-Yes, there have been some intense semesters. One especially tough semester was Spring 2006 when I took Organic II, Quant, and Biology II with labs in the same semester while tutoring, TA’ing, and working. During semesters like these, I really focused on my overall goal of making the best grades and learning as much as I could in order to have a GPA that would look good for medical school. The thing that helped the most was not wasting time thinking about how much work I had to do but just doing it.

6).Any advice for the freshmen?

-Ok, freshmen. You can take all the advice you want from your family and friends, but don’t let anyone decide your major or career path for you! I had friends who were trying to talk me out of the biochemistry major, but I chose it anyways and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Find something that you like and stick with it, no matter what anybody else says! Remember also that you generally have one chance to get something completely right

7). Any words that you live by?

-I Timothy 6:11-12 has been my guide since high school. A quote from a rather famous scientist has stood out during my college career; “Try not to become a man of success, but rather a man of value. - Albert Einstein
Things always work for the best, even if you can’t see it immediately.

Thanks Busola,
Clay Owens