Dozens of Mount scholars filled Aquinas Hall on Wednesday, May 1 and showcased a semester’s worth of hard work and research at the Honors Research Symposium/iROC Student Poster Session. One of those students was Biology major Mackenzie Zupko of Montgomery, N.Y., shown her discussing one of her latest research projects.
After she graduates from Mount Saint Mary College on Saturday, May 18, Biology major Mackenzie Zupko of Montgomery, N.Y. will embark on her next academic journey at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, working on a Master’s degree in Clinical Laboratory Science.
“I’ve always wanted to work in the medical field, and do research in the lab,” said Zupko. “Becoming a Clinical Laboratory Scientist will allow me to do both. I’m hoping to work in a transplant lab, where I would ensure organs that are being transplanted into patients will be compatible. The Mount helped me find my interest in lab work, especially during my SURE programs and classroom experiences.”
SURE is the acronym for the college’s popular Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, which pairs students with faculty mentors for original research projects. For example, Zupko, fellow student Alina Mendelowski of Walden, N.Y., and Associate Biology Professor James Moran jointly worked on original research titled “Evaluating the Immune and Inflammatory Responses in Mice Following Exposure to the Artificial Oxygen Carrier Oxyvita.”
Oxyvita is a blood substitute that, when perfected, can be manufactured as a liquid and is also the first working blood substitute in powder form in the world. Thanks to Moran’s ongoing collaboration with OXYVITA, Inc. investigating the immune safety of the synthetic blood substitute, many Mount Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) projects have focused on testing Oxyvita over the course of more than a decade.
Zupko credited Moran with much of her academic success. He served as Zupko’s mentor, professor, and advisor throughout her time at the Mount, and their connection goes back even further than that, she added.
“I have worked with him since 2018 when I was in high school doing my Science Research Program,” Zukpo noted. “Since then we have done three SURE summers, a few semesters of independent study, and many conferences together. I am incredibly thankful for his guidance and mentorship in all aspects of my academic career.”
Earlier this year, Zupko received the Frank G. Brooks Award for Excellence in Student Research at the Beta Beta Beta (Tri-Beta) NE-1 District Convention at Hofstra University for her, Mendelowski’s, and Moran’s Oxyvita research. Less than a week later, Zupko and Mendelowski received a second-place award for their Oxyvita poster presentation in the category of Physiology, Behavior and Toxicology at the Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium at William Patterson University in Wayne, N.J.
Even more impressive is that Zupko kept up her studies while tending to an unexpected medical issue during her sophomore year at the Mount. She was diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, which occurs when certain nerves and blood vessels are compressed. Symptoms can include pain and numbness in the neck and shoulders, and unfortunately for Zupko, the remedy involved a major surgery.
“I was in and out of the hospital,” she explained. “All of my professors were incredibly accommodating and the Office of Disability Services helped me get back on my feet academically. I’m so grateful that the Mount has services and professors who are so understanding of students’ struggles.”
With her undergraduate work at the Mount in the rearview, Zupko has some advice for incoming Mount students: Get involved.
“Joining the American Chemical Society Student Affiliates was one of the best things I could do during my freshman year,” Zupko said. “I became close with my professors, got to plan some exciting events, and met other Natural Science students…Having each other as a support system can make all the difference.”