Favorite class at Tech: It’s a toss-up between Advanced Biochemistry II, Virology, and Anatomy and Physiology Lab. I thoroughly enjoyed Advanced Biochemistry II because this class goes into the details of all the metabolic processes in the body. Virology is one of my favorites as I was educated on all the different families of viruses and how different they are from one another. Anatomy and Physiology Lab was very interesting due to interaction with a cadaver and being able to identify body structures on an actual human body.
Favorite event at Tech: The Copper Game. Practically every student at Montana Tech attends this game, and there is a huge tailgate held right next to the field. The Copper Game is the pinnacle of social events at Montana Tech.
Why Montana Tech: I was born and raised in the small town of Butte, MT, so I am biased towards the “small town” feeling. Montana Tech is a relatively small university, and, because of this, I have closer relations with both my peers and my professors. The relationships I have created over my few years at Montana Tech are ones I will cherish forever.
Weirdest study/classroom ritual I have: For every test and quiz, I have used one of three pencils my entire time at Montana Tech (0.9mm lead, I write very aggressively).
Research interests: I am currently part of both the Graff and Kuenzi Lab, both of which are interested in viruses. The Graff Lab’s focus is on TRIM and RING-UIM proteins. These families of proteins are synthesized upon infection of a virus. The Kuenzi Lab is focused on Sin Nombre virus, a hantavirus that is commonly transmitted to humans through deer mice. We study Sin Nombre virus by taking live blood samples from mice and subjecting the samples to antibodies that will recognize hantavirus antigens. Outside of these two labs, my research interest is on Alzheimer’s disease and the buildup of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in this disease.