Successful Alumni
In recent years nearly 50 percent of all Coe chemistry graduates enter graduate schools in chemistry or related fields, and 20 percent enter professional schools in the health services (medicine, optometry, pharmacy and physical therapy).
Other students have gone on to graduate schools in such diverse areas as psychology, genetics, mathematics, pharmacology and cell biology. Still others have gone directly into professional careers in industry, government laboratories and regulatory agencies.
Sam Fitzgerald ’18 graduated with majors in biochemistry and chemistry, as well as a minor in Spanish. She is pursuing a medical degree at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.
“I was extremely fortunate to have Maria Dean as an advisor. She helped me build a schedule that allowed me to study for the MCAT during my junior year because I did not want to take a gap year between my undergraduate and professional degrees. Throughout my time at Coe, we performed research together at the University of Iowa and volunteered at on-campus events, like Open Minds, Open Doors and Science Olympiad, that furthered the mission of women in STEM fields. She became so invested in my journey as a student and a young adult. She was one of the first people I notified of my medical school acceptance (outside of my family).”
Ossama Abu-Halawa ’17, a chemistry major with a biochemistry concentration and minor in religion, was a Rhodes Scholarship finalist. He completed a Master of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge and now is pursuing a medical degree at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. He was awarded a National Institutes of Health Medical Scientist Training Program grant, which covers his tuition and a yearly stipend.
“The primary asset of the Chemistry Department is the professors. They bend over backward to help their students accomplish their goals. I have spent many hours talking to professors about my various conflicts regarding summer internships, medical and graduate school applications, and personal and career goals. I can say with confidence that without their guidance and support I would not have accomplished the goals I set out for myself. They are an indispensable resource.”