Interdisciplinary offerings helps alumna pursue future in science

April 5, 2019

Erika Danella`18 arrived at Quinnipiac intent on studying health sciences and pursuing medical school in the future. Then, a single biology course opened up a new world of possibilities she had never considered, including Quinnipiac’s pre-dental concentration.

“So many opportunities were offered to me, and I was able to do a great amount of career exploration,” said Danella, whose goal is to work as both a dentist and researcher.

Adding dual minors in anthropology and chemistry gave Danella the chance to apply her research skills abroad. In addition to trips to the United Arab Emirates, Italy and London, Danella spent six weeks on an archaeological dig site in Hungary as part of the Bronze Age Körös Off-Tell Archaeology (BAKOTA) project.

The research Danella compiled there will be presented at a national archaeology conference in 2019 and published in a peer-reviewed journal.

“Erika is a true global scholar,” said Julie Giblin, associate professor of anthropology.

Danella’s background and field experience gave her the confidence she needed to apply to dental school. She received full scholarships to some of the most competitive joint DDS/PhD programs in the country, and has chosen to attend the prestigious University of Michigan School of Dentistry.

“I want to be a clinician scientist in academic medicine,” Danella explained. “My goal is to have my own research lab and teach as a professor.”

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