Survey of recent graduates from the Natural Sciences Division
Why study Biochemistry at MC?
The curriculum in biochemistry affords the student sound training in the principles and techniques of modern biochemical theory and experimentation. The program integrates laboratory, theoretical, and research skills to provide the range of abilities needed by the practicing biochemist. Opportunity for research through the Oak Ridge Associated Universities and National Laboratories such as Argonne, Brookhaven, Jefferson, Los Alamos, and Oak Ridge complement the curriculum.
The Major in Biochemistry provides a comprehensive curriculum for students planning careers in which biochemical knowledge plays a central role. With careful elective choice students may pursue careers as professional biochemists and enter graduate school programs that lead to a variety of research-oriented careers, or they may enter medical school or other health-related programs.
Maryville College Works is our comprehensive career preparation program that is integrated into the College’s four-year liberal arts curriculum. Key components include assessment, advising, networking and professional experiences.
External Relationships
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy
University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine
Meet a current student
Megan Houston ’20
Hometown: Maryville, Tenn.
Megan chose MC’s biochemistry major because she knew it would prepare her for medical school. With aspirations of becoming a cardiologist, she has taken advantage of the College’s location to Blount Memorial Hospital and pursued work as a certified nursing assistant so that she can add practical experience to what she is learning and seeing in classroom lectures and lab assignments. “I heard MC’s science program has a good acceptance rate into medical school,” she said. “I’m interested in cardiology because I’ve seen a lot of different heart conditions at BMH, and I like learning how to read EKGs and different tests for the heart.”
Outcomes of Recent Grads
Featured Graduates
Lindsey O’Neal Yoder ’13
Currently: Senior Research Fellow at the University of Washington in Seattle
Lindsey earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology at the University of Tennessee in 2019. Now at the University of Washington, she is researching surface sensing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen that infects the lungs of cystic s patients and wounds of burn victims. Ultimately, she hopes her work will lead to more methods of preventing bacterial infections. “Maryville really laid the foundation I needed to be a great scientist,” she said. “I wasn’t just taught how to solve chemistry problems or how the organelles of a cell work. In every single science course I took, professors forced me to think past the lab protocol and to ask hard questions and then try and find the answers to those questions. These lessons influence every single part of my work day now – from designing an experiment to writing grants to talking to elementary school kids about my science.”
Jonathan Augustin ’11
Currently: Fifth Year Ph.D. Candidate at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
After MC, Jonathan worked as a research technician at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he studied hematopoiesis and cellular reprograming. Accepted to Johns Hopkins’s Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program in 2014, he is now a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow studying how long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) direct development of the brain’s neocortex. “I became interested in pursuing research as a career after completing my senior research project studying bacterial luciferase with Dr. [Angelia] Gibson,” he said. “The personalized mentorship I received at Maryville College really helped to give me the confidence and skills I needed to achieve my career goals.”
Dr. Brandon Todd '10
Currently: Primary Care Physician at Christ Community Health Services in Memphis, TN
After graduating from MC, Brandon earned his M.D. from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine. While there, he married Jessica Burse (MC Class of 2009). Jessica earned a D.D.S. from UT. Brandon completed internal medicine residency at the University of Virginia. Brandon and Jessica work together at Christ Community Health Services and they have a son, John.
“I frequently use my well-balanced, liberal arts education to coordinate care of my medically-complex patients. My exposure to other cultures, including a J-term in China, helped prepare me to care for a diverse patient population. Overall, MC was vital in preparing me to be a follower of Jesus, husband, father, physician, traveler, ultimate frisbee player, and lifelong learner.”
Dr. Matthew Mart '09
Currently: In final year of residency training in internal medicine at the University of Kentucky
In July, Matthew will be moving on to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to continue his training in a subspecialty fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine. He graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine with an M.D. in 2014.
“My daily work in medicine requires me to integrate the science of human disease with an empathic appreciation of both the strength and frailty of the human condition. My experience at Maryville College, with its blend of superb training in the natural sciences and focus on providing a broad liberal arts education, laid the foundation for me to succeed in my chosen career. I could not have asked for a better preparation in college to pursue a career where I have the privilege to serve the suffering."
Medical/Graduate School Placements
Duke University School of Medicine
East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy
Johns Hopkins University
Ohio State University College of Medicine
University of Houston College of Optometry
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
University of Tennessee: Colleges of Dentistry, Medicine and Pharmacy
