GCC Alumna Accepted into Prestigious Ph.D. Program

2011 Graduate Credits Experiences at Genesee

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Leah Reino during her time at GCC

BATAVIA, NY (04/01/2014)(readMedia)-- "Without GCC and their incredible faculty, I wouldn't be where I am today." Leah Reino (pronounced REE-no) is celebrating the next step in her dream of becoming a medical researcher. A Biotechnology graduate of GCC, she has been accepted into the University of Rochester Medical Center's Ph.D. program in Cellular Pharmacology and Physiology. She plans to begin her studies there this fall.

Leah came to GCC in fall 2007 at age 15. The Farmersville, NY native had been homeschooled through middle school. She completed her high school requirements through GCC in spring 2008, earning her associate's degree in 2011. During her time at the College she became involved in numerous activities. "The opportunities for students were endless," she recalls. "I loved all the organizations and volunteering that were available." She also participated in two study abroad trips, to Australia/New Zealand and Costa Rica.

"I miss GCC quite a lot," Leah writes. "I remember the warm, welcoming environment, and the committed professors. They loved their jobs, and it had just shone through in everything they did." While a student of history professor Michael Weston, who teaches at the Arcade Campus Center, Leah was a finalist in an essay contest for a piece she wrote about him. "His classes helped me adapt to college life and becoming an adult." During her time at GCC she won another essay contest and twice earned honors in the student poetry contest. She conducted research with biology professor Maureen Leupold and took advantage of many opportunities available at the College. "Phi Theta Kappa [honor society] instilled in me a sense of self-confidence and the belief that I could make something of myself. I met some of my closest friends in [Math] Club." Math Club also introduced her to the programs offered at the University of Rochester.

This spring she anticipates earning her Bachelor's Degree in Molecular Genetics from U of R. She has gained experience as a researcher through a lab on campus that studies the use of bacteria in alternative energy/ethanol production. "I was accepted into a summer internship there last summer, and asked to stay there after the internship time was up. I absolutely love spending time applying my biology classes in the laboratory." She volunteers in the lab 15 hours a week. "It's been a challenge to balance my research and classwork. I usually do homework while experiments are running, and spend a lot of late nights in the library!" But the work has affirmed her desire to be a researcher.

She's excited to have been accepted into a school known for its research programs. She received word after an intensive interview process. "My membership in Phi Theta Kappa and my research experience with Professor Leupold were, I believe, key factors in my acceptance." Professor Leupold is immensely proud of her former student. "Leah is the student every professor dreams about. She has endless curiosity combined with an analytical brain and a strong work ethic – a combination that will take her wherever she wants to go."

The Ph.D. program begins with classes and lab rotation. Leah will eventually choose a sub-specialty and a lab with which she'll pursue her Ph.D. "I'm interested in the use of adult stem cells in regenerative therapies, and the Med Center does a lot of research in that field," she said. "I hope to become a professor at a university and pursue research in neurological diseases after I complete my Ph.D., or work at a research hospital such as Strong, Roswell, or St. Jude's."

As she moves forward in her education, Leah looks back fondly. "GCC is where I started, and I'll always regard it as my home." To students just starting out she advises "Take advantage of every opportunity that you can. Join clubs, take field trips, talk to professors. Take classes that are outside of your major." She's pursuing a minor in astronomy because of a Physics course she took at GCC. "GCC has a myriad of possibilities for every student-explore them!"

For more information, contact Marketing Communications Associate Director Donna Rae Sutherland at (585) 343-0055 ext. 6616, or via email: dsutherland@genesee.edu.

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Editor's Note:

Photographs of Leah Reino during her time at GCC are available here:

http://marketing.genesee.edu/images/LeahReinoinNewZealand.jpg

Caption: Leah Reino (center) with then President Stuart Steiner (left) and History Professor Michael Weston (right) http://marketing.genesee.edu/images/steiner_reino_weston.jpg

http://marketing.genesee.edu/images/Leah_Reino_Court.jpg

This link takes you to Leah's blog posts about her trip to Australia and New Zealand:

http://gccblogs.wordpress.com/category/australia/