Alumni Profiles

Yusha Imtiaz, Class of 2020

Portrait of Yusha Imtiaz

Graduate studies in Chemistry (Ph.D.), Emory University
B.S. in Biochemistry, SUNY Plattsburgh
President, SUNY Plattsburgh ACS Student Chapter

Yusha is originally from Bangladesh and started his undergraduate studies in 2016 at SUNY Plattsburgh. He graduated magna cum laude in Spring 2020 with a major in biochemistry. During his time at SUNY Plattsburgh, Yusha was a recipient of the prestigious SUNY Chancellor Award for Student Excellence and an American Institute of Chemists Award (both in 2020) and was the recipient of several scholarships including the Charles A. Blood Scholarship, the Paul and Alice Krueger Scholarship and the Redcay Honors Scholarship. Yusha is co-author of a peer-reviewed publication in Nanomaterials.

“When I first started at SUNY Plattsburgh, I knew I had in interest in science, but I did not know how to take myself into the next step. It was after taking organic chemistry with Dr. Rajesh Sunasee that I began to realize where my road to success could begin. Although I had initially completed three semesters of research in the biology department and enjoyed my time there, it was during my subsequent junior and senior years that I felt myself grow as not only a chemist, but also an independent researcher. With the help of my professors, such as my mentors Dr. Sunasee and Dr. Ckless, I was able to attend many conferences, gain acceptance into several chemistry Ph.D. programs and eventually even get a publication. If someone like me with no initial experience or knowledge in chemistry could do this in the end of their undergraduate career, I cannot imagine how successful others will be if they apply themselves in the department from their freshmen year like I wish I had.”

Kerri Corcoran, Class of 2020

Portrait of Kerri Corcoran

Process Engineer I for NextCure, Beltsville, MD
B.S. in Biochemistry, SUNY Plattsburgh

Kerri graduated magna cum laude in Spring 2020 with a major in biochemistry. While at SUNY Plattsburgh, Kerri was a recipient of the prestigious SUNY Chancellor Award for Student Excellence as well as an Excellence in Biology Education Award. She also was on the State Universities of New York (SUNYAC) Academic Honor Role and was a Krampade AHCA All-American Scholar. Kerri's undergraduate research focused on Daphnia glyphosphate proteomic investigation.

“The SUNY Plattsburgh biochemistry program has set me up for success by challenging me academically and professionally. The professors actively engage students in order to develop critical skills and knowledge that can be applied to a diverse range of scientific career paths. In retrospect, I can’t express how grateful I am to have grown as a young scientist under the guidance of these professors.”

Beza Tuga, Class of 2019

Portrait of Beza Tuga

Graduate studies in Chemistry (Ph.D.), University of Minnesota
B.S. in Biochemistry, SUNY Plattsburgh
President, SUNY Plattsburgh ACS Student Chapter

Beza is originally from Ethiopia and graduated summa cum laude in Spring 2019 with a B.S. in biochemistry (ACS certified) at SUNY Plattsburgh. She was a 2019 recipient of the Presidential Student Excellence Award, an American Institute of Chemists Award and a Department of Chemistry Undergraduate Research Award. Beza was active on-campus as a peer tutor and teaching assistant for organic chemistry laboratories, and in the SUNY Plattsburgh Chemistry Club, where she held several offices including president (2019), treasurer (2018) and secretary (2017). Beza is co-author of a peer-reviewed publication in the journal Nanomaterials.

“My favorite part of being a chemistry department alumnus is the incredible mentorship and one-on-one training I received from several distinguished faculty. When I started my undergraduate career, I was unsure of my future plans and didn’t understand what my options were. After taking advanced classes and joining Dr. Rajesh Sunasee’s research group, I was able to participate in various independent research projects, attend regional and national conferences and partake in career and professional development activities. I was also mentored by Dr. Karina Ckless, Biochemistry professor and our collaborator of the NSF-RUI vaccine adjuvant project, who was instrumental in helping reach where I am today. Even a year after graduating, both my mentors are in contact with me and serve as additional support as I navigate graduate school. They have always advocated for me and have provided me with the technical and soft skills needed for success. I am very lucky to have built such a strong, caring and encouraging network as an undergraduate at SUNY Plattsburgh.”

Angela Pacherille, Class of 2018

Portrait of Angela Pacherille

Graduate studies in Chemistry (Ph.D.), Syracuse University
B.S. in Biochemistry, Minor in Mathematics, SUNY Plattsburgh
Vice-President, SUNY Plattsburgh ACS Student Chapter

Angela is a native of Herkimer, N.Y. While a student in the Department of Chemistry, Angela was the recipient of numerous awards including the Hudson Scholarship in Science and Mathematics and Presidential Award for Student Excellence. She was also the vice-president of the SUNY Plattsburgh ACS Student Chapter and coordinated a number of chemistry related events. She was extensively involved in hands-on research activities and completed her honors thesis project under the supervision of Dr. Rajesh Sunasee working on the development of novel cellulose nanocrystals based anti-cancer agents. She will be a co-author of two manuscripts currently under preparation. She worked as a summer research student in Dr. Rajesh Sunasee’s laboratory for the design of cationic cellulose nanocrystals as potential vaccine adjuvants. Her excellent academic achievement and a passion for organic chemistry led her to secure a graduate scholarship for her Ph.D. in chemistry at Syracuse University starting in Fall 2018.

Nana Danyansah, Class of 2016

Portrait of Nana Danyansah

Cosmetic Chemist
B.S. in Chemistry, SUNY Plattsburgh
President, SUNY Plattsburgh Chemistry and Biochemistry Club, 2015–2016

“My time at SUNY Plattsburgh’s chemistry department was inspirational. As a kid who lived in the Bronx most of his life, I didn’t know what to expect from attending SUNY Plattsburgh. Two of chemistry department’s wonderful professors, Dr. Rajesh Sunasee and Dr. Karina Ckless, counseled and helped me every step of the way. I worked closely with them on different projects and issues I had as a student. Eventually, I was able to break out of my shell and expand my comfort zone and even became the president of the Chemistry and Biochemistry Club at SUNY Plattsburgh. I currently work as a cosmetics chemist for an ODM company based in N.J. and working on obtaining my master’s in a cosmetics/pharmaceuticals program. None of that would have been possible without the help of my professors and peers at SUNY Plattsburgh’s chemistry department.”

Oghale Obaro-Best, Class of 2016

Portrait of Oghale Obaro-Best

Medical student, Upstate Medical University
B.S. in Chemistry, SUNY Plattsburgh
Vice-President, SUNY Plattsburgh Chemistry and Biochemistry Club

Oghale, a native of Nigeria who was raised in Bronx, N.Y. During her time in the Department of Chemistry, she was a teaching assistant for Instrumental Analysis, Organic and Analytical Chemistry laboratories. She also worked as a chemistry and mathematics tutor and was the vice president of the Chemistry and Biochemistry Club. She completed her honors thesis project under the supervision of Dr. Rajesh Sunasee, working on the development of new reaction methodology where she was the first co-author of a peer-reviewed publication in the Journal of Synthetic Communication. After graduating from SUNY Plattsburgh, Oghale continued her work as a paraprofessional for the New York City Department of Education. She then worked as research study coordinator for Albert Einstein College of Medicine at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore from 2016–2018. She is currently a first-year medical student at Upstate Medical University.

“My time at SUNY Plattsburgh was filled with challenging experiences that shaped the young woman I am today. Coming from an underserved community with minimal guidance to higher education, I knew I had to take every opportunity that came my way. Thankfully, at Plattsburgh I was able to do just that and more. I certainly believe that my experiences both during and post Plattsburgh helped me gain acceptance to medical school. I am proud to be an alumnus of SUNY Plattsburgh and look forward to one day serving disadvantage communities as a physician.”

Erinolaoluwa Araoye, Class of 2015

Portrait of Erinolaoluwa Araoye

Medical student, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
B.S. in Biochemistry, SUNY Plattsburgh
Treasurer, SUNY Plattsburgh African Unity Club

Erinola is originally from Lagos, Nigeria. While a SUNY Plattsburgh student, she received several awards, including Yale Clark Award and Research Undergraduate Award. Erinola was also very active in the academic community where she was a treasurer of African Unity Club and a peer tutor of chemistry, biochemistry at the J. Clarke Learning Center for two years.

In addition, Erinola had a remarkable engagement with undergraduate research where she co-authored a peer-reviewed paper in the scientific Journal Biochemical Biophysical Reports and also first author paper in the Journal of Young Investigators. She also presented her undergraduate research work at regional and national conferences, including American Chemistry Society (ACS-NNY chapter) and Redox Biology Society, respectively. She is currently in her third year as medical student at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where she received the Paul. S Lietman International Scholarship, JHUSOM.

“Studying biochemistry at SUNY Plattsburgh was very instrumental in the path to reaching my professional goals. I believe my education as a biochemistry major gave me a solid background in the science I needed to pursue medicine. In addition to classroom learning, I also was able to participate in research in the Ckless lab. In retrospect, this decision to get involved in a research lab was one of the better decisions I made for my career during my undergraduate degree. That exposure to science and research helped me to develop critical thinking skills and provided an environment where I could work as part of a team and build confidence in voicing my ideas”

Brittany (Hinkle) Holzmann, Class of 2013

Portrait of Brittany Holzmann

Graduate studies in Biotechnology, Johns Hopkins University
B.S. in Biochemistry, SUNY Plattsburgh

Brittany was a teaching assistant for biochemistry for two semesters and after graduation, she pursued career as a scientist in the corporate sector. Currently, she is a stability coordinator at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and she is studying at Johns Hopkins to get a master’s in biotechnology.