Researcher of the Month
March 2010
Elizabeth Joy Millings
Chemistry major, Class of 2010
UNCF-Merck Scholar (09-10), BNL-CCI (07) & SULI (08) Programs
Research Mentors: Dr. Peter Tonge, Chemistry; Dr. Jacob Hooker, Dr. Trevor Sears, Dr. Joanna Fowler , Brookhaven National Lab; Robert Tynebor, Merck Research Laboratories
Elizabeth Joy Millings loves learning, research & chemistry. And it shows! “Chemistry intrigues me because it is the foundation for life. Behind every living
process lies a chemical reaction. Chemistry breaks everything down to its most fundamental
components. . . . I want to conduct scientific research, to discover things for myself,
things that are not known or understood. One day I will have run out of courses to
take… By pursuing a research career, I will always continue learning and teaching
myself.”Born in Brooklyn, raised in Central Islip, Long Island, and home-schooled until she
entered Suffolk County Community College (SCCC) at age 19, Elizabeth credits her singular
education with preparing her tremendously well for college, and for teaching her to
take responsibility for her learning.
Much credit too goes to Brookhaven National Labs (BNL) where she discovered the joys
of research — first in 2007 as a Community College Institute (CCI) intern in the Gas-Phase
Molecular Dynamics groupof the Chemistry Department with Dr. Trevor Sears; and subsequently
in the Radiotracer Chemistrygroup as a Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship
(SULI) participant (2008) where she worked under the mentorship of Dr. Jacob Hooker and
the team of Dr. Joanna Fowler. 
Elizabeth’s poster on her 2008 BNL summer research project, “F-18 Fluoride for Peptide
and Protein Labeling,” was awarded second place (and $1500) in the category of physical
sciences [chemistry] at the Science and Research Challenge, at a ceremony Elizabeth
attended together with SCCC mentor, Dr. Candice Foley, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Earlier in 2008, Elizabeth also participated in the annual Collegiate Science and
Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) Conference and was awarded second place in the physical
sciences division for her poster, "Analysis of Some Near-Infrared Spectra of C2Br."
She also presented a research talk at theACS Mid Atlantic Regional Meeting (2008),
prior to transferring to Stony Brook in fall 2008, having completed an A.S. degree
in liberal arts, Chemistry, with highest distinction at SCCC.
As a chemistry major at SB, Elizabeth has made the most of her opportunities — even
in the relatively short time she's been here on campus. In spring 2009, she was awarded
a national UNCF-Merck Undergraduate Science Research Scholarship (2009)—to date the
8th SB student to be honored with this award. As a UNCF-Merck Fellow, Elizabeth had
the opportunity to work in summer 2009 as an intern at Merck Research laboratories,
West Point, PA in the neuroscience program; and looks forward to returning there again
as a researcher for summer 2010. In 2009, Elizabeth was also awarded the Chemistry
Department Emerson award and Lap Chen scholarship, as well as the S-STEM II (Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics ) NSF-funded scholarship. This past fall,
Elizabeth joined the laboratory of Prof. Peter Tonge where she has been working with
a graduate student mentor and investigating the mechanism and kinetics of the MenB
enzyme in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Be sure to see Elizabeth's upcoming research presentations on her work in the Tonge
lab at the 2010 URECA Celebration (April 28th, SAC Ballroom A) and at the Chemistry
senior symposium on May 10th.
Elizabeth is applying to graduate Ph.D. programs in nutritional biochemistry and will be graduating from SB this May—together with her sister, Sarah Millings, a political sci major (another high achiever!). Elizabeth Millings is a participant in the CSTEP & LSAMPprograms offered through the Dept. of Technology & Society; serves as secretary of Campus Crusade for Christ SBU Chapter, and is a member of the the West Islip Symphony Orchestra (violin), the Choral Society of the Moriches; and also enjoys playing piano. Reflecting on the last 4 years, Elizabeth reflects: "When I look back, I see the effect of all the mentors I’ve had, at Suffolk Community College, here at Stony Brook, and at BNL. I had excellent professors & advisors who pointed me in the right direction."Elizabeth Millings is one of 14 SB graduating seniors whose integration of academic excellence with other aspects of their lives is being recognized by the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence. Below are excerpts of Elizabeth's interview with Karen Kernan, URECA Director.
Karen: Tell me about your current research.
Elizabeth: I’ve been in the Tonge lab since October 09. The lab focuses on looking for ways
to combat tuberculosis, novel therapeutics for tuberculosis. One of the problems is
that the tuberculosis bacteria become resistant to the tuberculosis drugs. So our
lab is working on designing a new target that could be a possible therapeutic that
could then be turned into a drug. It’s very interesting work. I’m working very closely
with Nina Liu, one of the graduate students. And I enjoy getting to see what the graduate student’s
life is like. I plan to go to graduate school. So I really like that.
How did you acquire research experience?
It was at BNL. I spent 2 summers at BNL on 2 different projects actually when I was
a student at Suffolk Community College. The first summer, I was working with the gas
phase molecular dynamics group in the Chemistry department. They look at molecules
in the gas phase, and they study how they rotate & interact. … They had discovered
this spectra, and they didn’t know what it was but had begun to characterize it. It
was really fun because it was the first time anyone had analyzed that particular molecule.
And because of the analysis we did, we were able to confirm it was what we thought
it was. . . .
The following summer, I was working with radiochemistry, designing radiotracers for
PET imaging. That second summer at BNL was one of the best experiences I’ve had. That
was with Dr. Joanna Fowlers’ group —which is so dynamic. I had a really wonderful
mentor too, Dr. Jacob Hooker, who was really fun to work with. He was young, just
out of graduate school, and very excited by what he was doing. He really imparted
that to me and to the other undergraduate student. He really inspired us, taught us
a lot. And that was one of the experiences where I could see the direct application
of what I was doing. The previous summer, I had been primarily doing data analysis,
and I was at the computer all day. I enjoyed that research but I like the hands-on
work much better.
That’s great that you had these opportunities at BNL.
BNL is a really unique place. I really love it. You have all these researchers, from
all over the world, and what drives them is the love of discovery. They love what
they do. They love discovering things. The atmosphere itself is very welcoming. They
have a great program for their undergraduate students every summer. And the office that coordinates education programs — they’re really nice, helpful. I worked with Mel Morris, Noel Blackburn, Ken White,
Kathy Gurski… They really treat you like you’re family. They were great!
So when you were a student at Suffolk Community, had you previously done any research?
I had taken a lot of chemistry/physics courses, but hadn’t done research prior to
being at BNL. Actually, I was a little bit apprehensive going in. But they were very
understanding. They taught me everything. I asked lots and lots of questions. And
I really enjoyed the experiences. I think that’s what turned me onto research. It
showed me the difference between where you have a question and you’re doing something
no one has ever done before, in contrast with lab courses where it’s more that you’re
doing something that’s been done so many times, but you’re proving it to yourself.
With the research, you’re on your own, you’re discovering something new. Usually it
has a very significant application. You’re actually working towards something. That’s
important for me.
What did you do last summer?
I received a Merck fellowship and had the opportunity to work in the neuroscience
program, basically synthesizing potential drugs. The Merck research experience was
a little different from the other ones, because I was working in industry. There’s
a little less autonomy than with the other research experiences. But I gained a lot
from it. I’m looking forward to going back again this summer.
You’ve certainly had the benefit of a variety of programs and experiences.
I know that there are advantages with joining one lab and staying there (getting more
in depth into a project, getting a publication out, etc.). But I really needed to
explore. I really never could concretize what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go.
So it’s been really helpful for me to do different things, see what other opportunities
are out there.
When I look back, I see the effect of all the mentors I’ve had, at Suffolk Community College, here at Stony Brook, and at BNL. I had excellent professors & advisors who pointed me in the right direction: At Suffolk, Dean Nina Leonhardt with the CSTEP program; and Dr. Candice Foley, a chemistry professor, helped me a lot. Here at Stony Brook, Prof. Koch has been so supportive; he was the one who told me about the MERCK scholarship and encouraged me to apply. Dr. Tonge has been very helpful too. And Kathy Hughes in the chemistry office… lots of other chemistry professors too.
How has being involved as an undergraduate researcher enhanced your education?
I’d say it’s been the major, driving force of my education. Once I discovered research,
I was able to see that it was something I liked, and look for opportunities. The amazing
thing has been to see how the coursework translates into the lab work. It’s been extremely
helpful seeing how the coursework and the research relate to each other. It’s also
defined, or tailored, the direction in which I’m going. It’s helped me to choose courses,
and to think about what things to do, whom to talk to. It’s really just opened the
doors in every way I can think of!
What advice do you have for other students ?
Start early. That’s my biggest advice, to get started as soon as possible. I wish
I would have joined a lab sooner. It takes time to get into the lab, to adjust your
schedule, to learn where things are and to get started on your research. …Now I know
lots of other students who are in labs, and we can talk, share, collaborate. Getting
involved in research opens a lot of opportunities to meeting people — attending talks,
seeing how things work.
Do you find it difficult to manage your demanding schedule, balancing academics, research,
etc.?
I schedule specific times to do my research. I usually look at my schedule and see
where the gaps are and where I’m going to be able to devote time to research… I find
that not too difficult. With the research, too, there’s also down time, where you’re
waiting for things to happen. That’s when I do my homework.
Do you like doing science fairs, presentations? I know you’ve participated in CSTEP
conferences, and also got 2nd prize at the national DOE- competition for chemistry
in Oakridge.
Yes, that was exciting. And I do enjoy them. I’m a little nervous beforehand, always.
But I like presenting my work. I think it’s important and I like to talk to people
about it. . . Making a poster is not an automatic thing. You can’t just put what you
did and leave it at that. It has to be visually appealing. It has to show what you
did in a way that people can really understand it. …sometimes, it’s so easy to take
things for granted because you’ve understood it for so long. So when making a poster
presentation, you have to break that down, think about what needs to be explained,
and how to relate the foundation behind the research.
What qualities make for a successful scientist/researcher?
I would say one of the most important things is cooperation, being able to work with
other people, not just other scientists in your field, but with graduate students,
undergraduate students. Being able to relate to people across educational levels &
disciplines. As I look at graduate programs, I see that they all stress interdisciplinary
collaboration. That is important. And being able to communicate what you do is also
important.
What are your plans after graduation?
I’ve been applying to different graduate schools. I want to go into nutritional biochemistry where you study nutrition from the molecular perspective—looking at a particular
nutrient, and how that affects the body bio-chemically.
Graduation is not that far away...
When I look back over the last 4 years, I really have to marvel. I know when I started
out I had no idea even what I wanted to do or why I was in college. As opportunities
opened up and I pursued them, I began to define what I was really interested in. So
I guess that’s another thing. You don’t really have to know what you want to do when
you start. I was able to discover that along the way. Teachers opened my eyes to see
what else was out there, different opportunities to pursue.
Are you well prepared for grad school?
I think I am. Being home-schooled prepared me excellently for university, to take
responsibility for my learning, to know how to teach myself. And I’ve had a lot of
opportunities here. Now I’m ready to go to the next step.