Today at Brown

The Leadership Alliance, a national consortium of 33 colleges and universities based at Brown that aims to enroll more minority students in graduate programs, has reached a major milestone: more than 100 graduates have earned doctoral degrees.

Jade Carter, who came to Brown’s Graduate School after graduating from Chestnut Hill College in Pennsylvania, represents the 100th Ph.D. She earned her doctorate in pathobiology on May 25 and is now a postdoctoral fellow at North Carolina Central University, in Durham.

The Alliance is celebrating the milestone at a national symposium in Hartford on July 25-27. The event is expected to attract dozens of minority scholars from across the academic spectrum – undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral research associates and tenure-track faculty – for a weekend of networking, research presentations, and panel discussions.

“After 15 years, the Alliance has a lot to be proud of, including boosting the number of minorities pursuing academic careers,” says Valerie Petit Wilson, executive director. “About 32 percent of Alliance graduates now hold faculty positions at U.S. colleges and universities – positions that allow them to mentor and encourage other underrepresented students. We’ve created a new cadre of faculty leaders.”

Jade Carter talked with Today at Brown about her path to an advanced research career via the Leadership Alliance.

You participated in the Alliance’s summer program at Brown. How did you learn about it, and what did you do?

I learned about the Leadership Alliance from some friends I met during the summer of 2000, when I was doing an internship at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. At Brown, I worked in Dr. Suzanne de la Monte’s laboratory in the Liver Research Center, where I participated in the development of a novel cell motility/invasion assay. This summer experience resulted in my first co-authorship in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Dr. de la Monte later became my advisor in graduate school.

How did the Alliance’s network of mentors help you succeed in your graduate studies?

As an undergraduate I attended Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, a small, private, Catholic, liberal-arts college with a nurturing environment. My transition to a major research Ivy League university was understandably difficult. However, there were many administrators and student mentors at Brown who were always there to help. One was my thesis advisor, Dr. Suzanne de la Monte, who was also my Alliance mentor. Her guidance, patience, and scientific knowledge showed me what an aspiring scientist could strive to emulate.

What is your particular research interest?

My long-range goal is to develop novel experimental assays or techniques (or improve existing ones) to solve biological questions faster and more efficiently, while also improving the accuracy of the analysis. My dissertation was based on examining the molecular mechanisms involved in impaired neuronal migration as a caused by gestational ethanol exposure in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Currently, as a postdoctoral fellow, I am exploring the transcriptional regulation of the PON1 protein, which is suspected to play a role in the inhibition of atherosclerosis.

Tell us your career goals.

Eventually I hope to work in the biotechnology industry and perhaps teach at a small college similar to my undergraduate
institution, or at a historically black college or university.

Before college, what influenced your choice of study?

Growing up in Harrisburg, PA, I had several great science teachers as early as fourth grade. One who stands out was my 10th-grade chemistry teacher. By the end of the school year, I knew I wanted to go college and major in chemistry. Also, after a horrible food poisoning experience in high school, I was motivated to study toxicology. By 11th grade I was determined to go to graduate school and get my Ph.D. Outside of school, my biggest role models were my parents, who always exemplified that hard work and dedication were the keys to achieving goals.