MCCer selected for Mississippi INBRE research program
From Meridian Community College classrooms and tennis courts to university research labs, Elizabeth Shirley is using every opportunity to prepare for a future in medicine.
Shirley, who graduated from MCC in May with an Associate of Arts degree, will spend eight weeks this summer at the University of Southern Mississippi as a Mississippi INBRE Scholar. The Mississippi IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence, or INBRE, is a consortium of colleges and universities designed to strengthen biomedical research infrastructure across the state.
She is only the second MCC student selected for the program, said Dr. Angie Carraway, MCC chemistry instructor and chair of the College’s Science and Wellness Division.
“Originally, I didn’t know anything about INBRE,” Shirley said. “Dr. Carraway kept encouraging me to apply, and once I started learning more about it, I realized it was a bigger opportunity than I thought.”
After visiting with Dr. Julia Pigza, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at USM, Shirley became even more convinced the program was the right fit.
This summer, Shirley will work with Dr. Pigza in a laboratory setting on research connected to spectroscopy, a field that measures and interprets electromagnetic spectra as it interacts with matter. Shirley said she was first introduced to spectroscopy in Dr. Carraway’s MCC organic chemistry classes, though it was not her favorite topic at the time.
“But I thought maybe if I worked with it all summer, I could get stronger in that area,” she said.
The experience will build on the research foundation Shirley developed during her time at MCC. As a freshman and sophomore, she did research with the Community Noise Lab, a partnership with Brown University.
“I helped collect environmental data related to air, noise and light quality to establish baseline measurements for future generations,” she said.
Shirley said that experience helped her better understand the role research can play in improving lives.
“Research taught me patience, attention to detail and the importance of evidence in understanding complex issues,” she said. “It also broadened my perspective on health, reminding me that well-being is shaped not only in clinics but also by the environments people live in every day.”
In addition to her research experience, Shirley served as president of the MCC Student Government Association and was a member of the Phil Hardin Foundation Honors College, Ivy League Recruiting Team, Eagles Tennis Team and Phi Theta Kappa honor society. She also received the Ivy-Scaggs Distinguished Student Award, which is presented to the most outstanding graduating sophomore who has been active on campus and made a positive impact on the College and surrounding community.
“Service has also been central to my time at MCC,” Shirley said.
In the fall, Shirley will transfer to the University of Mississippi, where she will major in biological sciences on a pre-medicine track. She will room with her sister, Alexa, who is also an MCC alumna.
For more information, visit meridiancc.edu.