Former AC student explains research and Ph.D. pathway to Biology Club

She returned to AC on Sept. 5 to speak to a noontime gathering of the Biology Club, detailing her doctoral research, yes, but also letting the AC scholars know about the pathways to advanced degrees that exist in and around Amarillo.

“You can start right here at Amarillo College and build an incredible future,” Page said. “You have options. You can stay in Amarillo and Canyon and get a Ph.D. in a STEM field, which is amazing and what I decided to do.”

Page easily transferred her AC credits to West Texas A&M University, where she completed her bachelor’s degree. Beginning in the summer of 2014, she participated in the Amarillo Biomedical Research Internship program, and she joined Tech’s graduate program in pharmaceutical sciences as a Ph.D. student in spring of 2015.

She currently is part of a research team focused on the human brain and the blood-brain barrier, studies they hope will lead to the development of drugs to help minimize damage caused by strokes.

Page said she hopes to pursue a career in teaching after achieving her Ph.D., and she also hopes she can be as effective in that role as the teachers she studied under while getting her academic start at AC.

“My teachers here were awesome,” Page said. “They are so passionate. AC is where I learned how to study, where I laid my academic foundation. The teachers and the programs at this College made it easy to bridge the gap to university-level study.

“I want to help the next generation learn how to conduct research and discover the truth.”