Lauv Patel
Lauv Patel, a junior chemistry major and first-generation college student, was a junior in high school when he moved with his family from Albany, New York, to Texarkana, Arkansas.
鈥淲e had the opportunity to join in a family business,鈥� Patel said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been operating motels for a while, and we had the opportunity to run one here in Arkansas, so we took up the mantle.鈥�
He and his twin brother, Kush, who is also attending 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock as a computer science major, are the first members of their family to attend college.
鈥淢y parents are very proud,鈥� Patel said. 鈥淏oth my parents are immigrants from India, and they never had the opportunity to go to college. They always motivate us and encourage us in our college studies.鈥�
Patel credits an inspirational high school teacher for raising his interest in chemistry to the point that he wanted to pursue it as a career. At 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, he is conducting research in a biochemistry lab with Dr. Shanzhi Wang.
鈥淚 had an amazing teacher who made chemistry so amazing and interesting,鈥� Patel said. 鈥淚n my current research, I am trying to find out how enzymes work and how to stop enzyme activity. The enzymes I鈥檓 working with are possible candidates for drugs. We know enzymes are critical for some bacteria; it鈥檚 critical to their ability to communicate with other bacteria. If we can know how the enzyme activity works, we can stop it. If we can stop it, we can probably stop or reduce the activity of a disease.鈥�
As a first-generation student, Patel said he was soft-spoken when he first started college, but he grew into his own after taking advantage of opportunities to get involved in campus life, research, and student government.
鈥淲hen I first started college, it was a weird feeling,鈥� Patel said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have the ability to talk to your parents about everything. You are trying to figure out everything for the first time. I had some experience meeting new people after moving from New York, but it鈥檚 about developing relationships and finding out what resources are available to you.
I was quiet at first, but being a first-generation student made me want to do more. I had the opportunity to join a research group, to teach others as a learning assistant. I had the opportunity to join SGA and work with my fellow students. It鈥檚 given me the opportunities to explore stuff outside of my comfort zone. It鈥檚 given me opportunities to grow and develop a useful diverse skill set.鈥�
At 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, Patel is a member of the Chancellor鈥檚 Leadership Corps and the McNair Scholars Program. He鈥檚 received the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, Signature Experience Award, and the Daryl K. Reach Endowed Scholarship.
He will graduate from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock in the spring 2022 semester. After graduation, he will earn a master鈥檚 degree and Ph.D. in chemistry and then plans to work as a researcher and professor.
鈥溙切腣log传媒 Little Rock has taught me the ability to adapt into roles and tasks that I once thought were impossible for me to fill. It鈥檚 shown me that I can progress in my education and in other aspects,鈥� Patel said. 鈥淚鈥檓 currently doing biochemistry research, which has opened my eyes to the impact that chemistry has on all these different subject fields. We鈥檙e in the process of publishing my first paper on the applications of machine learning.鈥�
