Ethan Miller 26Ox

Though Ethan has known that he would like to pursue chemistry in the future, he did not know which field in particular until this research experience. 

“Medicinal chemistry has always been something that interests me, but I wasn't sure that it was for me. This pushed me to do this internship to try out the field. I feel like through this internship I've discovered that this is something I want to pursue in my career and will serve as a great stepping stone as I seek out more research opportunities in the future,” he comments. 

The skill Ethan has harnessed the most is problem-solving because in small molecule synthesis, one must be good at problem solving. Ethan developed this skill in his Chemistry 202 class with Dr. Schard. Furthermore, Oxford also taught him the importance of time management. 

“Working in the lab is a 9-5 job which definitely isn't something I'm used to. Through the time management skills I've learned at Oxford I've been able to still enjoy my time in Atlanta, despite so much of my time being taken up by working in the lab.” 

The most rewarding part of his job is knowing that the drugs his team is working on has a very large impact on people's health and day-to-day lives, though of course, he also “[loves] doing chemistry and solving problems, which in itself is fulfilling.” One of these highly fulfilling moments is when he completed his first reaction.

“While being trained does take a long time, being able to carry out my own reaction and be trusted to do the reaction feels really good. Of course there are some smaller things that I really enjoy in the lab, like evaporating solvents in the rotary evaporator or just putting the test tubes in the racks,” Ethan reflects.