Amanda Corbel is a 2013 graduate of Carroll Community College, with an Arts and Sciences degree with a biochemistry focus. When she attended Carroll, Corbel was also a Sciences and Mathematics Academic Research Team (SMART) Scholar. She was selected for this cohort of students to conduct independent research in Chemistry and Engineering. She also completed hands-on projects in the laboratory.

Corbel participated in the college STEM Club as treasurer and helped to create goals, events and publicity, while helping to manage the club’s budget.

After graduating from Carroll, Corbel transferred to Shepherd University as a Biology major with a Chemistry minor. In summer, 2014, she had the opportunity to be a summer intern at the National Cancer Institute in Frederick, Maryland. There, she created and validated molecular clones of HIV and SIV with a near-infrared fluorescent protein inserted into the viral genome. In vivo imaging, utilizing a fluorescent protein with infrared emission, is critical to understanding HIV in a physiological context. The intent is to use modified viruses to track infectivity and dissemination in non-human primates.

Corbel plans to co-author a scientific paper about her internship work, which will be submitted to a peer-reviewed national or international Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) journal.

Additional highlights of her academic career include participating in a summer student poster day at the National Institute of Health (NIH) last summer; attending a scientific symposium at NIH; presenting to a state-wide conference of college faculty two years ago; and working as a tech aide at Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster. In 2012, she worked as a camp counselor at Carroll in the areas of forensics, rockets, sciences, robotics, cybersecurity and computer programming.

“I attribute my success to the teachers at Carroll, specifically Dr. Raza Khan and Professor Maria Burness. They provided me with guidance and support. I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for them,” said Corbel.

College President Dr. James D. Ball said, “Amanda is certainly an exemplary student. She demonstrates the value of hard work, dedication and persistence. She has achieved goals which are consistent with the definition of a SMART scholar.”

“Amanda's experience represents the ideal of what we seek for our STEM students here at Carroll,” said Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs Jan Ohlemacher. “We believe early research experiences assist students in determining their future career goals. By having the opportunity to work together with research professionals from the very first year of college, students can immediately see where their years of study in college will lead them. It inspires students like Amanda to keep reaching toward success.”

Chair of Mathematics and Engineering Maria Burness said, “For students in STEM-related fields, internships are a valuable part of their education. The advantages of internships include getting to experience what working in the field is like, having the opportunity to apply what is learned in the classroom to ‘real world’ situations, networking with professionals, receiving mentoring, and providing a possible avenue to full-time employment after graduation.”

Chemistry Professor Dr. Raza Khan said, “It was a pleasure to have Amanda be part of Carroll's first team of SMART Scholars. I was very impressed with how quickly she grasped the importance of the scientific inquiry process to research work and to academia in general, which translated into a passion for the STEM field. We were very impressed with the numerous hours Amanda put in and with the product of her research. We are proud of the entire first group of SMART Scholars.”

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