Our final spotlight of the semester is Favour Eze, a graduate student for the chemistry and biochemistry department in the Romero lab!
What interested you to pursue a career in STEM?
In retrospect, there had never been a time I wasn’t interested in a STEM career. Growing up, I wanted to be either a doctor, an engineer or an architect. However, I got interested in Organic Chemistry because I was blessed to have met professors who genuinely loved the subject and spoke of its concepts with such contagious passion that I got hooked! It was almost magical to view chemical reactions as a consequence of the unique personalities of different compounds sharing the same space. In a nutshell, Chemistry became another lens through which I could marvel at the world God made and I loved that!
How would you describe your work to the public?
Broadly speaking, my area of research focuses on developing new methodologies for advancing drug discovery and synthesis. More specifically, I create highly efficient methods for the installation of different halides (chlorine, bromine, etc.) across minimally biased unsaturated systems.
Outside of the lab, what do you enjoy doing?
When I’m not doing chemistry, I enjoy painting (or drawing), getting lost in a good book, building miniatures (a more recent hobby) and spending quality time with Jesus.
Is there something during your research career that you have really enjoyed or want to share?
I’ve really loved working alongside other members of the Romero Group. Being part of a lab where people genuinely encourage each other is a gift I don’t take for granted.
If you can give a piece of advice to the younger generation, what would it be?
Now this question just makes me feel old but either way I’ll tell you what I constantly tell myself. The journey is more valuable than the destination. Although the destination is where you’re applauded, the journey is what builds you, teaches tenacity, and ultimately shows what you’re truly made of. So, embrace it with all its chaotic uncertainty, don’t be afraid to start or grow weary amid it, and trust the gift God has put inside of you! Even when you don’t feel gifted, remember tenacity is another form of talent!!
Is there a female scientist that particularly inspires you?
Dr. Liela Romero! Hands down, Liela is one of the most driven people I’ve ever met and that inspires me daily to push past my limits.