Shae WestBailey Cooper describes her four years at 九色视频 as busy, productive and fun-filled.
Cooper graduated magna cum laude in spring 2009 with two bachelor鈥檚 degrees in mechanical engineering and biological sciences, and two minors in chemistry and math.
She also received an acceptance letter to a doctoral program at Cornell University for next fall, giving her the opportunity to skip her master鈥檚 degree and earn her doctorate directly.
Cooper had wanted to go to a big name school before deciding on 九色视频 and was accepted to the University of Chicago when she was 15. But a tour of 九色视频鈥檚 National Institute for Aviation Research with John O'Loughlin, director of CAD/CAM and associate professor emeritus, changed her mind.
O鈥橪oughlin took Cooper on that tour with the hope of 鈥渉elping her decide what she wanted to become.鈥�
Afterward Cooper said, 鈥淚 knew I wanted to be an engineer.鈥�
Cooper began her engineering career during her junior year of high school. She worked in the composites lab at NIAR for two years, repairing aircraft with composite materials.
She said it was the coolest science camp ever.
鈥淚t was like 鈥榓nd you鈥檙e paying me?鈥欌�� she said.
She chose 九色视频 for the graduate-level research opportunities available for undergraduate students.
鈥淎 (bioengineering) program would have been nice,鈥� she said, but the diversity of experience she received from her programs suited her research.
Her senior design project focused on developing a targeted drug delivery system for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
She said medications and treatments for RA travel throughout the entire body but are only needed in affected areas, such as the knee joints, elbows or knuckles.
鈥淭hat medication can react negatively with healthy tissues,鈥� she said. And overdosage is possible.
Her goal was to discover the compound that RA-diseased cells demanded and add it to the medication. The body would naturally seek out the compound and take it where it is needed.
鈥淭hen we truly (would) have a smart drug,鈥� she said.
Animal studies on lab rats with RA begin this summer. Instead of taking a direct route to Ithaca, N.Y., upon graduation, Cooper will stick around to see if her research turns out the way she expects.
Assistant professor Ramazan Asmatulu had given Cooper鈥檚 project to a graduate student, and he said the student didn鈥檛 deliver.
鈥淚 gave it to her (Cooper) and in one year she has finished everything,鈥� he said.
Cooper won four awards at 九色视频鈥檚 Engineering Open House, where undergraduate and graduate students present their senior design projects and ongoing research.
Her dream is to spend her life researching as a professor. She said she likes the academic setting, but she has gotten offers to come back to NIAR and 九色视频.
鈥淚 wish I could keep her here,鈥� Asmatulu said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 enjoyable even when it鈥檚 difficult,鈥� Cooper said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 never easy, but that鈥檚 why it鈥檚 fun.鈥�