Clark University - Clark News fall 2003
Making her mark in the biology lab and bat caves
By Tammy Griffin-Kumpey
From the research labs at Clark to bat caves in Panama, Mary Badon ’05 has eagerly pursued her curiosity. Whether she is working to unveil the mysteries of the mechanics of cytokinesis—a fundamental process necessary to the reproduction of all living organisms—or scaling 160-foot trees in the tropical rain forest to satisfy her avid interest in ecology and photography, Badon stands out.
Badon’s teacher and mentor, biologist Denis Larochelle, sums it up as he quips, "There’s something about Mary." As a first-year student in his introductory biology class, Badon immediately sparked Larochelle’s interest.
"She was independent, motivated, very intelligent and very inquisitive—and always well prepared."
Larochelle nudged Badon to take challenging courses and encouraged her to attend his weekly lab meetings, in which students working in the Clark labs present their research or discuss recently published scholarly papers. "Mary showed great interest and promise," says Larochelle. "She always came to the meetings fully prepared and asked the most insightful questions. She was very on top of it."
Larochelle is not the only one impressed with Badon’s natural talent and affinity for the sciences. This past summer, an Anton Fellowship—awarded to undergraduates pursuing original ideas, creative research, or public-service projects—supported Badon’s research in the Clark labs. Badon is also the recipient of two national awards. She was one of 300 in the nation to receive a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship—$15,000 of tuition support over two years. And she received a $5,000 Pfizer Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, which was given to only seven biology students in the nation this year. In 2002, her research was supported by a James and Ada Bickman Summer Science Research Internship award.
In the lab and behind the camera
For the past year, Badon has been working alongside Larochelle in his lab researching cell division. Specifically, she is investigating the role of centrosomal proteins and the centrosome, a part of the cell that participates in cytokinesis, the final step of cell division. Badon hopes this research will bewray the secrets of centrosome function and cytokinesis—a discovery that may aid in the fight against cancer.
"It’s important for us to understand how cells work if we want to determine what causes them to go awry," explains Badon, who is using proteins to disrupt cell division in amoebas. "Maybe it will tell us something about more complex organisms and give us a better understanding of cell division."
As busy as Badon is with this cutting-edge research, this multitalented biochemistry and studio-art major finds time for her second passion—photography. This past summer, Badon spent almost six weeks in Panama through the Institute of Tropical Ecology and Conservation studying coral-reef ecology and photography, an independent-study project for studio art. She took between 3,000 and 4,000 photographs of the Panamanian landscape, wildlife and people.
Badon’s favorite subjects were the bats she discovered in a series of small underground caves connected by tunnels so narrow she had to wriggle through on her stomach to access the caverns. Inside, thousands of bats hung from and encircled the ceilings. Her best photos, she says, were of bats she surprised in mid flight as they tried to travel from cave to cave.
Although Badon says she’s not claustrophobic, she is afraid of heights. But that didn’t stop her from climbing 80 feet into the trees to photograph from the canopy. "Mostly I just took pictures of the ground and my foot," she jokes.
Back in the lab
With her feet planted firmly back on the ground, Badon is looking forward to her last two years at Clark and learning all there is to know about science.
"When I entered Clark, I was sure I knew what I wanted to do when I graduated," she explains. "But the more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know. Then I’m hesitant to make a career decision. I need to know more before I can make that decision."
"Professor Larochelle has been so helpful and he’s very approachable," adds Badon, praising his open-door policy. She says Larochelle has always taken the time to advise her, challenge her and answer the countless questions she’s had, especially after reading some of the complicated scientific papers he recommended.
"Scientific research at Clark is very accessible to undergraduates who are interested and committed," says Badon.
Future Clark pioneer
Like the many Clark science pioneers that have come before her, Badon plans to immerse herself in her research and is hoping to discover new knowledge that will help explain and perhaps lead to a cure for cancer. For the next two years, she will wrestle with another difficult question—"After Clark, what’s next?" At the moment, Badon is considering pursuing either a M.D. or a M.D. with a Ph.D. But as the secrets of the scientific world enlighten her, this could change. Whatever direction she chooses, Badon says she’d like to help people in some way.
"But," she says, "I’ll consider myself successful if I’m doing something that just makes me happy."
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