Life > December 6, 2003

Sciences Student of the Year

Cellular and molecular biology is a course notoriously known among pre-med students and biology majors as being “cell hell.” However, it was in this cell heaven that senior Tony Barnitz discovered a fascination for molecular biology. Not satisfied simply absorbing the lecture material fed to him during class, Tony decided that he wanted instead to try to find answers to the questions presented through his own research.

For the past year and a half, Tony has worked with Jim Curran, a professor of biology, investigating the regulation of RNA polymerase genes in E. coli bacteria. He has been awarded two Wake Forest Research Fellowships for his research and he plans to present his work for graduation with honors in biology.

“Research has given me more of an appreciation of what we learn in class. I’m learning (through research) more of how they figured it out,” he said.

Tony’s research will not end when he graduates in the spring. He plans to attend graduate school in a molecular biology or immunology program to study the mechanisms of disease. However, Tony says that medical school is definitely not a part of his future plans. After completing post-doctoral studies, he plans to work for a biotechnical firm or a government agency such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

“I’d rather do lab work and research than having to apply someone else’s research toward patients,” Barnitz said. “I’d rather be the one finding out about the disease than using someone else’s knowledge.”

With such a huge commitment to his research, Tony has managed to find time balancing his research with his activities on campus, including being a Resident Advisor in Johnson Residence Hall, a member of Tri Beta Biology Honor Society and Golden Key International Honor society. He has served as a role model for his freshman residents by encouraging them to become involved in campus activities, service and intramural sports.

—Angel Hsu