MVNU Student Accepted to Five Graduate Schools, All With Full Funding

A Mount Vernon Nazarene University student researcher is taking the next step toward a career in chemistry after being accepted to all five graduate programs to which she applied — with every school offering her full financial assistance.

Emily Howie, who participated in MVNU’s Summer Program for Undergraduate Research, or SPUR, from 2024 through 2026, will begin pursuing her doctorate in chemistry at The Ohio State University this fall.

Howie said the research experience she gained at MVNU played a major role in preparing her for graduate school.

“I cannot imagine being this prepared for graduate school without SPUR,” Howie said.

She said the program provided her with the research skills, confidence and professional experience needed to stand out during the graduate school application process.

During her time in SPUR, Howie worked with Dr. Binyang Hou, professor of physics and director of SPUR, conducting electrochemical research examining how ions and caffeine interact with phospholipids, which are the primary building blocks of cell membranes.

She also worked with Dr. Luiz Oliveira on computational modeling related to the same system.

That combination gave Howie experience with both experimental and theoretical research — experience that MVNU says helped prepare her for the demands of graduate-level scientific work.

Her work also extended beyond the MVNU campus.

Howie presented her research at major scientific conferences, including meetings of the American Chemical Society and the Electrochemical Society. She also became a co-author of a peer-reviewed paper published in ACS Omega earlier this year.

Howie said presenting at professional conferences and contributing to published research gave her a better understanding of what it means to work as a professional scientist.

“SPUR gave me the foundation to pursue those opportunities,” she said.

SPUR is designed to give MVNU undergraduates an intensive, paid research experience under the guidance of university faculty. Students work on research projects, present their findings and receive professional development intended to prepare them for graduate school and future careers.

Hou said the program is about more than teaching students how to conduct experiments.

He said SPUR also helps students understand what graduate programs are looking for and teaches them how to navigate the application process.

Howie’s research project is also among the projects currently highlighted by MVNU’s SPUR program, which includes research in areas ranging from chemistry and physics to biology and environmental science.

For Howie, the next step is Ohio State, where she’ll continue her research as a doctoral student.