Undergraduate institution: William Paterson University
Collin DeMan is a PhD student in bioengineering. With a mother from East Germany and a father from Guadalajara, Mexico, this combination of starkly different cultures has reinforced the importance of diversity in his upbringing. During his undergraduate education at William Paterson University, Collin headed a project focused on molecular biological research on two bacterium present in the microbial community of a harmful dinoflagellate. Collin also completed two internships. These internships included a biomedical-focused program at Rutgers University and a plant molecular biology-focused project at Cornell University. Collin鈥檚 overall goal in pursing biological engineering is to innovate drug production/discovery techniques in order to allow for easier and more equitable access to previously rare or difficult to produce compounds. Forging ahead, Collin looks forward to collaborating with a diverse group of intelligent peers to learn and innovate. In his free time, Collin enjoys lifting weights, reading聽and walking his dog. His research interests lie mainly within molecular biology with a focus on synthetic biology and metabolic engineering.