Meet Kaitlyn Stanton, graduate student in Biological Sciences
Whether she is teaching, conducting her own research, or serving others abroad, Kaitlyn Stanton is striving for excellence in all of her endeavors and making the most of her graduate education at SIUE.
Kaitlyn, who completed her BS in Biological Sciences from SIUE in May 2018, immediately began pursuing her MS in the same field in the fall of 2018. During her first year of her master's program, Kaitlyn maintained a 4.0 GPA while expanding her skill set as a Teaching Assistant for undergraduate Genetics coursework. In that role she supervises all activities of the laboratory compenent of the course. Kaitlyn's educational goals go beyond the completion of the master's degree that she will complete in May 2020, though. "My career goal is to become a dentist," Kaitlyn explains, as she is currently applying to several dental schools.
Her commitment to volunteer service and research align seamlessly with her pursuit of dental medicine, as she has completed two mission trips to Guatemala to provide free dental care to underserved children in the third world country. She also has committed herself to research in the field, as she currently works with faculty mentor Dr. Barb McCracken in the School of Dental Medicine conducting research on a new zinc mouth rinse to treat patients with periodontal disease. Kaitlyn was awarded funding to support her research through the spring 2019 Research Grants for Graduate Students program offered by the Graduate School.
Know a deserving student or alum that we should highlight in Cougar Pride? Contact us at graduateschool@siue.edu to let us know!