Olivia Brown, a third-year Biochemistry major at 鶹ý, discovered her passion for chemistry through an unexpected twist in her academic journey. Brown’s journey at 鶹ý has been one of exploration, innovation and inspiration. Because of research opportunities for undergraduate students, she found her passion for organic chemistry.
Brown is a native of Chesapeake, Virginia and attended Greenbrier Christian Academy High School. She knew she wanted to attend college but wasn’t quite sure which school she wanted to attend. “I toured many colleges and thought about potentially going to Regent University, but 鶹ý was my first choice because of the large amount of science programs available,” said Brown. Also, Brown has other ties to Monarch nation. Her parents both graduated with their bachelor’s degrees in business administration from 鶹ý in the 1980s. “The familiarity of the campus already gave me a sense of connection and once I toured the campus, it was made clear that 鶹ý was the right decision,” said Brown. “I felt that 鶹ý would give me numerous opportunities to be challenged, making it easy to envision myself thriving here along with it allowing me to commute and provide financial flexibility.”
Once she arrived at 鶹ý in the fall of 2022, she initially chose to major in Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) in the College of Health Sciences. However, she changed her major in the summer of 2024 to biochemistry after taking a course with 鶹ý Chemistry Assistant Professor Kyle Lambert, Ph.D.
“I really enjoyed and got excited about organic chemistry, and after talking to Dr. Lambert about the research his lab does, I really wanted to explore it further,” said Brown.
While taking organic chemistry, Brown realized that she enjoyed “mechanisms and just understanding the ‘why’ behind a lot of things.” Organic Chemistry has allowed her to explore science on a deeper level. “I always thought biology was interesting, but I was never too much into chemistry until organic chemistry because that was when biology and chemistry merged together,” admits Brown.
“I joined Dr. Lambert’s research group in the summer of 2024,” said Brown. Today she is not only a student but an undergraduate researcher for the Lambert Research group. According to Brown, Dr. Lambert and his research group have assisted her in her academic journey here at 鶹ý, “He was very encouraging, and then he would also teach us more than what was necessary because he was very excited about the subject, so that made me more excited about it because he would show us some cool stuff.” While working in the Lambert research lab, Brown has made significant contributions assisting Dr. Lambert and his graduate students.
“Doing research is the most exciting part of my week, and I have gained so much confidence with myself and my future plans by doing research,” said Brown. She has cultivated many connections at 鶹ý, professionally and personally.
As part of the Lambert research group, Brown has had the opportunity to work with one of Dr. Lambert's current graduate students, Cylah Bruno, researching the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction. Brown is assisting Bruno in researching a more environmentally sustainable approach to the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction, a key chemical process used in the synthesis of complex organic compounds. Suzuki reactions are the second most used in industry and have great medicinal applications. “Suzuki reactions typically use a palladium catalyst; however, unique to this research is the use of a cobalt catalyst which is less expensive than palladium and also air stable,” said Brown.
According to Lambert, Brown’s enthusiasm in the research group is “outstanding and she is always eager to begin working on solving the next question in her research projects.” According to Lambert, Brown recently discovered a reaction she was running could be completed in less than 10 minutes under the right conditions “by following the progress with NMR spectroscopy, which has significantly improved the efficiency of the protocol she is developing.” Labert said, “It has been very enjoyable mentoring Olivia in research and seeing her cultivate her laboratory skills as well as a keen interest in chemistry. She is a great role model for students that are interested in advancing their education beyond the classroom by participating in undergraduate research opportunities here at 鶹ý.”
Brown also had the opportunity to work with Dr. Lambert over the summer helping design a new forensic chemistry curriculum that will launch in the fall of 2025 in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. She contributed to developing lab exercises for the program, an experience she described as both rewarding and valuable. “This opportunity allowed me to gain more experience using IR spectrometry, gas chromatography, and mass spectrometry,” said Brown. “I am constantly learning new things, and I am making connections with what I am doing in the lab and what I am being taught in lecture.”
Participating in Dr. Lambert’s research group has inspired Brown to pursue graduate school—something she hadn’t initially considered. “I never really thought I was going to do graduate school but being around all of these people has definitely made me want to pursue that,” she shared. After completing her undergraduate program in Biochemistry, Brown plans to continue her education with graduate school and eventually a Ph.D. in organic chemistry.
Brown has been a member of Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society since her freshman year, and she is a member of the local section of the American Chemical Society (ACS). Also, she became a Monarch Science Ambassador this past fall semester which is a program designed to help current science students communicate their research to students and adults of all ages.
After completing her academic journey, Brown wants to use her knowledge of Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry to work in healthcare focusing on Medicinal Chemistry, “I can still help a lot of people within the healthcare side of things, but also do chemistry.” With her drive and tenacity, she is bound to leave a mark in the academic and science community.
As for her advice to current and prospective students, Brown said, “I would encourage people to come to 鶹ý to study chemistry as the professors are so knowledgeable and want to see students succeed. 鶹ý chemistry is doing an abundance of research that a student can get involved in as well as outreach into the community. I never thought I would be studying chemistry, but I have enjoyed every moment of it.”