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Marcienne (Marci) Wright
Graduate Student, Biochemistry
University of Alabama, Birmingham
Birmingham, AL

What is your current academic (or professional) affiliation (where do you work – go to school, etc.), and what is your current research area?
My current academic and professional affiliation is with the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). I am completing my Ph.D. at UAB in the department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics. My research area focuses on gene level regulation of the phase II antioxidant enzyme heme oxygenase-1 by nitrated and oxidized fatty acids in the vasculature.

Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Berkeley, CA, and raised in Birmingham, AL.

Where did you receive your undergraduate and graduate degrees?I received my undergraduate degree in biology from Williams College (Williamstown, MA). I recently advanced to formal candidacy for the Ph.D. degree at UAB and expect to graduate within the next 12 to 18 months.

What was your favorite subject in grade school, middle school, high school? (Answer for all three academic levels: If it is the same, it doesn’t matter.)
In primary and middle school I really got into science. In high school my interests were divided between biology (cancer biology, specifically) and English literature.

Who was your favorite K-12 teacher, and why?
Mr. George Clarke, my 8th grade science teacher and my first true mentor. Mr. Clarke, an African-American, never settled for mediocrity from me. Given our urban “at-risk” classroom setting, he easily could have forgone the investment in serious academics. But Mr. Clarke put forth his best efforts in teaching us students how much fun science could be – and he made it clear to me that his expectation--not wish--was that I would always work hard to succeed.

What would you say is the MOST important characteristic of a great mentor?
A great mentor understands and accepts that any student who wants to learn how to conduct scientific research can and should be taught how to conduct scientific research. With this first principle as a guide, a great mentor invests in teaching the willing student how to pursue scientific productivity, integrity, and the critical “soft-skills” needed to succeed in multiple work environments. In such an environment, great mentoring will occur regardless of differences in personalities, learning styles, or cultural background.

If you could choose one other career (something other than science) what would it be, and why?
I think I’d be a professor in classics literature. When I was young, I read classics fiction from a variety of cultures and soaked up every experience described in a well written book almost as if it were my own. I believe that the best way to learn about a culture is through the sum of its literature.

If you could give ONE piece of advice to students younger than yourself who want to go into science, what would that be?
I’d advise young students to understand that pursuing a career in science is not a monolithic endeavor and that contributing to the advancement of basic science does not necessarily mean performing bench research. Students should explore all of their vocational passions, no matter how seemingly far removed from the traditional natural sciences. Is it art? Is it literature or writing? Is it political science? Each of these can be a vehicle for exploring the benefits of science and promoting the growth of basic research. One absolute must–read, though, for any young science student: “Finding Your North” by Frederick Moore, Ph.D.

I’d advise under-represented students of color in particular to believe in their ability to succeed and to understand that measurements of innate aptitude are far different from measurements of information exposure. If you love doing science, you have the ability (aptitude) to succeed at it, period. Simply find the right resources and get exposed to the right information. Learn how to spot good mentors and do what it takes to make them spot you.

When you graduate, what do you regard as the MOST important contribution you can make to society?
To use my professional vocation--guided by a personal ethos of integrity and kindness--to contribute to the welfare of humanity.

When you turn 50 years old, what do you MOST want to be able to say about your life?
That it was lived well--according to the principle above.