What if this experiment is the one that opens a new door?

With two sisters who are PhD Chemists, Rose Donohoue thought she was headed down a different path. She came to Pacific expecting to join the graduate program in Optometry, until, like her sisters, the chemistry lab captured her imagination.

Now a chemistry major, Rose spends ten to twelve hours a week in the lab. She is working with Professor Jim Currie exploring the Evelyn Effect. Rose admits that her experimental work can get repetitive, but it is the excitement of never knowing exactly how an experiment will turn out that brings her back to the lab day after day. “What if this experiment is the one that opens a new door?” she asks.

Rose’s advice to new Pacific students is to try new things; advice she has taken herself. Rose is a soccer player, a member of the campus Newman Club, and the Chemistry Club. In November, Rose worked with the Chemistry club to bring “Science Days” to a local elementary school, which is otherwise unable to offer this kind of education. Thanks to Rose and her Pacific classmates, 3rd and 4th graders got to make Super Bubbles* and Elephant Toothpaste* and, Rose hopes, discover the adventure of science.

Helping out in a local elementary school where many Latino students attend, is one example of how being a Pacific student has broadened Rose’s experiences. In fact, the diversity of the students at Pacific and of the families in the Portland and Forest Grove area is something that Rose appreciates most about her time at Pacific. “It’s a lot different from Helena, Montana” where she grew up, and “has given me a much wider outlook on life,” Rose explains.

Rose is currently applying to graduate school, and her mother is looking forward to having three daughters with PhDs in chemistry!

*Not sure what Super Bubbles and Elephant Toothpaste are? Visit Pacific and talk with the students and professors in the Chemistry Department. You can schedule a visit through the Admissions Office.