{"id":12076,"date":"2016-06-29T12:17:58","date_gmt":"2016-06-29T16:17:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/rinsfepscor\/?p=12076"},"modified":"2016-06-29T12:17:58","modified_gmt":"2016-06-29T16:17:58","slug":"surfs-up-2016-rhode-island-undergrads-in-research-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/rinsfepscor\/2016\/06\/29\/surfs-up-2016-rhode-island-undergrads-in-research-4\/","title":{"rendered":"SURF’s up 2016: Rhode Island undergrads in research"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Rix_Gordon\"<\/a>Research fellow:<\/strong> Gordon Rix
\nHometown:<\/strong> Little Compton, RI
\nSchool:<\/strong> University of Rhode Island<\/a>
\nMajor:<\/strong> Biochemistry
\nMentor:<\/strong> Mindy Levine
\nProject:<\/strong> Detection and in situ fluorescence-based monitoring of hydrocarbon food sources in complex marine environments<\/p>\n

The way he explains it, URI senior biochemistry major Gordon Rix can\u2019t help but be drawn to his field of study.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just find it really intriguing,\u201d Rix says. \u201cWe\u2019re all just made up of molecules \u2014\u00a0a bunch of chemistry, really. Our entire lives, we\u2019re a giant chemical reaction.\u201d<\/p>\n

His enthusiasm and wonder are part of why Rix was selected to receive the 2016 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship<\/a> (SURF) funded by the office of Gov. Gina M. Raimondo<\/a>. Along with his strong and consistent academic record, Rix expressed a commitment to research and a love for science that was readily apparent in his application to the SURF program.<\/p>\n

Rix explains he wanted to be a neurologist since he was nine years old. He enrolled at URI as a biology major before making a few switches and ending up in biochemistry. He gained research experience in multiple labs and has served as a volunteer for a chemistry camp run by his SURF mentor, Assistant Professor Mindy Levine.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was pre-med for a while, but then I switched majors and realized that research was my true passion,\u201d Rix explains. \u201cThe combination of working in a lab and classes in biochem have really shown me that I\u2019m more interested in research. I don\u2019t think medicine is for me, but I\u2019m still interested in brain science.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Levine sent out information on the RI EPSCoR SURF program, Rix took interest in her project and applied for the program. He is spending his SURF experience in Levine\u2019s lab, synthesizing molecules known as cyclodextrins and fluorophores, which are used to detect toxicants, or manmade toxic substances, in marine environments.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a great way to begin thinking about research questions like an actual scientist, and being able to ask the right questions and figure out how to get an answer,\u201d says Rix of his summer research fellowship. \u201cIt\u2019s a skill that takes time to acquire in the lab.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking ahead to his post-graduation plans, Rix says he likely will apply to graduate school, pursue research, and see what professional paths might be possible: \u201cI think being a professor is definitely a possibility for me, but I want to get a better idea of career opportunities. So far, I\u2019ve really only been exposed to academia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Story and photo by Amy Dunkle<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Research fellow: Gordon Rix Hometown: Little Compton, RI School: University of Rhode Island Major: Biochemistry Mentor: Mindy Levine Project: Detection and in situ fluorescence-based monitoring of hydrocarbon food sources in complex marine environments The way he explains it, URI senior biochemistry major Gordon Rix can\u2019t help but be drawn to his field of study. \u201cI […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[21,51],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-surfsup"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/rinsfepscor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12076","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/rinsfepscor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/rinsfepscor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/rinsfepscor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/rinsfepscor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12076"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/rinsfepscor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12076\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/rinsfepscor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12076"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/rinsfepscor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12076"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/rinsfepscor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12076"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}