Alumni
Profiles of Success
Mark Strauch Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Microbiology
University of Maryland Dental School
B.S. Biology 1977, Purdue
High school science convinced Mark Strauch that he wanted to be a biologist.
While working toward a B.S. in Biology at Purdue, he excelled in the classroom.
He was a member of the honoraries Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, and Phi Eta
Sigma, and was also a nominee for the Danforth Fellowship. After graduating
he was accepted at the University of Michigan, where he worked toward a Ph.D.
in Cellular and Molecular Biology. Upon completion of his degree, Mark returned
to Purdue as a postdoctoral research associate.
Now an associate professor at the University of Maryland Dental School in the Department of Oral and Craniofacial Biological Sciences, Mark is involved in teaching as well as in conducting research in molecular genetics, molecular biology, and microbiology. While an undergraduate at Purdue, Mark became increasingly interested in molecular biology and later focused his thesis on molecular genetics of prokaryotes. When he returned to Purdue as a postdoc, he began studying Bacillus subtilis, which he continues to research today.
Mark's position at the university requires a variety of duties. He may be found working in the lab conducting experiments, as well as supervising, mentoring, and advising post-doctoral research associates, grad students, and technicians. Other times he is involved in teaching lectures, writing papers and grants, and attending seminars. Mark is further involved in committee work and service activities, and has previously served as chair of the Dental School Faculty Affairs Committee and the OCBS Department ad hoc Committee to develop Molecular Genetics Curriculum for first year dental students. The particular tasks he is involved in from day to day vary. "Actual time spent on any of these is dependent on particular circumstances and needs at the time," explains Mark. As a professor, Mark finds his job very rewarding. He enjoys the opportunity to pass on knowledge to others through teaching students and training workers in his lab. Also extremely satisfying is "discovering new ‘facts' about nature through experimentation and then having those findings accepted by peers and published in scientific journals".
Speaking positively about his experiences at Purdue, Mark comments, "The
quality of education I received at Purdue gave me a significant competitive
advantage over many others (from other educational institutions) in being
able to pursue an advanced degree".
He believes that students should take advantage of research, volunteer, and
internship opportunities whenever possible. He further feels that although
students should take as much chemistry, math, and computer science courses
as they can, they should also take a number of courses in humanities. "Learn
all you can," he advises. "Not just in biology and other sciences,
but also in the humanities. Be a well-rounded human being as well as a good
scientist! The coming generation of biologists and healthcare professionals
will probably have the most impact on our society than the world has ever
seen." He adds, "Recent advances in a multitude of disciplines bode
for even more excitement and opportunities in the future. Especially important
contributors will be biologists who have a broad background and training in
other fields, such as computers, math, and physical chemistry".