Alumni

Dickson Wambua, Class of 2012

Posted on July 23, 2015

My decision to choose UNCG for graduate school was driven by several factors.  I paid keen attention to the research activities in the department and figured out my chances of being able to work with research faculties that were doing interesting science was high at UNCG.  I also wanted to be in a department small enough that it was easy to develop strong relationships both with faculty and fellow students, yet large enough to have cutting edge technology.  The climate of North Carolina also played a great role in my choice of UNCG.  Having lived in the tropics all my life, it was important that I live in a location with mild weather like North Carolina; it’s still too cold for me, but better than anywhere up north!

One of the most important aspects of the Medicinal Biochemistry PhD program was to be afforded the opportunity to choose the professor with whom I was going to do my research with. Ultimately, I chose Dr. Chiu’s group for my PhD studies. I was able to work in a research area that I was passionate about, that, coupled with the outstanding mentorship from Dr. Chiu  was certainly a contributing factor to my success in the program.  There were also many options for courses that I took in preparation for my research. I took several classes in advanced analytical chemistry, which helped tremendously when undertaking my research work.

After graduating, I took a position at Craft Technologies, Inc., where I built a new department in Mass Spectrometry.  Currently, my job as a group leader involves developing and validating commercially viable analytical methodologies, developing sample preparation techniques, writing SOPs, and performing preventative maintenance and troubleshooting of analytical equipment.  I manage multiple projects with aggressive timelines, and am the primary contact for clients who use our facility.  I am also involved with training other employees to use mass spectrometry equipment, and seeking new business opportunities.  Since I was hired to start the department, I received little if any on-the-job training before taking this position; however, the preparation that I received as a graduate student in the UNCG Medicinal Biochemistry program was adequate for me to establish our new department and to be very successful in managing it.

BS in Chemistry,  Moi University, Kenya.
PhD, Medicinal Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Mass Spectrometry Department Manager, Craft Technologies Inc.
LinkedIn (Dickson M Wambua)