Chemistry graduate student Nitza V. Falcon-Cruz earlier this year received a 2024 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF-GRFP). This program aims to ensure quality, vitality and diversity in America’s STEM workforce. Receiving this five-year fellowship includes three years of generous financial support to further the students’ research projects. Nitza Falcon shares a few thoughts on this title and her student experience:

What drove you to pursue a graduate degree in chemistry?

I have a bachelor’s degree in industrial chemistry and did undergraduate research for more than 4 years. I loved how I could apply what I learned in the courses to the research lab, so I knew that I wanted to keep researching once I graduated. Pursuing a PhD in Chemistry has allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and get the preparation needed for the career that I choose.

How would you describe your experience at CWRU?

Being a graduate student at CWRU has been a rewarding experience, and I’m happy with my choice to come here. I am satisfied with the education I have received in the past year and looking forward to what’s to come.

What current research are you conducting? Why are you drawn to this topic?

As part of the Crespo Group in the Chemistry Department, I am working on synthesizing and understanding the localization and incorporation of phototheranostic agents in cancer cells. Phototheranostic agents are molecules that can be light-activated to kill cancer cells through photodynamic therapy, and have fluorescence for potential use in imaging-guided cancer therapies. 

I am passionate about this topic because cancer affects too many lives each year, either directly or indirectly. Therefore, it is important and urgent to keep searching for ways to make cancer treatments more effective and less invasive, and our research in photodynamic therapy has that goal.

Do you have any future aspirations for your career?

I am on the trajectory to graduate in the spring of 2028, so I have a while to decide and explore. I started my graduate degree thinking about a career in academia, but I am open to other possibilities.

What does receiving this fellowship mean to you?

I feel honored to have been awarded this fellowship and excited about how it contributes to my professional development. Since receiving this recognition, I have felt more eager about the research I am doing and motivated to obtain my degree. It also makes me feel proud to represent Puerto Rico as a product of the public education system of my island, especially the University of Puerto Rico – Humacao Campus.