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Heather McClurg

Heather McClurg

Heather McClurg

Major Professor: Cichewicz
Email: 
heather.elisabethh0039@ou.edu

Hometown:
Marysville, WA

High School: 
Marysville Pilchuck High School

Education:
A.S.
, Physics and Engineering, Skagit Valley College
B.S., Chemistry & Psychology, University of New Mexico

M.S.,Chemistry, University of Oklahoma


I started my undergraduate journey as an Astrophysics major. My junior year of college, I took two very impactful classes: Mathematical Methods of Physics and Organic Chemistry. Mathematical Methods was the worst, I had panic attacks before every class and just knew this wasn’t what I wanted to do with my life. Organic, on the other hand, became my happy place. Every Tuesday and Thursday I got out of bed excited to be in that classroom. I think Organic Chemistry is beautiful and elegant and just like solving a puzzle every day. I have always believed your path will be clear by the joy it brings you and Organic Chemistry brings me nothing but joy and I know without a single doubt it’s what I want to do.

 

I am a Ph.D. candidate working with Dr. Robert Cichewicz. My research centers around fungi in three projects: 1. Extracting compounds from fungi for potential pharmaceutical interest, primarily in combatting malaria. 2. I am also working on engineering a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and bacterium through directed evolution in the hopes that they can work together to outcompete other fungi in a death match. 3. Finally, I am progressing oil droplet crystallography as it applies to small molecules using fungal metabolites.

 

I have not decided if I will go into industry or academia. I know whichever I do first, teaching would be my ultimate goal as it is something I have really come to love.