Maverick Science Student Stories

Phuong Do

Major: Biochemistry (pre-pharmacy)

Minors: Biology, Spanish

Campus involvement: Honors College; Terry Scholar; Freshmen Leaders on Campus (FLOC); Pre-Pharmacy Association; Mavericks for Medical Humanities

Fun fact: Is a huge foodie and also enjoys paddle boarding.

I grew up in Arlington and graduated from Seguin High School, where I received a Richard Greene Scholarship from the Texas Rangers Foundation. I wanted to come to UTA because it is full of diversity with many opportunities. Another reason why I decided on UTA is because of the scholarships and financial aid; there are a lot of options available here to help make college affordable.

The reason I decided to study biological chemistry is because I thought it would be challenging and would help me stand out for graduate school. I love that it is not just about memorization but that it requires problem-solving skills. 

It has been very fun meeting new people here at UTA. I have met amazing friends and have made new connections that will help me in the future.

My favorite professors have been Dr. Jimmy Rogers and Dr. Jill Devito. I have learned so much from them, and they were always available to help me whenever I struggled. They bring a lot of positive energy inside and outside of their lectures.

I’m a Terry Scholar and I recommend every senior in high school to apply for the Terry Foundation Scholarship program. It is an amazing organization that not only supports you to achieve your educational goals but is like a family to me in college. The only commitment they ask for is giving back to the community through fundraising and service events throughout the school year. Being a Terry Scholar has been a great help in paying for college.

I got involved with research through the Department of Chemistry’s ACT (Advanced Chemical Technologies) program when I was a freshman. It is specifically for chemistry majors. ACT kind of encourages you to become a researcher, and it helped me to think creatively. Most chemistry labs have a menu that you follow and you’re graded on that, but in the ACT program, we get graded on our experiments, on how we learn and process. I did not have to follow a lab manual, but I learned how to make my own procedures and conduct my own experiments. These skills also help me on my tests from other classes.

I have really enjoyed participating in research at UTA. I received the second place award in the Southwest Society of Cosmetic Chemist Conference in August 2019. The research project I presented was titled “Synthesizing Methyl Esters in Commercial Perfumes.”

After getting my bachelor’s degree I am hoping to go to pharmacy school and become a pharmacist. I currently work as a pharmacy tech at Wal-Mart, which has been a good introduction to the field.