NMSU’s Molecular Biology Program celebrates 30th-anniversary milestone
Three decades ago, Nancy Reichert earned a Ph.D. in molecular biology from New Mexico State University, becoming the first student to graduate from NMSU’s Molecular Biology Program. Since then, more than 130 students have followed in her footsteps, earning master’s degrees and Ph.D.s in molecular biology from NMSU’s oldest interdisciplinary program.
This year marks the 30th anniversary since Reichert’s graduation from the program.
The program centers around molecular biology, the study of the components, structure, regulation, and interaction of molecules such as DNA, RNA and proteins – all of which are essential in regulating heredity and life processes.
To celebrate the program’s milestone, Reichert will visit NMSU during Research and Creativity Week, Nov. 11-15, to deliver a speech about her career and experience in the program, now helmed by Jennifer Randall, a professor in NMSU’s Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Science and a two-time graduate of the program.
“Thirty years ago, a few faculty members came together to initiate this program. We’re the oldest and the most successful interdisciplinary program on campus,” said Randall, who became the director of the program in July.
“In 30 years, we’ve had 134 master’s and Ph.D. students graduate from the program – 86 of whom have been Ph.D. students,” she said. “The success of our program has provided a firm foundation for graduates who are working in several different fields throughout the world. The future of synthetic biology, agriculture, bioengineering, human health, animal health and environmental studies is centered around molecular biology.”
Reichert, now a biological sciences professor at Mississippi State University, came to NMSU after earning a Bachelor of Science in bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She worked in NMSU’s Plant Genetic Engineering Lab, the precursor to the Molecular Biology Program, under the guidance of professor John Kemp, the director of the lab at the time.
Reichert completed the program by December 1989, earning a Ph.D., and then started her career at MSU, where she has worked ever since. Currently, she’s a professor in MSU’s Department of Biological Sciences, and she previously served as a department head for eight years.
As an interdisciplinary program, NMSU’s Molecular Biology Program consists of faculty and students from four colleges, including Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences; Arts and Sciences; Health and Social Services; and Engineering.
Currently, the program has 13 students and more than 30 active faculty members.
“The faculty of this program work seamlessly between colleges and departments,” Randall said. “This interdisciplinary approach has been a strength of the program and has greatly benefited the students.”
The program offers master’s degrees and Ph.D.s with an emphasis in molecular biology within studies involving biochemistry, molecular genetics, cell biology, bioinformatics, bioengineering and microbiology. Its mission is to educate and train students in molecular techniques to study biological and chemical processes, structures and functions, and prepare them for applied biological science jobs in industry, academia and government.
“In the past 30 years, molecular biology has expanded to the whole genome level in the study of numerous genes and their encoded RNA and proteins,” Randall said. “As big genomic data is generated at an accelerated rate, the future of molecular biology studies and a generation of new tools and related techniques will remain vital at gaining further understanding of life and regulation of life processes.”
Reichert will give her speech at NMSU during a keynote luncheon from noon to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13, at Corbett Center Student Union in the third-floor ballrooms. To register for the talk, visit https://rcw.nmsu.edu/events/keynote-luncheon-featuring-dr-nancy-Reichert/. The deadline to register is Nov. 6.
In addition to Reichert’s talk, Randall is planning to host reunions for the program’s graduates later this year and also during the spring semester.
For more information about NMSU’s Molecular Biology Program, visit https://molb.nmsu.edu. For more information about the program’s anniversary events, contact Randall at 575-646-2920 or randall@nmsu.edu.
