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The Power of One
Name: Timothy M. Blicharz ’03
Hometown: Bellows Falls, Vt.
What he did at Holy Cross: drummer in the Holy Cross Goodtime Marching Band, Pep Band and Jazz Ensemble. “I also freelanced for other musical performance groups around campus—jazz combos, Chapel Choir, pit orchestras for musicals, etc. And I was musical director of the ’03 senior show, Bye Bye Birdie.”
Current pursuit: Ph.D. candidate in chemistry at Tufts University
How he keeps in touch: “After graduation, I used to go back to campus often to visit friends who were still in school—or for fall and winter homecoming. I return when I can for men’s and women’s basketball games. I have also informally offered counsel to younger chemistry majors considering graduate school.”
Graduate student life: “My current research pursuit involves developing a multiplexed assay for candidate protein biomarkers in saliva to diagnose and monitor pulmonary inflammatory diseases, such as asthma. The ultimate goal of the project is to incorporate my detection system into a portable device that will one day be used by physicians at the bedside, or point of care, to differentiate individual asthmatic responses and evaluate treatment efficacy. My research is funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). In my spare time, I play drums in a cover band with other Tufts chemistry graduate students. We play shows throughout Somerville and Cambridge.”
Memorable teachers and staff at Holy Cross: “Every faculty member of the chemistry department was amazing. All of the courses I took prepared me extremely well for graduate school. Professors Ronald Jarret, Glenn Jones, Richard Herrick, Heather Shafer, Jane Van Doren, Kevin Quinn, Ramona Taylor, Kenneth Mills, Katherine Aubrecht and Joshua Farrell all played a role by being great teachers as well as wonderful mentors for my classmates and me. The enthusiasm and skill of the Holy Cross chemistry faculty is unmatched. And, former Marching Band director, Bob Principe, taught invaluable lessons about communication and peer to peer leadership interactions. I also have fond memories of Jazz Ensemble rehearsals and jazz improvisation courses with Mike Monaghan, who helped foster my musical creativity—which always seems to carry over into science. Both disciplines demand an ability to adapt frequently.”
Why he gives to Holy Cross: “Holy Cross has given me so much: I look back with fond memories—and the alumni body is unparalleled. I had the amazing opportunity, during the summers of my junior and senior years, to work at Pfizer in Groton, Conn., as a summer associate in the special testing and analytical development group. The internship was made available by Gerald Migliaccio ’77 and John Leary ’81. It was due, in part, to the time I spent at Pfizer that I became interested in pursing a Ph.D. in chemistry. Since then, I have felt the need to give back what I can. My goal is to one day provide a student with a similar opportunity.”