a portrait of Casey McLeod shows her donning a Trinity hat, a UT physician shirt, and a stethoscope
A National Scale
Murchison Scholar reflects on BCMB degree accreditation, national recognition

Biochemistry and molecular biology (BCMB) major Casey McLeod ’21 is on a path to success, armed with a Trinity degree that is nationally accredited. The Castle Rock, Colorado native and captain for Trinity Swimming and Diving initially came to Trinity intending to study engineering or biology, but her first-year general chemistry course honed her decision to become a BCMB major. Just days after her graduation, McLeod reflects on the resources that brought her to Trinity in the first place.

“Being a Murchison Scholar gave me the opportunity of a lifetime to attend Trinity University and form the relationships I have made,” says Casey, who also served as the philanthropy chair for the Student Athletic Advisory Committee. “In addition, the tools and resources that Trinity’s labs have is vast, thanks to donor support. As undergraduate students we get the unique privilege of working with advanced equipment alongside an incredible group of faculty.”

These faculty—Casey cites invaluable work and research with chemistry professors Christina Cooley, Ph.D., Corina Maeder, Ph.D. ’99, and Laura Hunsicker-Wang, Ph.D.—were a large part of Trinity’s latest national achievement. This spring, the BCMB program was awarded a full, seven-year accreditation by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB). Notably, the accreditation board cited the University’s BCMB program for the quality and availability of advanced instrumentation integrated into the curriculum, and the true interdisciplinary nature of the program.

“Having a degree certification from an academically challenging school that is certified under the ASBMB is a huge honor,” Casey says. She notes that while this certification is not required for her plans to attend graduate school to be a physician assistant, she sees it as solid proof of what she’s learned during her four years as an undergrad.

As Casey continues her Trinity journey as a newly minted alumna, other students will start or continue journeys of their own—and now is your moment to support them. Did you know that your support can help Trinity’s national reputation as well? As Trinity strives to continue a three-year high for alumni participation rates, your donation to support students like Casey will help bolster our University’s national presence.

 

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“My family and I would not have been able to afford my attendance to Trinity if I had not received the Murchison Scholarship,” Casey emphasizes. The generosity of donors helped Casey McLeod experience moments she never thought possible. Now is your moment to help guarantee access to a Trinity education for generations of Tigers to come. 

In addition to being a BCMB major, Casey McLeod is the captain of Trinity Swimming & Diving, which took home a SCAC Championship title in 2021.

Jeanna Goodrich Balreira '08 is the assistant vice president for Strategic Communications and Marketing at Trinity University.

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