Dec. 27, 2019 — Roots were planted for UTSA biochemistry major Alejandra Lorenzen’s future before she was even born. Living in Mexico, her parents knew moving to the United States would bring better opportunities for their family.
A few months before Lorenzen was born, her parents packed up their belongings and settled in McAllen. By the time she reached seventh grade, her family had moved to San Antonio, where her love for science began to bloom while attending Harmony Science Academy.
—ALEJANDRA LORENZEN
When it was time to apply for college, Lorenzen was accepted to several schools across Texas, but she chose to stay in her hometown and attend UTSA.
“I saw a lot of promise at UTSA, especially when it came to doing research,” Lorenzen recalled.
She was accepted into the Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement-2, a training program designed to enhance opportunities for underrepresented students in science. She’s spent the past 2.5 years working in Soo Chan Lee’s laboratory at the South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases at UTSA researching mucor, a drug-resistant fungus found all over the world that is harmful to humans with low immune systems.
“My passion is to find solutions to problems and help others along the way,” Lorenzen said.
Through RISE’s support, Lorenzen also landed an internship at the University of Rochester Medical School in New York the summer of 2018 where she researched the causes of rare eye diseases in Tingting Yang’s laboratory.
“My education at UTSA had laid down the foundation and opened my eyes to different research opportunities I can explore in my future,” she said.
While continuing her education and research, Lorenzen also juggled family responsibilities. That didn’t stop her drive to finish her education in 4.5 years.
As she prepares to graduate this month, Lorenzen is grateful for her experiences at UTSA. She is currently applying to biophysics Ph.D. programs with the dream of one day working in industry or government.
“I love UTSA,” she said, “and I’m glad I chose to stay in my hometown. As the university grows, the value of my degree will only grow too over time.”
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This event will acknowledge graduating seniors from the McNair Scholars program at UTSA before inducting the new cohort of scholars into the program.
North Paseo Building (NPB 5.140), Main CampusAt this memorable celebration, UTSA graduates will be introduced one-by-one to cross the stage and accept their doctoral degrees.
Arts Building Recital Hall, Main CampusRoadrunner Walk is an event for graduating students to have a memorable walk on campus to celebrate an important milestone and their achievements. Graduates will walk along the Paseo while being celebrated by the UTSA community, friends, and family members.
Student Union Paseo, Main CampusCelebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.
Alamodome, 100 Montana St.Celebrate the accomplishments of Alvarez College of Business, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.
Alamodome, 100 Montana St.The University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
