Archie Taylor defends doctorate dissertation and accepts position at Alcorn
Alcorn State University alumnus and Yazoo City, Mississippi native Archie Taylor has spent the last few years working tirelessly to complete his doctorate degree at Penn State University as part of the ASU-PSU Bridges Program. This summer, his dedication to earning the coveted doctorate degree finally paid off.
Taylor successfully defended his dissertation in molecular medicine and will receive his doctorate degree in August. As he prepares to go out into the field, he looks forward to spreading his scientific knowledge to others.
“It’s surreal and gratifying at the same time,” said Taylor. “It has been an exciting opportunity because it has given me the chance to understand diseases and biomedical science. Most importantly, it’s given me the ability to share my knowledge with other people.”
Though Taylor’s path to reaching his goal was vigorous, he’s thankful for all of the challenges he overcame because he credits them for shaping him into the man he’s become.
“The program was very intense, but every part of it was worth it. All of the conferences, presentations and revisions not only made me a better scientist, but they also gave me skills that helped me become a better professional.”
Aside from reaching the mountaintop of his education, Taylor also accepted a tenure-track faculty position as a professor of molecular and cell biology at Alcorn. Other than teaching, he will be responsible for assisting with the pre-professional organization and making students in the Department of Biology aware of scientific careers. He looks forward to coming back to the place he calls home.
“It feels great to come back and serve my alma mater. I’m from Mississippi, so it is a great opportunity to come back home after being away for so long. It’s very humbling.”
Taylor said that he plans to work towards preparing students for the Bridges program by bringing attention to different focus areas in biology.
