Graduate Ready

Emma Green '23

When Emma Green ‘23 was looking for colleges near her hometown, Illinois College and its professors stood out.

Emma Green '23

“Throughout the application process, IC worked hard to develop a connection with me. Then when I met Dr. Lanorio in an interview, we instantly clicked. I really felt wanted at IC.” 

During Green’s time on campus, she double majored in chemistry and physics and was an AERO-STEM scholar. She conducted summer research with Lanorio on copper catalyzed click chemistry and was able to publish a manuscript about her research. 

When she wasn’t working in the lab or taking classes, Green took advantage of all that IC had to offer. She studied abroad on two separate occasions, to Germany through the RISE-DAAD program where she studied spectral electrochemistry, and to New Zealand through a BreakAway

Green credits her success upon graduation with her time at IC. “The most valuable part of my IC education was getting that hands-on experience. Doing research, and having internships. I got a lot more experience using the instruments and chemicals I’d be using in my field later in my career. ”

Today, she is the sole recipient of the Abrahamson Fellowship with the International Space Station where she works researching better ways to recycle materials used on the station. She also collaborates with the communications team to generate educational social media content to bridge the gap between the public and NASA.

She is also working at Midwest Compliance Laboratories, a pharmaceutical testing company.  “The people that hired me said that the experiences I had at Illinois College during undergrad were comparable to what some graduate students come out with.” She will be attending Penn State University to pursue a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry in the fall.