Position Yourself for Success in Some of the Most In-Demand Healthcare Careers
Are you interested in a career in dentistry, medicine, veterinary medicine, or pharmacy? Keuka College can help you get there.
As a Keuka College student interested in attending graduate school for one of these disciplines, you'll work with your pre-professional advisor to determine the best major (usually biology with a concentration in biomedical biology) for you.
Your advisor will also work with you one-on-one to select the best possible Field Period® experiences that will help you get into your graduate program of choice.
Real-World, Hands-On Experience
Real-world, hands-on experience is an important part of your pre-professional degree.
The Keuka College Field Period® gives you the chance to have four separate internships, starting your freshman year.
This means you can explore different career options and decide which one is the best career for you.
Program Overview
As a pre-professional student at Keuka College, you'll be part of a unique program designed to help ensure you are an attractive candidate for graduate study in your field of choice.
Pre-professional is not a separate major, but a custom-tailored advising sequence that compliments your chosen major with intentionally selected Field Period®, research, and extracurricular activities and opportunities.
Your academic advisor will assist you with:
- Preparing and studying for standardized tests, such as the MCAT (medical school), PCAT (pharmacy school), etc.
- Researching and applying to graduate programs
- Finding opportunities to research—and possibly publish—in topics related to your field of interest
With the exception of those students who have an interest in law, your academic advisor will be a professor from the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. The pre-law minor is designed specifically for those students who are interested in a career in law.
In keeping with Keuka College’s emphasis on experiential learning, you’ll also become a scientist outside the classroom. You’ll be encouraged to work professors on independent research projects, and many students have had the opportunity to present the results of their work at professional conferences.
Keuka College is on the shore of Keuka Lake—arguably the prettiest of the Finger Lakes. The College’s Sunset Woods and the nearby Penn Yan Outlet Trail are home to thousands of species of plants and animals, providing an ideal environment for biology students. Ornithology students are able to work in the field, identifying birds native to the area.
You’ll get to study in the Jephson Science Center, where students hang out in the Chiral Center or at the Math Table in between classes and labs. A highlight of the building is that the laboratories weren’t simply designed in collaboration with architects, but by the professors who use and teach in them.
As a student, you will have access to a wide range of instruments, including:
- Ultraviolet - visible spectrophotometers
- Sorvall High-capacity Centrifuge
- Opti-sciences Chlorophyll Fluorometer
- Kodak Gel Imaging and Documentation Systems
- Bioradgelelectrophoresis and Western-blotting Apparatus
- High Pressure Liquid Chromatograph
- Gas Chromatograph - Mass Spectrometer
- Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer
- Environmental Chamber and incubators
- Biosafety Cabinet
- Nikon Compound and Stereo Microscopes with Digital Camera
- Nikon Inverted Microscope
- End-point Thermal Cycler
- Real-time Thermal Cycler
Chi Beta Phi, the natural science, math, and psychology honor society offers students the opportunity to network with like-minded peers and have their scholarly accomplishments recognized.
Pre-professional advising focuses on some of the most in-demand health care professions of today and tomorrow, including medicine and pharmacy.
Dr. Catherine Abbott
Professor of Mathematics
Academic Credentials
- University of North Texas
- Ph.D.
- University of North Texas
- M.A.
- University of Texas at Tyler
- B.S.
Barbara Demjanec
Laboratory Coordinator
Academic Credentials
- University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign
- M.S.
- Montana State University
- B.S.
Dr. Dominique Derminio
Assistant Professor of Biology
Academic Credentials
- Keuka College
- B.A. in Biochemistry
- University of New South Wales
- M.S. in Res. in Psychiatry/Molecular Biology
- SUNY ESF
- Ph.D. in Biochemistry
Biography
Dr. Derminio teaches general chemistry, organic chemistry, and nursing chemistry, and has previously taught introductory biology courses. Her primary area of expertise is photosynthetic biochemistry in cyanobacteria. She loves teaching and talking to students about a wide range of sciences.
Dr. Andrew Geragotelis
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Academic Credentials
- Siena College
- B.S. in Chemistry
- University of California Irvine
- M.S. in Chemistry
- University of California Irvine
- Ph.D. in Chemistry
Biography
Dr. Andrew Geragotelis joined the faculty at Keuka College in 2023, teaching chemistry and additional courses. He actively pursues research in the field of computational chemistry, using computer simulations and molecular modeling methods to study how biomolecules interact with one another and how properties of their dynamics can be better understood. He is also interested in chemistry and physics education research.
Jessica Katolik
Instructor of Biology
Academic Credentials
- University of Rochester
- M.S. in Pharmacology and Physiology
- Rochester Institute of Technology
- B.S. in Biotechnology
Dr. Michael Keck
Chair of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Professor of Chemistry
Academic Credentials
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Ph.D.
- University of California at Berkeley
- B.S.
Biography
Dr. Keck joined the faculty at Keuka College in 2008 after 13 years teaching at Emporia State University (Kansas). He teaches chemistry and biochemistry, and has also taught analytical chemistry and inorganic chemistry. His primary area of expertise is nucleic acids biochemistry. He loves teaching, and he is also eager to work with students on research projects. He and his students are presently collaborating with colleagues at RIT to design and evaluate compounds that have potential as photodynamic therapy agents.
Gylla MacGregor
Instructor of Biology
Academic Credentials
- Lehigh University
- M.S. in Microbiology with Integrative Biology Emphasis
- Clarion University of Pennsylvania
- M.S. in Biology with Ecology Emphasis
- The College of New Jersey
- B.S. in Biology
- Mercer County Community College
- A.S. in Chemistry
Biography
Gylla A. MacGregor has been with Keuka College since 2017. Prior to that, she was a Conservation Ecologist and GIS Project Director for New Jersey Audubon. While she considers herself a behavioral ecologist, her training and background are broad, as evidenced by the wide range of courses she loves and enjoys teaching, in both biology and environmental science. She’s particularly drawn to fieldwork and has engaged in research studies on timber rattlesnakes, bog turtles, grassland birds, deer and forest health, small mammals, and the regal fritillary butterfly, to name a few. She’s a strong believer in undergraduate research, which provides both hands-on learning and the development of critical skills that can be carried to graduate school or the professional market. Habitat restoration, geospatial mapping of wildlife habitat, problem-solving in raccoons, diatoms as an indicator of water quality, bait preference in small mammals, amphibians and water quality, and habitat preference of isopods are some examples of projects that students have engaged in. She encourages students to visit her office, check things out, and Believe in What We Can Do Together!
Professional Interests
Behavioral Ecology and Restoration Ecology.
Dr. Luciana Parent
Associate Professor of Biology
Academic Credentials
- University of Sao Paulo/Cornell University (Sandwich Program)
- Ph.D.
- Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG)
- M.S.
- Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG)
- B.S.
Dr. Andrew Robak
Professor of Chemistry
Academic Credentials
- University of Oregon
- Ph.D.
- University of Oregon
- M.S. in Chemistry
- Rochester Institute of Technology
- B.S. in Environmental Chemistry
Biography
Dr. Robak started teaching at Keuka College in the Fall of 2007 and is the primary instructor for organic chemistry at Keuka.
He is the adviser for Keuka's chemistry club and also directs a number of undergraduate research projects. Active research projects include: Exploring click chemistry for organic synthesis, developing new surfboard coatings from polyurethanes, designing chemistry experiments for home-schooled children at the high school level and a project using chemistry and photography to promote both art and science.
Other research interests are: designing more environmentally friendly lab experiments
Professional Interests
chemistry, organic chemistry, science based medicine, green chemistry, science in popular culture, science as art, polymers/plastics, science education, explosive chemistry demonstrations, inorganic chemistry
Jack Westbrook
Instructor of Mathematics
Academic Credentials
- SUNY Geneseo
- M.S.
- SUNY Geneseo
- B.S.
Contact Information
Dr. Michael Keck
Chair of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Professor of Chemistry
