In choosing a college, Amanda Diamond sought the best place to get an excellent and well rounded education that would nurture her passion for science. “I knew I was going to get a good education in science at UB and it has a lot of diversity,” says Amanda. 

Now, in her senior year, majoring in Biological Sciences, the Brockport, NY native is fully immersed in her research in plant physiology. “I’m using a model organism, Arabidopsis thaliana, and checking the modulatory effects on the growth rate. I’m measuring how the effect of the acetylcholine and choline affects growth.

In both the academic and extracurricular realms, Amanda is a model student. Between learning Spanish (which will be useful if she eventually conducts research in the rainforests of South America), walking to support Autism Research, dancing with UB’s Impulse Dance Force, and training for a triathlon, the UB senior has embraced a wide array of experiences on campus. 

As she prepares to graduate next year, Amanda is eyeing several possible career paths, ranging from medicine as a physician’s assistant, to teaching science at the middle or high school level, to academic research work in a university setting. 

Amanda’s well-rounded education and limitless career possibilities have been made possible in part through the generosity of donors. She is deeply grateful for the scholarship she received that has helped her focus on her studies. "The scholarship has made me feel like the research I’m conducting is meaningful and that I have accomplished something great; it has really made a difference in my life,” she explains.