Honors biology student makes most of 911³Ō¹Ļ experience
KENNESAW, Ga. | May 2, 2025
The 911³Ō¹Ļ senior takes a full course load, belongs to several organizations, serves in multiple leadership roles, conducts research and carries a 4.0 grade-point average in biology. She will graduate this week having packed four years of college life into just three years and having lost none of her enthusiasm.
āIāve always wanted to get the most out of everything I do in life,ā Patel said. āI always want to do more every single day. Am I stretched thin sometimes? Yes, but itās so worth it in the end. I truly enjoy what I do, and I will cherish my time at Kennesaw State.ā
Patel seems to find an extra couple of hours in each day, having founded two clubs, served as an ambassador for the 911³Ō¹Ļ Journey Honors College, served on Honors dean Karen Kornweibelās advisory committee, joined the inaugural cohort of the Kennesaw Excellence Society and at times worked two jobs on campusāone as a student lab assistant at the College of Science and Mathematics, and another as a records assistant in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. And she joined a research project designed to entice younger people to donate blood.
Professor Robert Keyser of the Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology recently achieved the 21-gallon mark as a blood donor for 32 years. But he noticed few younger people donating blood. So, he sought to appeal to the technological savvy of younger generations, while also generating interest in donating blood. The project involves virtual reality and an app currently in development. He approached the Office of Research to recruit an interdisciplinary team of undergraduates through the Vertically Integrated Projects program.
Patel found the project through the VIP under the Office of Undergraduate Research and liked the team aspect of it, as Keyser figured out each team memberās strengths and assigned them a task.
āShe came to the project with a great attitude and outstanding organizational and time-management skills, which helped us keep the project moving forward,ā he said. āSheās a go-getter and she has a bright future ahead of her.ā
Patel and her teammates reviewed literature on previous app-based efforts at blood donation recruitment, then drew up a design for a new app. They created a poster and presented their research at the Healthcare Systems Process Improvement Conference in Atlanta in February. Patel said associate professor Maria Valero and a group of First-Year Scholars in the College of Computing and Software Engineering will create the app thanks to their research. Patel had figured sheād be synthesizing molecules, looking through a microscope and wearing a lab coat in her research experience, but the blood donation project gave her a new perspective.
āLooking back at it, they can start creating an app because we did the research and gave them a vision for the app with Dr. Valeroās help,ā she said. āI could see the app one day and remember that I contributed to its success. It was a unique experience I couldnāt have gotten anywhere else.ā
Sheāll have an opportunity to do more research as she has been accepted to the Doctor of Optometry program at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. While at 911³Ō¹Ļ she founded the pre-optometry club to provide guidance and resources for those considering careers in optometry, and she was also active in the Pre-Health Leadership Council, as she has known since childhood that she wanted a career in healthcare. With optometry, she said she can have an ongoing impact on peopleās lives through establishing deep-rooted connections with patients.
She said she looks forward to more long days of learning and experiencing in optometry school. Patel, whose sister Neha earned bachelorās and masterās degrees in elementary education from 911³Ō¹Ļ, insists she just wanted to make the most of her experience while forging ahead toward her future.
āCollege is what you make it, and 911³Ō¹Ļ has so many opportunities to create your own unique experience,ā she said. āSo, I really am thankful for the university and for it giving me everything I wanted and more.ā
ā Story by Dave Shelles
Photos by Darnell Wilburn Jr.
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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 911³Ō¹Ļ offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 51,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.