Salutatorian
Alexandra Albert, Eagle Lake, Maine

Alexandra Albert double majored in biochemistry, and molecular and cellular biology, with a minor in microbiology. For the past year, she has been a research assistant in the laboratory of Professor Robert Wheeler, where the focus is on microbial pathogens and their hosts. Ms. Albert's honors thesis research focuses on the interactions between Candida albicans, a fungal pathogen, and the immune system. In this country, C. albicans is the fourth leading cause of nosocomial bloodstream infection. She presented her research at the last two National Collegiate Honors Council conferences. Ms. Albert has held internships at Maine Medical Center Research Institute in Scarborough, Maine; the Maine Institute for Human Genetics and Health, Brewer, Maine; Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Salisbury Cove, Maine; and The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine. Ms. Albert has received numerous awards and scholarships, including the Frederick H. Radke Memorial Award. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi honor societies, and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Ms. Albert is a graduate of Fort Kent Community High School, where she also was salutatorian. After graduation, she plans to pursue an MD/Ph.D. program and work in translational research, the bench-to-bedside approach to bridging the gap between research and the clinical setting.

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