T O D A Y - Berwick Academy

Alumni Weekend 2012...come back and celebrate!Interview with anAlumnusJordan Sullivan ‘0344All alumni are invited to two new signature events of the weekend:The Hilltop Luncheon is the traditional alumni banquet, just held earlier in the day. Come to the JacksonLibrary at noon for lunch on Saturday, and stay for the alumni awards and celebration of the 50th reunion ofthe Class of 1962.The 100 Club Cocktail Reception will be held in downtown Portsmouth on Saturdayfrom 5:30-8:30 p.m. Make this your first stop to reconnect with classmates and teachers before headingout to experience Portsmouth’s nightlife.Thursday, September 20, 2012Bulldog Boosters Golf Tournamentat The Ledges in Yorkberwickacademy.org/boostersFriday, September 21, 201211 a.m. – Noon Upper School Classroom ExperienceNoon – 1 p.m. Lunch in the Commons2:30 – 4 p.m. Historic Campus Tour3:30 p.m. Student AthleticsMore information about the weekend’s events is availablethrough our website at:www.berwickacademy.org/alumniweekendContact Kathryn Strand in the Alumni Office withquestions or to register at 207.384.6307 orkstrand@berwickacademy.org.Saturday, September 22, 20129:30 – 11 a.m. Continental Breakfast and WelcomeCenter in Jackson Library11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Dog Days Family Fun Fair on Fogg Field11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Upper School AthleticsNoon – 1:30 p.m. Hilltop luncheon in Jackson Library1:30 - 2 p.m. Alumni Awards Presentation, Celebration of theClass of 1962 50th reunion, and Alumni Art Exhibit byMark Ruddy ‘77 in Jackson Library2 – 4 p.m. Historic Campus Tour4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Alumni Soccer on the turf fieldwith Mr. Connolly5:30 – 8:30 p.m. 100 Club AlumniCocktail ReceptionSeptember21-23Register online at www.berwickacademy.org/alumniweekendYou are doing some pretty interesting work atThe Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.Yes, I am doing research in the Genetics Analysis Program,where we isolate DNA in cell samples, looking fordifferences in the genetics which increase the likelihoodof a disease such as diabetes, autism, or schizophrenia,among others.What is a typical day in the lab like?Our lab takes in cell samples from patients with a particulardisease. We isolate the DNA in thecells, purify it, and then a liquidhandlingrobot hybridizes it to achip. I shoot those chips with opticlasers, which makes the fluorescentbeads attached to the DNA glowwhen the chip is scanned. From theintensity of the glow, we are ableto deduce the genotype and lookfor differences from the controlsamples.That is pretty amazing, yetall I can think about is youshooting lasers.It’s a lot of fun.You didn’t start out to be aresearch scientist. How did you wind up in a lab?After BA, I went to Davidson College in North Carolina,a small liberal arts college that reminded me of BA. Iwas pre-med, but I wasn’t really passionate about it, soI focused on biology, which was a lot of fun. I felt I hadendless job possibilities once I graduated, but the weakeconomy forced me back to Maine waiting tables. Beforelong, I applied to the Broad Institute and got my firstresearch job.Have you worked on any exciting breakthroughs?I took a sabbatical from my current position and workedin the Medical and Population Genetics program on aninternational study of individuals who had an innateability to suppress HIV. Our group found that there weredifferences on a genetic level between people who cansuppress the virus and those who cannot. Our findingswere published.What is the ultimate goal of your research?We strive to identify the genetic components of diseases.I would say that ultimately we’re looking to gain a betterunderstanding of diseases, with the hope that we caneventually find unique, or even personalized, ways to treator prevent them. In breast cancer for example, we wouldmore likely aim to develop novel therapeutics to targetand exploit that genetic difference.Back when you were roaming the halls of BA,did you have any idea you wouldbe shooting lasers and looking forways to stop cancer?Not really, but science and math werealways my strong suits, and I chosebiology because it came easily tome. I took lots of AP courses and hadsome great teachers. I am thankful formany people at BA. Ms. Bessette wasextremely helpful. Mr. Sherbahn was myadvisor and was tremendous at guidingme through the college admissionsprocess and just generally dealing witha teenager.What is next for you, careerwise?I am currently working toward myMaster of Liberal Arts in Finance atHarvard and plan to finish within a year. My hard sciencebackground combined with finance will give me a diversityof knowledge so I can explore working on the businessside of science. I may get involved with venture capitalfor biotech companies or other science-based start-ups.Since I really like to work with people, this career shouldsuit me better than the lab work.Any advice to the aspiring scientist?Whether or not you are considering a career in science,math and science are always great courses to take becausethey play such an important part in our future. You alsodon’t have to go down a singular path. Like me, if you arepassionate about two fields, try to find a way to combinethem. Finally, don’t get discouraged if you can’t find a jobright away!Jordan is currently living in Cambridge with his dog, Murphy. His mother,Jennifer Brewer, is the Library Director and Lower School Librarian at BA.Jordan can be contacted at jordan@broadinstitute.org.45