The moments when students find topics they love are what inspire Assistant Professor of Chemistry Samantha Glazier.  When a student connects with a topic and gets excited about it, “that’s what makes it dinner-time conversation,” says Glazier.  She is constantly looking for new ways to make a topic interesting for students, and she recognizes that grades are not the only way to judge a student.  She says, “I value the curiosity, talents and insights that come about when there is a good match between a person and an idea.”

Prof. Glazier studies DNA binding properties and applies the concepts to anti-cancer therapeutics.  She has been studying the unique, complex and unexpected DNA binding pathway of Nogalamycin and has historically worked with ruthenium complexes. 

Glazier worked with Matt Millard ’09 on his summer research and Senior-Year Experience, titled A Stopped-Flow Study of the Binding Kinetics of the Anti-Tumor Drug Nogalamycin with DNA.  She says that she is especially proud of this project because she is in the process of submitting the work to be published.  “This is my first purely St. Lawrence paper and mentoring someone’s research is something I have looked forward to since graduate school,” she says.

Last spring Glazier spent a sabbatical as a guest researcher at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden.  “It was refreshing to be the person asking all the questions instead of giving the information,” she says. “It really put me in touch with being a student again.” She has taken this experience and incorporated new teaching techniques in the classroom.  Glazier says that the “can-do” atmosphere is “really exciting” at St. Lawrence.  She sees the students and faculty as being mutually supportive and expressing great enthusiasm for learning.

When she isn’t in the lab, you can likely find Glazier in Appleton Arena, where she is an avid supporter of the women’s ice hockey team.  She also enjoys rock climbing.

--Josh Johnson ’10