Keely Parisian '01
Medical Student

A second-year student at SUNY Upstate Medical University , Keely R. Parisian '01, is a native of nearby Massena, New York, and says, “I was fortunate to meet (Associate Professor of Biology) Joseph Erlichman as a sophomore while working as a general biology teaching assistant. He was in search of students to participate in a research project in neuroscience and I was more than happy to be involved in such an opportunity. I continued my research with him and was able to create an honors project in biology, which I presented at the Festival of Science.

“The experience that I gained at St. Lawrence through research assisted me in obtaining a position at SUNY Upstate Medical University as a research technician studying atrial and ventricular fibrillation for one year. After one year of clinical research, I was accepted into Upstate's medical school program. I cannot imagine obtaining a position as a research assistant and entering medical school without the assistance of St. Lawrence University and, even more, the opportunities that were offered to me through Dr. Erlichman and the biology department. I am extremely grateful and thankful!”

Parisian also had a minor in chemistry, and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the national academic honor society; Omicron Delta Kappa, the leadership honorary; and Kappa Delta Sigma sorority on campus. She was recently awarded the first Dr. Ulric R. Plante Scholarship, named in honor of a Massena physician and meant to assist medical students who plan to return to this area to practice. She learned about the scholarship through Dr. Maureen W. Daye '85, a gastroenterologist in Massena who has been her mentor.