Statement of Purpose Marium Fatima

The contributions of Madame Curie, Rosalind Franklin, and now Carolyn Bertozzi motivate any
girl worldwide to pursue chemistry. I consider myself lucky to be amongst those who choose the
path of innovation, discoveries, and making the world more exuberant by mixing colorful
chemicals in a flask. My journey to love chemistry started during FSc; listening to the intriguing
concepts underlying the reactions prevalent in everyday life urged me to go to the lab and perform
experiments myself. Observing the various natural phenomena around me, like the formation of
colors in flowers, trees, and rainbows, raised the question, How does the motion of molecules in
any object give it a color?
During my undergraduate studies at the University of Wah, Wah Cantt, I studied different subjects,
like inorganic, physical, and industrial chemistry. Analyzing organic chemistry made me realize I
am connected to it and myself. During my undergraduate studies, I read chemistry magazines in
the library. Reading the article about "Piperazine and its derivatives" in one journal interested me
in its chemical synthesis. I started work on "Synthesis of N-benzylidene toluidine and its Metal
Complex" in my final year. I characterize my product by IR and NMR and check its activity against
E.coli bacteria with the help of the Bioscience department. This project Increased my
interdisciplinary approach to how two fields depend on each other and equipped me with skills
essential for the synthetic organic chemist.
I took a virtual session, "Drug Discovery Symposium," from LUMS. After this session, I realized
how organic chemistry is helping in the discovery of new drugs. The diversity of the knowledge
in the session and the open Q&A session for the audience were attractive. A graduate of LUMS
with a master's degree in chemistry is likely to work in Pakistani industries and academic
organizations in Pakistan. Those who continue their education can apply for full-funded
scholarships to the Ph.D. program at LUMS or international universities.
During my second year at LUMS, I joined Dr. Shahana Khurshid’s group, which works on
environmental sustainability; this area involves the characterization of airborne particulate matter,
including its seasonal study, health effects, and source apportionments. I reviewed the literature
on levoglucosan, reactive oxygen species, and metals present in air, and then I began to concentrate
on the characterization of airborne particulate matter. In this study, I focus on PM2.5 due to its
adverse health effects. I characterized the size of a particle through a scanning electron microscope
(SEM) by adjusting different flow rates. I found that 15 L/min is the optimal flow rate for
maximum collection of PM2.5 in Lahore air. I characterize reactive oxygen species through ascorbic
acid assay, UV-visible spectrophotometer, and metals through inductively coupled plasma optical
emission spectrometry (ICP-OES).This project equipped me with essential laboratory skills, data
analysis, and problem-solving skills. This project also increased my collaboration skills with my
research group. This hands-on experience inspired me to continue researching environmental
chemistry and deepened my understanding of the ecological and health impacts of airborne
particulate matter.
While at LUMS, I gained professional experience by supervising an A-level student in a research
internship program offered by the chemistry and chemical engineering department. I guided the
student through essential research skills, literature review, collecting particulate matter, and data
analysis through ImageJ, and this mentorship experience increased my leadership skills.
Additionally, I have a teaching background. My teaching role has honed my ability to
communicate complex scientific concepts and equipped me with a diverse skill set.
I want to get involved in and passionate about my academic work. I have a keen research interest
and have a habit of probing and pledging things. To learn about new developments in different
research areas, I connected with international students and faculty, discovering the wide range of
research opportunities and advanced facilities at universities in the USA. My long-term goal is to
work in academia, where I can contribute to scientific research and help spread scientific
education, especially in places where it is most needed. After completing my Ph.D., I plan to
continue with postdoctoral training to gain further expertise. To learn about new developments in
different research areas, I connected with international students and faculty, discovering the wide
range of research opportunities and advanced facilities at universities in the USA. I want to build
my skills in designing projects, forming hypotheses, and solving scientific problems on my own.
My long-term goal is to work in academia, where I can contribute to scientific research and help
spread scientific education, especially in places where it is most needed. After completing my
Ph.D., I plan to continue with postdoctoral training to gain further expertise.
I learned about diverse research opportunities and cutting-edge facilities in universities in
the USA. As I always wanted to improve myself and contribute to society through research, it is
paramount to be a part of a highly competitive research community and pursue a Ph.D. from a
renowned institution such as the University of Cincinnati, which is ethnically diverse and has top-
notch research facilities. Having thoroughly reviewed the research profiles of Dr. Tianren Wu, I
believe their work perfectly aligns with my interests. Dr. Tianren Wu's research on indoor air
quality appeals to me as I have worked in these fields during my MS research. It also aligns with
my research instincts, will enhance my interdisciplinary research skills, and will allow me to
broaden my research areas and explore other fields. Moreover, what makes the University of
Cincinnati the best choice for me is the encouraging policy of equal opportunity for a racially
diverse student body. I look forward to teaching assistantship opportunities as they will provide
me with a platform to interact with a diverse student body and further sharpen my skills, which
will inevitably be advantageous in my long-term career plans. I wish to use and energize my
dominant abilities by becoming a receptive mind of Cincinnati. Cincinnati would be the correct
and exact harbor for me to reach and then touch the pinnacles of life to materialize my dreams.