It’s that time again! And no, we don’t mean this weekend’s Homecoming (even though we’re excited about that, too) — we’re talking about highlighting another impressive alum who is getting national recognition. We’ve had a lot to brag about lately, but now we’re turning our attention to Sarah Wacker, ’06, and her prestigious grant.

A biochemistry professor at Manhattan College, Wacker has earned a $383,078 Academic Research Enhancement Awards R15 grant from the National Institutes of Health to study how bacteria come together to cause infections.  

“This grant will allow me to dramatically expand my research agenda by providing extra resources to conduct experiments, outsource experiments that require instrumentation we don't have, and purchase new equipment,” she said in a news release.  

Congratulations to Sarah! We’re proud of all she has accomplished since starting her biochemistry path at UR.