Amira Zaher came to St. Cloud State University from Mansoura, Egypt with an undergraduate scholarship through the U.S. Agency of International Development (USAID) in Egypt. In 2020, Zaher graduated from SCSU with a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences, which she is now using to continue her education while making waves in the STEM field.
Zaher, who was one of 24 Egyptian women to receive the USAID scholarship out of the more than 500 applicants, chose to use her scholarship to attend SCSU because of its “diverse student body, excellent biomedical science, biochemistry, molecular biology, and pre-medicine programs and very dedicated faculty”.
Zaher worked closely with her research mentors, Dr. Christopher Kvaal and Dr. Marina Cetkovic-Cvrlje, during her time in SCSU’s College of Science and Engineering. It was this early lab research, combined with her experiences in advanced courses at SCSU, that got her hooked-on laboratory sciences, something she grew particularly skilled at.
Additionally, Zaher became interested in studying cancer after learning about its uniquely interesting biology. This is why Zaher is now working on her Ph.D. at the University of Iowa in the Cancer Biology program. Working with her mentors on her research, Zaher gained crucial skills in teaching and leadership that she has been able to translate to her graduate work. Zaher said that her mentors’ guidance was crucial as she worked towards going to graduate school and that “they are both incredibly dedicated faculty members and working with them was absolutely inspiring.”
After finishing her program at the University of Iowa, Zaher hopes to continue her research as an independent researcher. She also wants to have a central focus on teaching and improving graduate training nationwide. Zaher is truly leading the way for women in the STEM field.
When asked what message she would give to young women thinking about pursuing a career in a STEM field, Zaher said: “Your presence in STEM is not a privilege, it is a necessity for humanity to progress and thrive. This is your place as much as it is everybody else’s. Your ideas, contributions, and accomplishments are paradigm-shifting, and we need you to make STEM better. Keep this in mind as you journey on and use it to break through any barriers you may face. Each step you take forward, is a step forward to all women in STEM.”
