By TG BRANFALT JR.
Staff Writer
PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 27, 2011
Dr. Kari Murad’s office is decorated with photos: Photos of her cocker-doodle, Hunter; a photo of a Buddhist monk, draped in orange, playing with a black and white cat; and a photo of Murad wearing a white facemask in New Orleans with director of community service, Ken Scott.
On her bookshelf is a framed photo accompanied by a handwritten letter. The letter is written by the father of the girl in the photo, thanking Murad for her work providing a cure for Cooley’s Anemia, which afflicts his daughter. A hand-made collage, given to her by a former student, hangs on the wall adjacent to the newest addition to her collection of memories and accomplishments: the Community Service Award given to her by the College of Saint Rose.
Murad was hired by Saint Rose 12 years ago. She currently teaches microbiology and immunology. Murad is a gem. Rated 4.9 out of a possible five, and given a chili pepper, on Ratemyprofessors.com. She has made a positive impact on her students, who have, in return, kept in touch and given Murad tokens of their appreciation. On her desk lay two stuffed animals—rather microbes—complete with wide cartoon eyes, given to her by a former student. So far, in this young semester, four former students have come to visit her and two have e-mailed.
Before Murad arrived at Saint Rose she briefly worked at the University of Colorado in their transplant division, working closely with their bone marrow unit transplanting stem cells.
Some might say Murad’s career started long before she started studying biology and medical anthropology at Mt. Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. Growing up she worked as a candy striper (hospital volunteer) at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. She worked in the pathology lab prepping slides and delivering samples. Murad continued her higher education at Albany Medical Center, receiving her PhD in experimental pathology.
“I don’t know how microbiology can’t be fun,” Murad said. “You put your finger on a plate and see what grows.”
Her PhD research, camouflaging red blood cells, is still patented and ongoing.
“Camouflaging cells involves taking human red blood cells and coating them with chemicals in order to allow them to become a universal red blood cell,” Murad said. “The hope is the ability to do a blood transfusion without blood typing.”
“They [The College of Saint Rose] took a chance on me,” she said.
If it was a chance, it paid off ten-fold. During her tenure at the college, Murad has immersed herself into helping both the college and city community. She has partnered with the Damien Center for 10 years, sending her students to them for internships and independent studies. The Damien Center is a drop-in location for people who are infected, and affected, by HIV.
“What we do depends on the student, and project. We do everything from basic volunteering for Reach Out Saint Rose Day to household chores,” she said, “We also participate in the PAWS (Pets Are Wonderful Support) program taking care of pets that belong to people with HIV.”
Murad also volunteers with Heifer International whose mission is to “Work with communities to end hunger and poverty and care for the earth by empowering them to turn their lives of hunger and poverty into self reliance and hope,” according to their website, www.heifer.org.
With some of her students, Murad went to Heifer Farm in Perryville, Arkansas. They participated in leadership training, using a grassroots approach. She is the former Area Regional Coordinator of Heifer.
This upcoming year she is looking to send students for leadership training with Heifer, plan an alternative spring break to Honduras and complete a grant application on behalf of the Damien Center for health assessment programs.
She also coordinated, as a Team Leader for the college, an alternative spring break to Honduras, a location she has also gone independently. Murad has also volunteered with Saint Rose students at an orphanage and school for the disabled in Honduras.
“We build better stoves in order to decrease respiratory issues. We take areas of land and work the soil, put microbes they need back in the soil,” Murad said, “We use organic fertilizers and composting methods so we’re not paying big companies for seeds and fertilizer,” she said.
“She is an example to everyone to show what we can do to live out the mission of the college,” said Richard Thompson, Dean of Mathematics and Sciences. “Whether we are talking about local, national, or global she is involved on so many levels. She is a role model for what an engaged college campus should be.”
Not everybody gets such a glowing recommendation from his or her boss.
“She also does a great job teaching, mentoring students and research. She’s good,” Thompson said, “She’s really good.”
Above all, Murad is humble.
“It’s quite an honor,” Murad said, when asked the Community Service Award, “So many of my colleagues deserve this award.”
She speaks with a quiet confidence.
“It was overwhelming to be nominated, and actually chosen because of all of the people that are certainly deserving. It feels pretty cool, like a rock star,” she said.
