Although I work with Dr. Craig Henriquez in a research setting, I feel extremely fortunate to see him as both a researcher and a professor. Not only is he a dedicated researcher and engaged in every project he oversees, but he is also a mentor, always available to help problem-solve and guide me through new, technical concepts.
Dr. Henriquez attended Duke University for both his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees. He originally was interested in chemical engineering as an undergraduate and decided to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering since it was the closest major to chemical engineering that Duke offered. One of his favorite aspects of Duke was the project-based classes he took as an upperclassmen, because he found designing and implementing a project of his own very rewarding. During his time as an undergraduate, Dr. H remembers being unsure of his intentions after graduating, deciding to figure out his plans for the future along the way. He took a year off after graduating, teaching chemistry and math at a junior high school. With a new appreciation for how much he loved to teach, Dr. H then decided to attend graduate school and pursue the tenure track as a professor at Duke.
Dr. Henriquez believes the best part of conducting research at Duke is being surrounded by so many intelligent people from different fields, an environment which encourages interdisciplinary collaboration. However, he admits one of the pitfalls of research is being restrained by funding; often researchers are limited to specific paths that are “fundable” and have a hard time exploring other areas because of the risk involved and the limited amount of funding. Luckily, collaborating with researchers of different fields can allow more freedom, for instance giving Dr. H the opportunity to explore topics of neuroengineering that otherwise may have been difficult to pioneer on his own. All in all, after hearing about Dr. Henriquez’s successful journey through science, I’ve learned to 1) never underestimate what you can gain from small opportunities and 2) be okay with not always having a clear-cut path for the future.
