By Gail Stephens
UMES biochemistry major Alexandra Camp performs an experiment in a chemistry lab on campus.
Alexandria Camp recalls sitting before the TV engrossed in popular dramatized crime shows as a youth. It wasn’t the charismatic or quirky main characters, or the plot twists, but the “meticulous work of the lab technicians” that caught her interest.
The UMES biochemistry major, who earned her bachelor’s degree in December 2025, is now on her way to achieving her dream of a career in forensic science.
“Attending UMES has supported my goals by strengthening my academic skills, connecting me with valuable mentors and resources, and providing real-world experiences that have helped shape my career path,” Camp said.
The biochemistry curriculum provided the undergraduate with a strong laboratory foundation in biology, cell biology, genetics, biochemistry and microbiology, along with physics and chemistry.
“These hands-on courses helped me apply scientific concepts to real experiments and strengthened my technical abilities,” she said.
Camp has performed cell culture, bacterial transformation and fractionation, gram staining, PCR, DNA and RNA extraction, electrophoresis and spectrophotometry, to name a few.
She expanded her analytical skills and scientific work overseas during an honors research experience in Sunyani, Ghana. There, she studied how temperature and water body type affect turbidity.
Camp’s aptitude earned her a nod as UMES’ nomination for the American Chemical Society’s 2025 Outstanding Undergraduates in Biochemistry.
The native of White Plains, Maryland, attributes her success in part to the support provided as a UMES Land-grant Scholar over the course of her four-year academic career.
She is also a believer in giving back.
“One of her outstanding qualities is her dedication to supporting her peers. She regularly uses her free time to tutor students in Biochemistry I and Organic Chemistry subjects she has mastered and remains current with,” said Logan Quinn, SANS coordinator for recruitment, retention and experiential learning.
Camp will pursue a master’s degree in forensic science at Towson University, where she has been accepted for Fall 2026.
“Science produces evidence, and evidence produces justice. This connection between scientific discovery and its impact on society is what draws me to the field of forensic science,” she said.
