Adolfo Lara, a recent biology graduate, was born in Mexico and is now in the doctoral program at the American Museum of Natural History.

Recent graduate Adolfo Lara has a bright future in the field of biology, thanks in part to his alma mater.

Because of his academic performance and experiences at UHD, including participating in research opportunities and student organizations, Lara was accepted into the innovative doctorate program in comparative biology at the American Museum of Natural History.

"I feel so lucky to have attended UHD," he said. "I had opportunities to do research as an undergraduate; I joined science clubs and built a network that extends past college. UHD showed me the professional possibilities available to me and helped me reach them."

According to Lara, personal attention from elite professors is a defining characteristic of the University.

"All of my professors, even those outside of my major, were always so supportive," he said. "They're passionate about what they do and that's contagious. They helped me apply for scholarships and internships and were always available to answer my questions - even non-school related ones."

While not in class, Lara worked part time at UHD as a tutor. He also was actively involved in Scholars Academy, an academically competitive program in the College of Sciences and Technology, for which he was a peer mentor.

Lara began the doctorate program in New York in fall 2013 and looks forward to one day getting involved in education policy or becoming a professor.