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MORE ABOUT ANTONIO
Being able to dive into sophisticated research as early as his first year is what drew Antonio Collado to Hofstra University. The biochemistry major from Long Island has the distinction of being honored as a Goldwater Scholar and recent recipient of the Chemers Neustein Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) from Rockefeller University.
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“I liked that research opportunities would be available to me right away, and that I wouldn’t have to wait until I was a junior or senior to use the advanced instruments.”
Living through the COVID-19 pandemic sparked Antonio’s interest in learning about disease, antibiotic resistance, drug design, and natural analogs to combat viruses. During his sophomore year at Hofstra, he was invited by Professor Scott Lefurgy to join a lab studying the structure and function of enzymes that are targeted by antibiotics.
Antonio’s recent honors as a Goldwater Scholar and a SURF recipient were recognized because of his academic achievements, as well as the research he has conducted with Dr. Lefurgy.
Considered the preeminent award for undergraduate students studying the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics, 2023’s 413 Goldwater Scholars were selected from more than 5,000 sophomores and juniors nominated nationwide. Likewise, more than 700 students throughout the U.S. and Canada applied for the SURF Program at Rockefeller University, and only 25 were accepted.
Antonio said that of everything he’s learned at Hofstra, he most values the mentoring he’s received from Dr. Lefurgy. “He has been so insightful and helped me through the graduate application process,” he said.
“The one thing he said about research that’s always on my mind is to accept that mistakes happen. It’s rare that something in the lab goes perfectly on the first attempt. But the more you work and push forward, the more you’ll learn and improve your results.”
» Antonio’s story isn’t unique. In fact, among Hofstra University’s 2021-2022 undergraduate degree recipients, 92% of alumni from the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics reported they were employed or had started or were planning to start graduate school within one year of graduation. Results are based on data collected from the Alumni Outcomes survey, LinkedIn, National Student Clearinghouse, and Hofstra enrollment (80% knowledge rate). Visit our outcomes page at hofstra.edu/outcomes for detailed information.