Associate Professor
Dr. Amy Parente earned dual B.S. degrees in Chemistry and Biology from SUNY Fredonia before completing her M.S. and Ph.D. in Bioorganic Chemistry from the University of Rochester. Following an American Cancer Society-funded postdoctoral fellowship at Penn State University, she spent 10 years as a faculty member at Penn State’s Altoona campus before accepting her current position at Mercyhurst University. Dr. Parente has authored over a dozen publications and secured nearly $1.3 million in research funding over the past 20 years.
- Ph.D., Chemistry, University of Rochester, 1999
- M.S., Chemistry, University of Rochester, 1997
- B.S., Chemistry, SUNY Fredonia, 1995
- B.S., Biology, SUNY Fredonia, 1995
- CHEM 121/122: General Chemistry I Lecture/Lab
- CHEM 131/132: General Chemistry II Lecture/Lab
- CHEM 331/332: Biochemistry I Lecture/Lab
- CHEM 338/339: Biochemistry II Lecture/Lab
- CHEM 409/410/412: Capstone Research Experience
- President, Pennsylvania Academy of Science (2018 – 2020)
My job as a teacher scholar is to impart my knowledge of and passion for my discipline to my students, to encourage their growth in the depth of their understanding of the material and instill a love of life-long learning. This generally means highlighting applications of scientific content using real-world examples. In General Chemistry, this might mean understanding why diet soda (but not regular) is more likely to explode in your freezer. In Biochemistry, this means using medical case studies to reinforce concepts like protein structure and function through the lens of insulin and Type II diabetes.
The involvement of students in my research program has unequivocally been the most rewarding part of my scholarly activities. Students are able to witness and share in my passion for my discipline, and in turn foster their own love of the subject matter. My philosophy for research parallels that for teaching, believing that the best way to learn a subject matter is by doing, and that my role as a teacher is to elevate a student’s learning from simply remembering facts about their laboratory research to creating new knowledge about their subject area. Current research projects include the study of the citric acid cycle enzymes malate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase.