Name: Nathalie Milbrandt
Hometown: Strongsville, Ohio
Major: Chemistry
Year: Senior
Nathalie Milbrandt, is not only a senior Chemistry student here at The Ohio State University, but she is also a TA for General Chemistry and a part of the STEM Exploration and Engagement Scholars Program. Nathalie does research with Dr. Woodward studying the synthesis, crystal structures, and magnetic properties of double perovskites containing 5d transition metals. But, that is not all! She plans on completing an undergraduate thesis with this project. “I find this project especially exciting because it involves synthesizing compounds that have never been made before”, Nathalie stated. Her favorite part about research is presenting it at poster forums, such as Denman, because it is exciting meeting and associating with new people interested in her research.
If you’re intrigued or considering chemistry or biochemistry as your major, do not fret! “Do not be intimidated!” Nathalie exclaimed. As we know, people will discuss how difficult some of their chemistry courses have been, however if you truly love the subject, you won’t mind putting in the necessary work to succeed! In fact, one of Nathalie’s favorite classes was Inorganic Chemistry with Dr. Cowan. She found this subject extremely interesting and it helped her decide to focus on inorganic chemistry in her future studies! Looking for a fun elective to take? One of her other favorites was Italian Renaissance Art History because it was so different than all the classes she was used to taking. She referred to it as a “nice escape” from all her heavy science courses.
One thing Nathalie believes every OSU student should do is get involved. Ohio State may seem like a huge school at first, however getting involved and meeting people with similar interests to your own will help to make campus feel smaller and more like home. You’ll be able to find your very own niche within the community here at Ohio State. If you’re out in between classes looking for a place to do some reading, or just relax before your next class, head over to the outside of Celeste in the springtime! The crabapples will be blooming, and that is Nathalie’s favorite place on campus.
What are Nathalie’s career goals upon graduation you ask? Well, like a lot of students here at OSU, she is not entirely sure. However, she really loves research and teaching so she decided to go to graduate school and further her studies in Chemistry! This will offer a wide variety of career paths for her to choose from. Nathalie also studied abroad last spring as part of the Scientific Roots in Europe class and went to London and Paris over spring break! On this trip she explored places such as Darwin’s house, Kew Gardens, the British Museum, and the Pasteur Institute. She said it was an amazing experience that she highly recommends to any Chemistry or Biochemistry student. She was unsure at first how she could fit a study abroad trip into her crazy schedule, however this trip was perfect because it was only 9 days away with a class portion at Ohio State throughout the semester!
We’ll leave you with a few little fun facts about Nathalie – The person she admires the most is her mom. She is always there whenever anyone needs her. She has taught Nathalie that family comes first and always is encouraging her and her sister to do their best. As for when she was in high school, Nathalie was an ice cream server for Mitchell’s Ice cream, a small Cleveland ice cream chain. They have over 40 flavors, and she’s tried them all!
We are honored and privileged to have students such as Nathalie in our department. We wish you the best of luck on all of your future endeavors!