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	CoE Links CoE Home CoE Alumni CoE Directory CoE Online Giving CoE Study Abroad CoE Student Services Contact CoE Paul Baran Receives National Medal Open Houses Engineers Week		Prospective: Undergraduate: Student Profiles: Vanessa Vardon VANESSA VARDON '08 (chemical), B.S./Ph.D. Hailing from the prestigious Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA), Vanessa Vardon '08 is one of a select group of students chosen to participate in Drexel's pioneering B.S./Ph.D. or SuperNOVA program. Vardon began conducting research as a freshman-putting her on track to earn both her B.S. and her doctorate in as little as six years. If she has her way, she might even fit an M.D. in there too. Vardon's collaboration with the College of Engineering began when she was a junior at IMSA and had the opportunity to work with Dr. Ken Lacovara, head of the Engineering Geology program, on a dinosaur dig in Montana. During her senior year, she started exploring her interest in chemical engineering under the mentorship of Dr. Cato Laurencin, the Helen I. Moorehead Professor of Chemical Engineering, with whom she created biodegradable nanospheres of polylactic and polyglycolic acid. Currently, Vardon is collaborating with Drexel's College of Medicine to develop a polymer gel that can be implanted into the spinal chord to repair chord injuries. She hopes this research will become the basis of her doctoral thesis. Ultimately, Vardon wants to become a research physician specializing in the neurosciences. "I want to finish my bachelor's as soon as possible and start medical school at Drexel, hopefully during my 5th year in the SuperNOVA program." Vardon dreams big-and Drexel is helping her to realize those dreams, every step of the way. An active member of the Society for Women Engineers (SWE), Vardon is a shining example of the new generation of women engineers. The lesson her experiences have taught her? "If you have a gift for science, you should use it. There are so many opportunities for women in science and engineering today."