Maame Yaa Yamoa

• Designed and carried out experiments to biologically degrade and/or valorize plastic as a step towards managing plastic waste by functionalizing plastic (polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate)
• Created a screening method for generating gene libraries for engineering polyethylene terephthalate hydrolyzing enzymes
• Found a method to enzymatically hydroxylate long chain hydrocarbons while regenerating expensive cofactors
• Designed plasmids with Geneious, cloned plasmids, and expressed genes and produced enzymes using E
• Coli
• The process entailed chemical transformation, inducing protein expression, protein purification (with affinity chromatography using gravity or AKTA and other FPLCs), SDS-PAGE, UV-Vis spectroscopy, GC-MS, BCA, PCR, DNA agarose gel electrophoresis, solid state extraction, testing enzyme kinetics, protein characterization, using a Nanodrop, site-directed mutagenesis, using AlphaFold, cell culturing/harvesting, and DNA extraction/purification
• Trained/mentored new graduate and undergraduate students
• Performed regular lab maintenance (preparing competent cells, performing maintenance/repairs on equipment, ordering from companies, organizing waste removal, organizing a lab relocation and cleaning, and other related duties)
• Was the first student on the Open Plastic project in the lab, and created methods for the succeeding students on the project.,
• Participated in regular meetings with project supervisors, providing progress updates and discussing potential challenges or areas for improvement.
• Managed multiple research projects simultaneously, ensuring timely completion and adherence to high-quality standards.
• Planned, modified and executed research techniques, procedures and tests.
• Presented research findings at conferences and workshops, fostering professional growth and collaboration within the academic community.
• Mentored undergraduate students, providing guidance on research methodologies and techniques.
• Gathered, reviewed, and summarized literature from scientific journals such as SciFinder and PubMed and produced graphs and other scientific calculations using MS Excel.
• Identified opportunities for process improvement within the laboratory setting, optimizing workflow efficiency while maintaining safety standards.
• Prepared summaries of research data for use in high-level meetings with investors and presentations.

• Created resources for undergraduate students to aid in learning course material
• Gave presentations and teaching chemistry concepts
• Taught laboratory techniques
• Evaluated student performance through regular quizzes, exams, and assignments to gauge progress and adjust lesson plans as needed for optimal results.
• Provided constructive feedback on student work, enabling them to continuously improve their academic skills and understanding of course material.
• Mentored undergraduate students, providing guidance on coursework, study habits, and career opportunities within the field of chemistry.

• The lab investigates and engineers biosynthetic pathways, primarily in yeast, to produce natural compounds such as noscapine, an anti-cancer drug
• In the first experiment, PCR was to add genes to yeast and amplified them
• Separated and identified DNA segments using gel electrophoresis
• UV was then used to further identify the DNA segments that had successfully added to the yeast
• In the last experiment, metabolites were extracted and identified from different organs of Malaysian and Thai kratom plants using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LCMS).
• Worked both independently and collaboratively in fast-paced laboratory environment.
• Gathered, arranged, and corrected research data to create representative graphs and charts highlighting results for presentations.

• Co-hosted discussion sections with the Graduate Teaching Assistant to guide the students through the activities set up by the professor, provide additional study tools and generally answer any questions they have pertaining to the course content.
• Promoted an inclusive classroom environment that encouraged respectful communication among all participants while discussing contentious scientific theories or debates within the field of physics.
• Boosted class participation with a focus on group problem-solving activities and discussions.
• Enhanced student comprehension by incorporating real-world examples into physics lessons.

• Tutored children who need help with expressing their thoughts through their writing
• Worked with their English teachers to give the students a few more hours of practice per week to help them keep up with the level of writing expected of them in their class
• Graded assignments in other subjects and aided with any task the teacher needed to get done during and after class.
• Enhanced student comprehension by utilizing various teaching methods tailored to individual learning styles.
• Supported classroom management efforts by enforcing school rules and promoting positive behavior among students.

• This role entailed data searching, sorting and analyzing aimed at aiding the administrative offices of the SC Johnson School of Business
• Projects included html editing to create a mock-up of the school’s website, learning and introducing Tableau to the administration
• Documented the processes pertaining to the tenure of professors and renewal of contracts of non-tenured faculty to provide a document detailing the process and its timeline to the non-faculty administrators
• The position required the handling and management large amounts of sensitive data.
• Maintained confidentiality of sensitive information by adhering to strict privacy policies and implementing secure filing systems.
• Ensured accurate record-keeping with diligent data entry and database management for vital company information.
• Created and maintained databases to track and record customer data.
• Developed and updated spreadsheets and databases to track, analyze, and report on performance and sales data.

Received the Cornell HHMI Accelerating Medical Progress Through Scholarship Fellowship, funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

• The lab conducted brain imaging in mice and fruit flies to demonstrate how biophysics is impacting medical technology
• Used fluorescence to trace the mushroom body of the brains of fruit flies by stimulating the brain with olfactory stimuli
• Lasers were used to illuminate, through fluorescence, the pathways involved in responding to olfactory stimuli in fruit flies
• Trained to perform craniotomies on mice for experiments
• Laser microscopes were used to produce images once the brain was stimulated with the scent of vinegar.
• Learned to code in C++, to write programs to automate machines using Arduino, I learned to transform data from raw to readable using MATLAB and Excel
• Gave a presentation on scientific research to the other fellows.
• Conducted literature reviews to support hypothesis development and identify gaps in existing knowledge.
• Attended seminars and symposiums to improve overall knowledge and understanding.
• Recorded experimental findings in laboratory notebook to analyze and interpret experimental findings.

• The National Science and Math Quiz is comprised of several events that aim to teach and inspire senior high and junior high school students (in Ghana) solid knowledge and skills in mathematics, science, and innovation
• Was part of a team involved in mathematically analyzing the responses of the students and determining the success rate of all aspects of each event
• Wrote reports using this information for the Managing Director of Primetime and the sponsors of The National Science and Math Quiz
• Volunteering & Community Service
• Utilized data visualization tools to effectively communicate business insights.
• Used statistical methods to analyze data and generate useful business reports.
• Identified, analyzed and interpreted trends or patterns in complex data sets.
• Presented findings to executive leadership teams through concise presentations, influencing future strategy development.
• Created data models to support decision-making processes.
• Utilized data visualization techniques to present and explain complex data sets.

• Was in charge of making sales, keeping an active record of the stock and the flow of money in and out of the shop and storing the money until it was handed to the supervising school staff.
• Managed inventory control, cash control, and store opening and closing procedures.
• Oversaw employee performance, corrected problems, and increased efficiency to maintain productivity targets.
• Established and optimized schedules to keep coverage and service in line with forecasted demands.