Feature Stories 2024: Maggie McCafferty '24, '25: Leading in the lab and on the field

“I’m excited to go to class every day. How many college students can say that?” 

Bioengineering student and captain of the women's field hockey team Maggie McCafferty '24, '25 says UMass Dartmouth has surrounded her with a support system of women in STEM and athletics that has set her up for a lifetime of success. 

Tell us about your research experience... 

"For my Honors APEX project I worked with Dr. Lamya Karim studying the impact of vitamin C on bones. This involves assessing bone properties and examining the effects of vitamin C on the development of a protein that can be detrimental to bone health. I presented this research at the Three Minute Thesis competition in April and won third place.  

"Through the research process I have learned so much – not just about bones, but about working in the lab and being part of a research team. Dr. Karim is the best advisor I could have asked for. She has been an incredible mentor and sounding board, and she’s helped me improve my technical writing skills, presentation skills, and time management.  

"I’ve also been mentored by PhD student Ramina Behzad who also worked in Dr. Karim’s lab. She's a great role model and has taken time out of her own work to train me on how to use lab equipment and talk with me about the research process. I feel very lucky to be part of this group."  

"Everything here at UMassD has made me the person I am today. I feel like I’m set up to do absolutely anything."

Being a student-athlete 

"Being a student athlete is just the best experience. It's taught me so much about teamwork and being a leader. As captain, I’m proud of how we persevered through obstacles as a growing team. We got a new coach last year, Anika Goodhue, and she’s become one of my best mentors.  She has been a huge advocate for our team in terms of helping us get what we need to be better. Coach Goodhue is supportive of our academic lives too; she even came to see me present at the Three Minute Thesis competition. 

"Being a student-athlete sets you up to be a leader and a good community member. It has really helped me to become who I am. The bioengineering program has shaped me as a researcher and a scholar, but athletics shaped me as a person."  

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Is there someone at UMassD who has made a difference in your life? 

"When someone you look up to believes in you, it makes you believe in yourself more, and I’ve been fortunate to have multiple people like that at UMass Dartmouth.  

"Dr. Karim believed in me and gave me the opportunity to do research in her lab. I'm very grateful that she saw my potential and helped me to become a better bioengineer. 

"Coach Goodhue has been very supportive of me as team captain and she cares for all of us players. It's so important to have people like that in your corner, especially when living away from home." 

What's been the best part of your UMassD experience? 

“I love the community here; whoever you are, there’s a place for you. I found my people in athletics and in the bioengineering community. And I think it’s a testament to UMassD that I’m able to balance athletics with research and academics so well. For example, the chair of our department, Tracie Ferreira, is very supportive of me and the other athletes in bioengineering, and she understands how important it is for us to balance academics and athletics. 

“But the best part of my UMassD experience might be living with my three roommates as an undergraduate. We're all athletes and women in STEM, so we share a lot of the same aspirations and the same level of dedication. We'd go to each other’s games and help keep each other motivated. It's been a wonderful support system." 

Any advice for future students? 

“Don’t be afraid to be yourself and try new things. Join the club, try the Three Minute Thesis competition, introduce yourself to someone in the line at Dunkin Donuts. You’ll never know what you can do unless you try.”  

What are your goals for your future? 

"After graduating with my master's degree through the 4+1 BS/MS program, I plan to go into industry. I’m interested in medical devices and prosthetics, but my dream job is to work with Paralympic athletes. Athletics has been so impactful for me, and I don’t want to leave that world. It would be a dream to use both my bioengineering skills and athletics experience in my future career.   

"Working with athletes at the 2028 Paralympic Games might sound like a long shot, but I’m optimistic. Everything here at UMassD has made me the person I am today. I feel like I’m set up to do absolutely anything."