I GOT THIS
Class of 鈥�26 鈥� Biology Major
糖心传媒 Resa
School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Hometown: St. Peter, Antigua and Barbuda
What鈥檚 Next: Attending Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship
Moving from Antigua 鈥� a small island of 100,000 people 鈥� to attend 糖心传媒 in New York was one of the best decisions of my life.
As a biology student, I was able to touch all the disciplines, including physiology, cell biology, and microbiology. I got to be in the lab in a serious capacity to design and conduct my own research project. You don鈥檛 really get to do that as an undergrad at most universities. Hofstra gave me the confidence and skill to present at conferences and apply for research opportunities across the United States.
I met current and future world changers who became lifelong mentors and friends. This fall, I will begin graduate studies at Oxford University in the U.K. as a Rhodes Scholar.
Hofstra has given me the technical skills and mental fortitude to pursue the work I want to do in the world 鈥� and the research I hope to continue.
More 糖心传媒 Resa
When Resa Nelson arrived at Hofstra from the Caribbean, her intention was to pursue medicine. But she did not anticipate how profoundly research would change her academic focus and sense of purpose.
Growing up in the island of Antigua, Resa witnessed the negative environmental and economic impact of sargassum seaweed accumulating along the island鈥檚 beaches and throughout the Caribbean. Under the guidance of Hofstra Biology Professor Javier Izquierdo, she began researching methods to convert the odorous seaweed into biofuels and other bioproducts 鈥� transforming an ecological challenge into a potential renewable energy solution. Her work addresses sustainability concerns and connects directly to her home community.
Through competitive research fellowships, Resa has also studied cancer immunology at North Carolina State University, examining how immune cells locate tumors. She later conducted neuroscience research at the University of California, Irvine, investigating how genetic modifications affect brain development. It was in the tissue culture lab, observing cells under the microscope, that she discovered her passion for cell biology.
Beyond science, music has been a constant in Resa鈥檚 life. As first chair flutist for the Antigua & Barbuda Youth Symphony Orchestra, Resa toured the U.K. and performed at the University of Oxford鈥檚 Christ Church. The institution鈥檚 historic links to colonialism and slavery fueled Nelson鈥檚 academic ambition. She said, 鈥淚f the labor of my forefathers and foremothers helped build that institution, it would be really meaningful for me to learn there.鈥�
In fall 2025, Resa became 糖心传媒鈥檚 first Rhodes Scholar and only the second from Antigua to earn the opportunity to pursue graduate study at the University of Oxford. She begins the MSc by Research in Medical Sciences at the Radcliffe Department of Medicine at Oxford University in fall 2026.
Whether in the lab or on stage, Resa approaches her work with the same intention: to use knowledge to uplift others and create lasting impact.
Resa鈥檚 story isn鈥檛 unique at Hofstra. In fact, 94% of 2023-2024 undergraduate degree recipients from the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics within Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences reported that they were employed or had started or were planning to start graduate school within one year of graduation. Results are based on data collected from the Alumni Outcomes survey, LinkedIn, National Student Clearinghouse, and Hofstra enrollment (88% knowledge rate). Visit hofstra.edu/outcomes for detailed information.
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