The Science Research Program’s biology section has just received a generous donation of equipment from alumnus Dr. Richard Quintiliani, class of 1977. “My students were all joking that it was like Christmas,” said Dr. Allison Nishitani, “The whole classroom was just full of all these boxes and I was like, guys, we have so many exciting presents here.”
Dr. Quintiliani, an infectious disease specialist, author of numerous scientific articles, and competitive ballroom dancer, closed his research laboratory to spend more time treating his patients. The Science Research Program, or SRP, is one of Choate’s seven signature programs, and despite the fact that it was created long after Dr. Quintiliani’s graduation, he still chose to allocate his donation to this area. This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of unlikely situations that brought the equipment to campus. For one, Dr. Quintiliani hadn’t been aware of SRP until alumni weekend this past year, when he was able to connect with members of the Administration to draw up a plan for the donation. Dr. Quintiliani also owned all his equipment – a situation highly unusual in the science world, as most research labs receive a federal grant for such purposes. This enabled him to give highly sophisticated equipment to his alma mater in a way that would’ve been impossible for any government -funded laboratory.
“He wanted to see if there was a way to reach students here, because it’s very rare for students this young to get hands-on experience like this,” Dr. Nishitani said.
Dr. Nishitani and Science Department Head Mr. Ben Small rented a moving truck to carry this massive donation back to the Science Center. The school received three centrifuges, several sets of micropipettes, and countless other pieces of equipment that will provide a more accurate model of a professional lab. One item that is especially fascinating is known as a Gel Documentation System. This machine shines ultraviolet light on a particular type of gel containing DNA. The Gel Doc then takes a picture, allowing students to even observe samples of their own DNA in the gel – an experience nearly unattainable for other high school students. This equipment is not limited to SRP students and will be greatly appreciated by several upper level science courses at Choate as well.
The addition of this new equipment will not only enhance science within the classroom, but will also make it easier for SRP students to find lab opportunities over the summer. The micropipettes, which allow scientists to handle tiny quantities of liquids, are vital to many SRP labs. However, the program does not currently have enough sets for each student to have his or her own. “It would be like if we were in English class learning to write and we had to share a pencil,” expressed Dr. Nishitani on the matter. With the micropipettes and other pieces of frequently used but very costly lab equipment donated by Dr. Quintiliani, each SRP student will have the opportunity to master the skills necessary for work in a real lab and can therefore more easily be recommended for the advanced positions they must seek out the summer before senior year.
The donation has also allowed for repurposing of the SRP budget. One-fifth of the money that was once used to buy disposable plastic wear necessary for the program can be put toward providing a still further realistic laboratory experience in the classroom. Even with usage by the SRP program and several biology courses, the disposables donated by Dr. Quintiliani will be enough to last for years. Though she has not fully decided what fascinating piece of equipment it will be put toward, Dr. Nishitani shared her amazement in finding that she will be able to use the entire SRP budget this year.
The benefactors of Dr. Quintiliani’s generosity have expressed overwhelming gratitude for his furthering of their education. Though the appreciation from the SRP seniors is perhaps bittersweet in that they, being the ones who had to share pipettes and use a slow acting dye instead of the Gel Doc System, will fully understand the value of this donation, but will not be the ones to explore it. Still, they are excited about the opportunities that will now be granted to future students. Mehreen Pasha ’18, an SRP student in her final term of the program, said, “It’s great that people are supporting the sciences.” Current juniors are happily anticipating the introduction of this new equipment to the SRP program. Sarah Koljaka ’19 expressed her excitement at the prospect of a more immersive laboratory experience right here on the Choate campus. She said, “It’ll give us an opportunity to practice some of the amazing research techniques that we are currently studying on paper.”
Even with many labs that would have been eager to purchase Dr. Quintiliani’s equipment, he chose to give it away to the School that he graduated from four decades ago. Though he closed his own research lab, Dr. Quintiliani has continued to spread scientific knowledge, choosing to disperse his own passion among the future generations of science students. As Dr. Nishitani said when asked why Dr. Quintiliani had decided to bestow this incredible gift upon Choate, “It’s amazing to see the types of bonds that people have with the School.”
