BOSTON —Rupal Shah has experienced quite a journey, one that began at 16 when her family left the East African city of Tanzania — at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro — to make a better life for themselves in the United States.

The adjustment of moving from East Africa to Long Island, N.Y. in 1998 was difficult, especially for a teenager trying to fit into the lifestyle of the city and with other high school kids.

“The most difficult things to adjust to were the different culture and, perhaps, trying to meet other people from Tanzania,” Shah said. “We certainly haven’t met many families from Tanzania that live in the U.S. now.”

Although Shah said she was able to overcome the initial shock of her cultural journey, it was the move to Clemson, S.C. a year later that set into motion her educational journey. Shah graduated from Daniel High School in 2000, with a Superior Scholars high school diploma, and began attending Southern Wesleyan University in August of that year.

It was at the Central school that the groundwork was laid for her current work in tuberculosis research at the Harvard University School of Public Health — in the Department of Immunology and Infectious diseases.

As a SWU student, Shah’s interest in medicine began while volunteering at Hospice of the Foothills in Seneca in 2000 and her experience at Oconee Memorial Hospital (now Oconee Medical Center) in 2001.

“I realized I enjoy working with patients and from then on, I started moving forward to gain as many experiences as I could in the medical field,” Shah said. “My roots as a student in science were shaped at Southern Wesleyan University, during my years in undergraduate work,” Shah said.

Walt Sinnamon, dean of the college of arts and sciences at SWU and a biology professor, remembers Shah as a very good student who was consistently on the Dean’s List. In April, Shah was the first to be named an Honors Student in SWU’s newly formed Honors program.

“I have completed my 28th year at Southern Wesleyan and I have never had a student with such high motivation who worked harder in all her endeavors — to excel academically, to learn all that she could, to be involved in extracurricular and co-curricular activities to help with student development, and to be of service to others on campus and in the greater community,” Sinnamon said.

After graduating from SWU in 2004 and having received the Gladys Glover Parker Award — presented to one graduating female student judged to be the best all-around female graduating student — Shah enrolled in the Masters program in microbiology at Clemson University.

During that time, Shah received awards that included the Jerome V. Reel Award of Academic Excellence, the Walter Cox Graduate Student Award for Community Outreach and Excellence in Leadership, the President’s Commission on Outstanding Women: Graduate Student Award and the R.C. Edwards Outstanding Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant Award.

Shah also continued her service to others by participating in the American Red Cross of Pickens County, the Tigers for Tsunami Relief Fundraising, a Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief Trip, the Biological Science Graduate Student Association and the Association for India’s Development.

After graduating from Clemson University with a master’s degree in microbiology in 2007, Shah began working at Harvard University. During her time at the Ivy League school, Shah said she learned a lot about basic science research in the field of tuberculosis.

“I learned that even though a lot is being done in the field of TB research, the need for better medicines and better vaccines in developing countries is high,” she said. “We have our work cut out for us.”

Shah is conducting experiments on mycobacterium, the bacterial genus causing tuberculosis, to determine antibiotic resistance patterns within various strains. As part of her research, Shah has traveled to South Africa to learn more about the realities of tuberculosis and its devastating effects on people.

Ever the volunteer, Shah said her experiences in Boston at Hospice Services of Massachusetts and a children’s shelter called the Home for Little Wanderers are reminders of just how fragile life is and the importance of having family and loved ones around at the end stages.

“Both experiences continue to humble me and remind me, as always, about the most important things in life,” Shah said.
In April, Southern Wesleyan University presented Shah the SWU Young Leader Alumni Award — whose criteria includes academic achievement, community service, leadership in current vocation and in the community and the promise of future professional growth.

“This award is actually a symbol of all the tireless efforts and countless hours many faculty and staff members at Southern Wesleyan University have invested in students like me,” she said. “They build self-confidence in individuals to believe that we can do anything that we put our hearts and minds into.”

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