Featured Friar: Teresa Lavoie ’89
When in the midst of the college application process, Teresa Lavoie knew only that she would likely attend a Catholic, liberal arts school. Receiving a scholarship from Providence College, she chose to attend, knowing that a friend’s older sister had been a friar and liked her time here. Teresa had known that she would enter as a science major and was drawn to chemistry because of her love of science and the versatility of the degree. Unsure of whether medical school or research were in her future after PC, she saw chemistry as a good platform to go either way from.
Once officially a friar, Teresa was more than happy with her decision to be in the chemistry department. With only four other chemistry B.S. students, she enjoyed the small class sizes which allowed for a personal connection with professors and tight-knit community which resulted. The environment was collaborative and friendly, facilitating the learning of all students. A key takeaway of being a chemistry major at PC for Teresa was the fundamental skills which are instilled in students. She notes that to this day she uses those same skills to break down problems and bring them back to the beginning principles which she learned, a skill that is helpful in many careers. Of all the chemistry courses she took, she recalls organic chemistry to be notable due to the generosity of her professor, Dr. Mark Rerick, who would drive her between classes when she broke her ankle playing intramural volleyball her sophomore year. The genuine care for the education and well-being of the students by PC staff was an important aspect of her education!
After PC, Teresa went to Princeton University, where she got a Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics. She continued to work at a start-up in Cambridge, Massachusetts as a patent liaison, where she noticed her interest in this area of law. Her passion for the intersection between science and law inspired her to go to law school. Her second year in law school, she began working at Fish & Richardson P.C., where she is now a partner 20 years later. Teresa works with a large practice of biotechnology patent law at Fish & Richardson, although she plans to go in-house as SVP of Legal, IP Strategy for a start-up biotechnology company very soon. Her favorite part of the career path she has chosen is that the inventions she sees are truly changing the lives of patients.
In terms of how Teresa’s chemistry degree is used in her everyday life, she sees great value in being able to understand the science behind the inventions that her clients make. She uses the skills she learned of breaking down complex scientific data to the basic principles which were instilled in her at PC through research, scientific literature and reviews. She recognizes how important her background in chemistry is in her position, saying that she would not be able to understand the biotechnology of the inventions without it. The necessity of her experience with organic, inorganic, physical and analytic chemistry, as well as biochemistry and biology, is evident in her day-to-day life.
To prospective chemistry students at PC, Teresa offers the advice to go for it. Chemistry is a great basis off of which many paths can be taken in so many fields, teaching critical thinking and problem-solving skills which are helpful in any future careers. Although the major is not easy and requires lots of time and effort, Teresa recalls her years at PC with great pride as she reflects on the rewarding accomplishment of receiving her B.S. in chemistry here at Providence College.
