Two Alumni Follow Path from BC to the Lab

When Nick Sherman ’90 was an undergraduate student at Bridgewater in the late 1980s, his professors in the Department of Chemistry drilled into him the three pillars of scientific research: measurements, data analysis and dissemination. Or, in Sherman’s recollection, “Science needs to be precise, and none of it matters if you can’t explain what you do to anyone who asks.”

Decades later, Sherman puts those tenets to use every day in his position as Associate Professor for Research and Director of Mass Spectrometry in the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine. Sherman operates a laboratory of multimillion-dollar instruments that help him break apart molecules to discover their fundamental structure. The data Sherman gathers is used by scientists in fields as varied as cancer research, reproductive biology and forensics. The Biomolecular Analysis Facility Core, as Sherman’s lab is known, provides consulting services to scientists at UVA, from other academic institutions and in the biomedical world, which requires being able to explain the data he uncovers across diverse fields.

When he reflects on his time at Bridgewater, Sherman remembers fondly the BC faculty mentors—particularly Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus, Joe Crockett and the late Professor Emeritus Erich Brumbaugh ‘66—who nurtured his love of science and prepared him for a future after Bridgewater. In his case, the next step after his BC graduation was a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry at UVA, which he earned in 1995.

“The process was daunting for a boy who grew up in Linville/Broadway and then attended a small college ten miles down the road,” Sherman said of his experience moving from Bridgewater to Charlottesville, Va., to attend graduate school. He remained connected to BC, however, returning to give a Frances E. Silliman Lecture and helping first-year students move into their campus housing through Eagles We-Haul.

“I love BC for all the faculty who taught me how to think and kept helping me many years after I graduated,” Sherman said.

In February 2023, Sherman was pleased to be able to, in his words, “take the whole trip full circle” when he hired a BC alumna as an employee in his lab. Taylor Pierce ’23, M’25 began work as a lab technician, preparing samples for testing and working with clients to schedule use of the equipment.

“She came well-prepared,” Sherman said of Pierce. “It is always a big jump from college to a professional lab, but Taylor has picked it up and is very competent.”

Pierce graduated from BC with a degree in biology and psychology. During her time as an undergraduate student at BC, she completed an internship in the imaging department of Sentara RMH Medical Center in Harrisonburg, Va., and spent two years working with former Assistant Professor of Psychology Curtis Bradley in his behavioral neuroscience research work with mice.

After getting a bit of experience under her belt, Pierce returned to Bridgewater in fall 2024 to continue her education. In spring 2025 she graduated with a master of science in psychology—mental health professions while working at a non-profit that assists people with brain injuries. She’s hoping to eventually pursue a M.D. or Ph.D. Pierce said she is grateful to BC for preparing her to tackle both on-the-job learning and graduate-level education.

“Bridgewater taught me how to learn,” she said.

– Heather S. Cole
7/23/24
revised 6/23/25

Photo by Ewa Kubicka and courtesy of University of Virginia.