Young chemist from the CNMI aims higher

Soon after earning his chemistry degree from the Washington State University last May 2023, a son of the Marianas makes the CNMI proud again as he continues on a full-ride scholarship at Colorado State University’s chemistry doctoral program.

Art Matthew “Matt” Hallig Mamaril, who is one of three children, is currently doing a summer research program at Colorado State University before starting his Ph.D. program this fall.

His goal is to research solutions guided by his experience in chemistry to problems that the CNMI is currently facing. He has options in researching possible point-of-care diagnostic devices that will help detect various biomarkers to diseases that affect the general public or renewable energy solutions dealing with wastewater. One aspect of his research goals will deal with The National Alliance for Water Innovation.

Mamaril was born and was raised on Saipan, after his parents, both immigrants from the Philippines, came to the CNMI in a pursuit of a better life. On Saipan, Mamaril graduated from Grace Christian Academy where he participated and led various extracurricular activities, such as, basketball, volleyball, outrigger. He was the Student Council president in his senior year. For college, Mamaril attended Washington State University, where he recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry.

He believes his curiosity, and its resulting love for chemistry, was the product of being a part of his first research lab. It was during that period of learning when he realized that this was what he loved to do. Mamaril found that he enjoyed challenging ideas and concepts. Ultimately, this led him to finding a research lab at WSU’s chemistry department under Dr. Jeffrey Bell.

With 15-20 hours a week spent in the lab during the first semester, he had gathered enough results to give an oral PowerPoint presentation for his first Showcase for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities, or SURCA, research conference at Washington State. That talk would then become his first published first-author paper to be featured in a peer-reviewed chemistry journal, the ECS Sensors Plus. His work was titled: “Identifying Hypocalcemia in Dairy Cattle by Combining 3D Printing and Paper Diagnostics.”

Since then, Mamaril has also collaborated on other publications within the subgroup, as well as garnered other presentations and publications. He is now on his fourth publication in various peer-reviewed journals.

During his years at the university, he joined clubs and organizations, one of which was the Lambda Phi Epsilon International Fraternity Inc., where he honed his leadership and communication skills. Mamaril also took part in the Asian Pacific American Student Coalition, and was a co-chair for the student-led conference, S.H.A.P.I.N.G., at Washington State University, along with fellow Saipan-native Wilgene Lieto II.

S.H.A.P.I.N.G. stands for Shaping High School Asian Pacific Islanders for the Next Generation, and their conference brought in high school students of Asian or Pacific Islander descent from across Washington to their site at WSU to learn about higher education and the opportunities that await them after high school.

In his final year at the university, Mamaril was the president of the Multicultural Greek Council, which oversaw 14 unique culturally-based Greek organizations at WSU. He was also awarded Executive Member of the Year by the the Fraternity and Sorority Life at WSU.

Mamaril currently lives in Fort Collins in Colorado.