In the Spotlight is an initiative to celebrate the incredibly talented people and teams within the college and to facilitate awareness and understanding of the unique individuals who make up the pharmacy family. This month, we learn about Nora Garda, senior chemist in UIP Analytical Labs. 

Tell us about your role. 
I am a senior chemist in UIP Analytical Labs, where I develop and validate analytical methods. These methods are then used to study stability of pharmaceutical compounds.

Tell us about your personal photo. 
The photo was taken at a 30th birthday dinner for my son, Mathias, last July. I visited him in Texas, and after spending a day in San Antonio we ate at Fogo de Chao.

What field of work did you begin in? 
I have a master’s degree in analytical chemistry from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. During my school years, I worked in circular dichroism and magnetic resonance imaging. Upon moving to Iowa City in search of a green card, I learned that the UI had a Pharmaceutical Services Division. After learning HPLC, and the creation of the Center for Advanced Drug Development, Dr. Bilous hired me. That was 26 years ago! :)

What made you chose this field of work.
The possibility of helping others. The big picture.

What's your favorite thing to do in the summer?
Go to the beach. We don’t have too many around here, and mostly they are on lakes. I often like to go to Lake McBride or Kent Park after work, with a book and a towel. The feeling of the sand between my toes and the water makes me happy! 

Where do you most want to travel, but have never been?
I travel a lot and have been to many places, in and out of the country. However, the place I would really like to visit is Greece to learn about its history and to see all of its wonderful sites --white houses with blue roofs, beaches with white sand and blue sea, Athens and the Parthenon, etc.

This "In the Spotlight" has been brought to you by the UI College of Pharmacy Staff Council.