Lab life

Luka Pravica is on a path towards a chemistry Ph.D. that he wants to use to "benefit the human condition."

At Trinity University, this chemistry and applied physics double major from Las Vegas has found the perfect conditions to prepare him for a hands-on life: a small school with a hands-on approach to learning.

"I love to research," Luka says. Trinity's science programs and lab resources impressed him. "That got me thinking, wow, this is a small school, but it has the resources of a big school."

When Luka arrived on campus, he found immediate opportunities and strong support. He's done more than use advanced instruments , he's designed and conducted his own experiments, contributed to publications, and presented at conferences-experiences often reserved for graduate students elsewhere.

"I have a really nice support system here. Professors are very, very close with students. I feel like there's a sense that I can rely on these people, ask them for advice," Pravica says. Many professors have open-door policies for chatting about organic chemistry or a favorite TV show. "

Pravica feels fueled by Trinity's small-campus feel, whether grabbing a bite to eat or a quiet study spot.

"I couldn't live without … a lot of really, really tasty food options that are easy to get to. The Pod, in [Trinity's Center for the Sciences and Innovation] is always pretty well stocked with some of my favorite drinks, too," he says. "And the library has some… incredible art that I like to take a moment to admire when I get a chance."

Pravica's thirst for knowledge is steep, too. And Trinity's liberal arts approach has encouraged Pravica to explore while gaining experience in real-world situations that will prepare him for a career, or a sudden global virus outbreak. He recalls a sophomore biology class, rooted in computation, that pushed him into this unfamiliar territory.

"I am not a computer science major, I had no experience with coding. But I got to work on a project where I actually attempted to model how an influenza's infectivity would change across a geographic incline," Pravica says. "At Trinity, I'm learning a lot of conceptual and theoretical stuff, but I'm also learning really practical skills: coding, technology, wiring circuit boards."

Research is where Luka has found the best version of himself during tough times. He found a refuge in Professor Brian Teague's synthetic biology research lab. The lab, Luka says, uses "life to solve problems," genetically engineering specific kinds of yeast to approach challenges with renewable fuel production or cancer.

"Research is something that I realized I could fail at, but then get better if I just kept putting effort into it," Pravica explains. "That experience, more than anything, has really helped me become significantly happier as a person."

His favorite research project focuses on transforming excess cheese production waste into alcohol for practical applications like cleaning products and potentially as a fuel source in ethanol. This also helps repurpose waste that can harm ecosystems by depleting oxygen levels, making the type of tangible difference for the world that Pravica came to Trinity seeking in the first place.

Having Teague as a mentor has been central to his growth. "Dr. Teague has been opening doors for me since I started working in their lab, and they're teaching me a lot of subtle research things that you don't pick up from class. How do you design experiments? How do you solve problems? That independence is important, because it builds resilience," Pravica says. "That's what I'm taking with me after I graduate."

As senior year approaches, Luka sees multiple paths ahead-analytical chemistry roles with major companies, opportunities in biotech-but his ambitions have sharpened. He's now drawn to a future in academia, where he can continue the kind of research that has shaped his time at Trinity while mentoring others along the way.

Wherever he lands, Pravica will do more than elevate his resume: he'll be doing work that matters.