Jesslyn Park is from Charleston, SC, where she graduated from Academic Magnet High
School. At Winthrop, she was a chemistry major and member of the laboratory of Dr.
Jason Hurlbert. The aim of her undergraduate research was to structurally characterize
bacterial enzymes that degrade hemicellulosic sugars, which are found in plant cell
walls. This understanding may help elucidate mechanisms of plant pathogenicity or
inform biocatalyst design for biofuel production.
