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It was the last day of the semester, the final exam just turned in, and the room was starting to empty. There was an optional exit question at the end of the test — a small invitation for students to share whatever was on their minds. Most left it blank. But one student didn’t.

They wrote that they had experienced significant personal losses recently. That the semester had been hard in ways that weren’t visible from the front of the room. And that Dr. Nirthieca Suthakaran’s class — this class, this room, these lectures — had given them a reason to smile. Something to look forward to.

Dr. Suthakaran had no idea. The student had come to every class, engaged with the material, finished near the top of the course. There were no signs. There never are.

“It was a powerful reminder,” she says now, “that as an educator, you never really know what students may be facing outside the classroom. Creating a supportive and positive environment can truly make a difference in someone’s life — even in ways you may not immediately see.”

This is why the work matters. And it's the lens through which you have to understand everything else about her story.

Where It Started

Dr. Suthakaran grew up curious about science in a way that most people trace back to one person: a seventh-grade teacher who made her feel like the subject was alive. She couldn’t have known then that she would one day become that person for hundreds of students of her own.

She came to �鶹Ů�� as an undergraduate, and when the time came to think about what was next, she didn’t look far. �鶹Ů��’s Master of Science program in Biomedical Science felt like the right step — not just because of the curriculum, but because of the community she’d already built there.

“I had built relationships with faculty and valued how supportive and approachable they were,” she says. “The program felt like the next best step, where I could continue developing my research skills in an environment I was already connected to.”

The deeper she got into her research, the more she wanted to know. The doctorate wasn't a detour from her path — it was the path. The PhD in Integrative Biology, Biomedical Science track, pushed her deeper into research, collaboration, and a kind of intellectual independence that doesn't come from coursework alone. It comes from the people you work with. 

The Mentors Who Shaped Her

Ask Dr. Suthakaran to talk about her training, and she doesn’t lead with her own accomplishments. She leads with names.

During her master’s, she worked in Dr. Binninger’s lab. Her PhD was completed under Dr. Ken Dawson-Scully — now �鶹Ů��'s Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs — who became a formative figure in the most direct sense of the word. She also worked closely with Dr. Frazier, mentoring undergraduate students in the Honors Research Program, guiding them through proposal development, conference presentations, and thesis defenses.

“Dr. Dawson-Scully knew his students well and understood each person’s potential, striking a careful balance between pushing us to achieve our best and providing guidance when needed. His mentorship showed me how thoughtful, individualized support can bring out someone’s strengths.”

That balance — challenge and support, independence and guidance — became the template she carries into her own classroom today. It is, perhaps, the best thing a mentor can leave behind.

The Moment She Knew

Teaching was always somewhere in the background of her plans. But it wasn’t always the clear, defined goal. That clarity came gradually — and it came, of all places, from standing in front of a room.

During Graduate Research Day, she presented her master's research in front of faculty, administrators, and her peers. She had always enjoyed the challenge of research presentations — the way they force you to translate complex work into something clear and engaging for any audience. But something about that particular day hit differently.

“I’ve always enjoyed research presentations because they challenge you to break down complex ideas into a way that’s clear and engaging,” she says. “Those conversations are where ideas are exchanged, new perspectives are gained, and collaborations can begin.”

She also won first place for her poster that day. Unexpected, she says. But rewarding in a way that went beyond the recognition.

From that point forward, the path toward education stopped being a background possibility and became something she was actively moving toward.

The Full Circle

"Dr. Suthakaran's path is exactly what our graduate programs are designed to make possible — rigorous training, meaningful mentorship, and the confidence to lead. There is no better measure of a program's success than where its alumni go — and Dr. Suthakaran is a compelling example of that." — Marc Kantorow, PhD, Associate Dean of Graduate Programs, Schmidt College of Medicine

Today, Dr. Suthakaran serves as Department Chair for Anatomy & Physiology and Microbiology at Palm Beach State College’s Boca Raton campus. She teaches. She leads a department. And she advises the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) — a full-circle role that carries particular meaning for her.

During her master’s at �鶹Ů��, she served as vice president of AMSA. She experienced firsthand how transformative faculty support and organizational community could be for students navigating uncertain futures. Now she’s on the other side of that equation.

“What keeps me energized is seeing students embrace that support system and grow along the way. I’ve had students successfully gain admission to medical, nursing, and pharmacy programs — and it is incredibly rewarding to watch them evolve from feeling uncertain or overwhelmed to confidently navigating the next steps in their journey.”

For students considering a similar path — research-trained, drawn toward education, unsure whether the community college setting is the right stage for what they want to do — she has a direct answer.

“This work is a unique privilege,” she says. “You have the opportunity to make a tangible difference in students’ lives, to witness their growth firsthand, and to help them overcome challenges that go far beyond the classroom.”

What She Would Tell You

When she reflects on her own path — from undergraduate student at �鶹Ů��, to graduate researcher, to department chair and faculty mentor — the through-line she returns to is not any single achievement. It’s the people. 

Faculty who stayed approachable. Mentors who pushed with care. Offices she might not have found on her own, like �鶹Ů��’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry and the Center for Learning and Student Success. Peers who became colleagues. Colleagues who became lifelong connections.

“So many people played a role in shaping, supporting, and guiding me along the way. This is something I will always be grateful for.”

For students just starting out, she doesn’t offer a roadmap. She offers something more durable than that.

“Embrace your community,” she says. “Seek out mentors, connect with peers, and take advantage of the resources around you. The journey may not always look the way you expect — but every step, the connections you build, the challenges you face, and the lessons you learn, will shape your growth as a professional and the impact you have on others.”

A MedOwl, Always

Ask Dr. Suthakaran what being a MedOwls alumna means to her, and her answer is personal in the way that only sustained connection can be.

Her time at the Schmidt College of Medicine didn’t end when she defended her dissertation. Many of the relationships she built there continue — through AMSA collaborations, through departmental partnerships, through the ongoing ties that are the hallmark of a community that takes its alumni seriously.

“My time at �鶹Ů�� Schmidt College of Medicine helped shape my identity as a scientist, professor, and leader,” she says. “These ongoing connections reinforce the value of community — and they continue to inspire how I approach my work today.”

That seventh-grade teacher who first sparked her curiosity about science planted something she may not have fully seen take root — but the arc is unmistakable. It runs from one classroom in South Florida all the way to a department chair's office, through labs and lecture halls and a hundred exit questions at the end of a semester.

This is what mentorship does when it's done well. It doesn't just shape a career. It shapes the way a person shapes others.

"Stories like Dr. Suthakaran's remind us why the work of this college extends far beyond our own walls. The scientists and educators we train go on to build communities, mentor future health professionals, and create ripples of impact we may never fully see. She is doing exactly that — and we are proud to be part of her story." — Lewis S. Nelson, MD, Dean, Schmidt College of Medicine