Persistence pays off for chemistry major

Chemistry major and baseball player Joe Gizinski has faced some challenges during his college years, but mentoring by an Erskine professor who became “a major proponent of my success,” completing an internship this summer, and hard work all along the way have resulted in tangible rewards.

Joe was a kinesiology major interested in physical therapy when he transferred to Erskine and became a biology major. “In my first semester at Erskine, I took human physiology and microbiology,” he recalls. “I soon realized the biology track was not for me. After some deep reflection, I ended up contacting Dr. Hayden and asking her if I could switch to a chemistry major.”

Associate Professor of Chemistry and Physics Dr. Tiffany Hayden, who joined the Erskine faculty in 2009, suggested courses that would set Joe on the path to majoring in chemistry with an emphasis in biochemistry. Joe had lost some credits when he transferred, so he appreciated the professor’s help. “Dr. Hayden put things in a realistic manner that guided me through my time at Erskine,” he says.

“Joe has been consistent and steady in his classes as a chemistry major,” Hayden says. “He was willing to double up and work hard to stay on track in chemistry and to graduate from Erskine on time.”

“I was taught from a young age that nothing is free in life and you must work hard in order to succeed,” Joe says. “Outside of academics, I implemented this in my baseball career.”

During the second semester of his first year at Erskine, however, Joe’s baseball activity was brought to a halt when he broke a bone in his hand.

Unable to secure an internship that summer, Joe worked construction “and rehabilitated my hand back to normal,” he says. He bought a car, a 2014 Mustang, which he drove onto campus to begin his second year at Erskine.

Joe continued his efforts in the classroom and lab as well as on the baseball field. He insists there really was no “secret” or “trick” to balancing three chemistry labs in one semester with baseball and other aspects of college life. For him, it’s all about showing up, staying the course, and not making excuses.

“After pushing through my second year at Erskine, I reached out to a company back home in Maryland, and I was offered a summer internship, Joe recalls. He was excited when he learned about the offer, saying at the time, “It lines up perfectly with my biochemistry major.”

Joe worked as a lab assistant with Beacon Environmental, which specializes in the analysis of soil gas and air sampling. “They use passive sampling methods to detect VOCs—volatile organic compounds—in the soil or in the air of an area.”

VOCs are typically chemicals used in the manufacture of paints, pharmaceuticals, and refrigerants.

“The company creates kits that make the process very easy for the average consumer,” Joe explains. “After the kits are sent back to Beacon, they use mass spectrometry to detect what VOC compounds are present.”

Beacon’s products are used worldwide, and the company’s lab was the first to receive accreditation for EPA method 325, “which targets the emission of benzene around the perimeter of petroleum refineries,” Joe says.

During his internship, Joe worked on kit preparation, sample making, and use of the mass spectrometry machine.

Joe enjoyed his time at Beacon. “I meshed very well with the people there and was diligent in my completion of tasks required,” he says.

Beacon Environmental offered Joe a full-time job, contingent on completion of his bachelor’s degree, and he has accepted the offer. This was an outcome he was not expecting. He will be working in Beacon’s analytical chemistry lab as a “Chemist 1.”

Joe’s experience “speaks to the power of participating in internships and summer research programs,” Hayden says.

As he moves toward the conclusion of his college studies, Joe has a few more hurdles to clear.

“He will be presenting his research this semester in CH-415 Senior Seminar,” Hayden says, “and potentially presenting some aspects of the research at the American Chemical Society (ACS) Spring 2026 National Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia.”

Chemistry majors like Joe spend time in Erskine’s Daniel•Moultrie Science Center, pictured at top.