Home Country: Thailand
Program: Bioengineering
University: Prince of Songkla University
Pronouns: he/him
Languages: Thai/English/Portuguese (Intermediate)/ Spanish (Pre-Intermediate)/ Vietnamese (Pre-intermediate)

My name is Sittichoke Dechanun, also known as "Sieang." I obtained my undergraduate degree in pharmaceutical sciences in Thailand, where I was born and raised. If you were to ask me back in the day, getting a master's degree was never anything I had in mind. But in 2020, when I worked on my senior project which involved developing a Leptospirosis Test kit, that is when my eagerness to attend graduate school started. This project dramatically opened my eyes to the possibility of employing organisms or biomolecules, particularly, in the treatment of those who are suffering from currently incurable diseases. My goal is to use research in a way that will raise people's quality of life while bridging the gap in access to medical innovation.

On Houston & Rice:

Despite the fact that I have not yet been to Houston or Rice University, I appreciate how welcoming and supportive Rice is to international students.

On Fulbright:

I like that Fulbright has a close-knit community full of people that are motivating and considerate of others. This family serves as a kind of bridge for students to establish connections with people around the world.

Fun Fact:

I am a big fan of learning languages. Even though I'm not learning much these days, I always get excited when I have the chance to learn a new language since it broadens my perspectives and enables me to see things from different points of view.