Source: UA Little Rock Office of Communications
The path to becoming a researcher takes many different forms. For UA Little Rock student William King, it all started with a fifth-grade plot to take over the world.
A lofty dream, but the Bradford, Arkansas, native was practical about it — the first step had to be, of course, a quest for immortality. However, unlike other kids his age, King wasn’t interested in fountains of youth or magical potions.
“I wanted to research the longevity of the human life,” he said. “I was always interested in ‘how close are we to being immortal?’”
These questions introduced young King to biology, awakening a curiosity that would eventually lead him to UA Little Rock. As a science-minded, academically gifted high school student, King’s immortality quest had matured into a simpler but nobler desire — to prolong and improve human life.
As a result, he wanted biological research to be the focus of his college career. While UA Fayetteville and Hendrix College were options, King was swayed by the advanced research taking place at UA Little Rock, specifically in the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences.