by Ella Smith, Student Public Relations Writer
Dr. Tim Veenstra and his son, Benjamin, combined their academic and occupational interests with family bonding when they co-authored a chapter on Proteomic Applications in Identifying Protein-Protein Interactions in a book titled “Advances in Protein Chemistry and Structural Biology.”
The publisher of the book (Elsevier) approached Dr. Veenstra, associate professor of pharmaceutical science at Cedarville University, about writing a chapter because of his previous work and knowledge on technology used to discover protein interactions. He saw this as an opportunity for his son to expand his writing skills and gain valuable career skills.
“I saw this as a chance for him to work on his writing skills,” said Dr. Veenstra. “From a fatherly point of view, I saw this as a good opportunity to help my son in his academic career, while also further bonding with him.”
While their chapter is currently available online, the complete book is expected to be released in the fall of 2023.
For Benjamin Veenstra, who at the time was a senior in Cedarville’s math and science department and is currently a freshman in the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, it was his first publication and the project provided him with valuable experience in scientific writing.
The chapter took two months to write and edit and allows people in the field of cell biology to understand how scientists determine how proteins interact. The chapter explains up-to-date information that helps people in the cell biology field know and understand what is going on within this topic, which Dr. Veenstra is well versed in.
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 5,082 undergraduate, graduate and dual-enrollment for high school students in more than 175 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is one of the largest private universities in Ohio, recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, high graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and the #4 national ranking by the Wall Street Journal for student engagement. For more information about the University, visit cedarville.edu.