Donavaughn Baucom graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelors in Biology and a minor in African American Studies. One of his life goals is to create a foundation to guide, nurture, and develop the passions of underprivileged youth who desire a career in medicine, research, and healthcare. Originally, Donavaughn had aspirations to attend medical school with the intention of becoming a surgeon. However, after a life-altering research experience within oncology, his goals shifted to research to begin focusing on the aid he could give black and brown communities—like facilitating greater trust in medicine and showcasing opportunities to access a STEM career. Being the first in his family to pursue a career in research, he was often left without guidance in a primarily white-dominated field. As such, he had to branch out, find mentors, and begin working with groups that promote inclusivity and diversity.
As a research coordinator, Donavaughn is passionate about recruiting, maintaining, and creating a diverse patient population from which studies can be conducted. One of his most significant accomplishments thus far is disproving the effectiveness of a novel anti-cancer drug as well as empowering black and brown youth in the inner city of St. Louis by showing them careers and pathways into STEM. In his free time, he brushes up on his Swahili, reads for several hours, cooks, listens to music, and maintains his health in the gym. Donavaughn is currently working towards getting accepted into graduate school; he hopes to start in the fall of 23’.
