There are sounds floating in the air and music in the background. There’s much science to be done and many stories to be told. The old folktales about Moses splitting a fish in half along with the Red Sea are the engine behind our inquisition into nature. More and more, we ask of the universe and she gives us new old folktales that we tell in numbers and symbols, and we call it science. We measure and calculate, we cut and construct until a more relevant view of the world comes to life.
This is us doing what we love; bringing out the intrinsic arts inherent within molecules that float around the sap of the trees, the ones that flow through our blood stream and those that decorate the surface of bacteria. The tiny machines of life, called proteins, emerge with shapes and structures that rival the best abstract works of art. Yet they perform complex tasks with a proficiency that far surpasses the most efficient engine humankind has ever invented.
We bring the art within. Come join the journey. Share our fascination. Good vibes [and comments] are always appreciated!
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Shahir Rizk is an Egyptian-American award-winning biochemist, poet, and illustrator. He received a PhD in biochemistry from Duke University and worked as a faculty member at the University of Chicago and the University of Notre Dame. He is currently an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at his alma mater Indiana University South Bend. Shahir has been described as “firmly among the leading teacher scholars in the nation.” Shahir’s research in the field of protein engineering has been published in several top international journals including the journal Nature, The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and Protein Science. Shahir has received national awards for his research including the NIH Ruth Kirschstein National Research Service Award, and his research has been funded by the National Science Foundation. Shahir is a co-inventor on two United States Patent applications for work related to protein engineering and drug delivery. In 2019, Shahir received the prestigious Cottrell Scholars Award, recognizing only two dozen teacher-scholars annually from all US Higher Education Institutions. The award notes his outstanding research and his excellence as a science communicator. He has also received the Indiana University Trustees Teaching Award. Shahir is the co-founder of Ultreia, Inc, a non-profit that promotes arts and art education in the Northern Indiana Region. During his time as president of the board, he led the Ultreia:STEAM initiative, which hosted public events and workshops featuring speakers whose work overlaps art and science. He has also served on the Board of the South Bend Lyric Opera. For his community involvement, Shahir was selected as one of the Michiana Area forty under 40. Shahir’s poetry has appeared in The Acorn, Modern Haiku, and Twyckenham Notes. When he is not gardening or spending time with his two boys, Shahir enjoys failing at riding a unicycle.
Who We Are
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Maggie Fink is an award-winning scientist, poet, and illustrator. Maggie received her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Indiana University South Bend and a bachelor’s in theology from Northland International University. She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Notre Dame studying bacterial metabolism and polymicrobial communities. In 2020, she was recognized with the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Award. Maggie is a strong advocate for women in science, serving as a mentor for the Association of Women in Science (AWIS) and as a member of the Committee of Women Faculty and Students as well as the Leadership Advancing Socially Engaging Research (LASER). She volunteers in the kitchen at a local women’s shelter and teaches weekly yoga classes in her community. As a writer, Maggie’s poetry appeared in Landlocked Lyres and received the award for Best Creative Writing at the Annual Indiana University South Bend Conference on Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities. In addition to her writing, she has also been recognized for her illustrative work and is known for incorporating her art into her scientific presentations. She is currently working on an illustrated book with her co-author, Dr. Shahir Rizk, What Color is North: The Secret Lives of Proteins which will be published by Harvard University Press in 2023.