KENNESAW, Ga. | May 14, 2026

With the mind of a scientist and the heart of an animal lover, Kaylee Stone combined her two loves at Kennesaw State University. This week, she graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from KSU’s College of Science and Mathematics after four years full of curiosity and achievement.

“The opportunities I’ve had for research at KSU all happened because I applied myself and took advantage of them,” Stone said.

True to her word, Stone wasted no time taking advantage of her opportunities. Upon arrival at KSU, she signed up for the First-Year Scholars program and landed in the laboratory of Associate Professor of Biochemistry Mohammad Halim. Initially a biology major, she connected with Halim’s research into the practical uses of eutectic solvents on preserving protein- and peptide-based therapeutic treatments, and she changed her major to biochemistry while still striving toward a career in medicine.

Stone continued with the research after her sophomore year through the Summer Undergraduate Research Program, and she presented posters at the 2023 spring and fall Symposium of Student Scholars on using staple peptide therapeutics, first to treat breast cancer and then to treat COVID-19. She also became a supplemental instruction leader with Halim and later worked with Principal Lecturer of biochemistry Glen Meades as a teaching assistant. After immersing herself in biochemistry, she said she feels even more prepared for veterinary school.

“I want more people to major in biochemistry because so many people choose biology for pre-professional degrees, but biochemistry is so much more,” she said. “It prepares you more for graduate school just because it is so difficult. Biochemistry has smaller class sizes, too, so you get to know professors well, and I’ve loved my experience at Kennesaw because of the biochemistry department.”                                                                                                                

Meades said Stone took on a leadership role in his lab, one that came from her experience in research. He said she set a prime example for the undergraduates she mentored.

“Kaylee is the type of student every instructor hopes to have, an inspiration to classmates and a reminder of why you chose this profession,” he said. “For her, simply answering a question correctly is not enough; she requires thorough understanding of the underlying concepts, enabling formulation of future research-quality questions. With her determination exemplified in coursework and research projects, Kaylee will succeed in whichever endeavor she chooses.”

Away from the lab, Stone was the president of the Pre-Veterinary Medicine Association, and she made the President’s List each semester. She worked as a hospice care volunteer and as a veterinary assistant at a clinic in Woodstock. She also found time for a veterinary medicine-related study abroad in Indonesia in summer 2025. This spring, she earned the American Chemical Society award in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry — on top of her acceptances to multiple veterinary medicine programs.

Stone’s next stop is veterinary school at the University of Georgia. It’s a fitting next chapter for Stone, who grew up in a home in Perry, Ga., with 19 animals, a menagerie of dogs, cats, fish, guinea pigs and a ferret that she loved, thanks to an animal-loving mother. Stone was accompanied at KSU by her cat, who will follow her to Athens in the fall.

“My mom is the one who will take any animal, and if she sees an animal on the side of the road, it’s coming home with us,” Stone said. “She and I are both like that.”

Though she looks forward to veterinary school and eventually practicing as a small-animal veterinarian, Stone said she’ll keep her academic instincts sharp through constant research, a true scientist-physician.

“Being able to understand everything is so interesting to me, and that’s why I never want to stop,” she said. “I always want to do research as long as I’m learning because there’s so much to learn and do.”

– Story by Dave Shelles

Photos by Matt Yung

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 51,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.