From Financial Aid to Johns Hopkins Fellow: Mark Ranek '06

How MMC helped Mark Ranek, Class of 2006, use financial aid as a stepping stone to a stellar education and continued success.

As a post-doctoral fellow in the division of cardiology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, Mark Ranek has made a career out of his love of learning. For more than a decade, the Mount Marty College (MMC) alum has immersed himself in the college environment, where his research now focuses on elucidating the underlying patho-physiological mechanisms of heart failure and discovering novel therapeutic strategies as treatments.

“My research employs genetic mouse models and cardiomyocytes (heart cells) grown in culture dishes, which allow me to interrogate specific pathways contributing to heart failure pathogenesis,” Ranek says. “Additionally, I study cardiac biopsy samples taken from human heart failure patients to determine the potential translation of my findings from the research lab to the clinic.”

Because Ranek’s primary focus is research, he doesn’t currently teach any courses at Johns Hopkins, but his fellowship still offers numerous opportunities to mentor students.

“Training the future generation of scientists and clinicians is something I truly enjoy and take great pride in,” Ranek adds.

Finding focus

Although the Ph.D. at the end of his name might suggest otherwise, college wasn’t always a guaranteed path for Ranek, who grew up in a working class family in South Dakota.

“Going to graduate school for a Ph.D. could not have been further from my radar in high school,” he says. “It was not until I attended college at MMC that my career interest began to focus.”

Ranek decided on MMC thanks, in large part, to the federal and institutional financial aid he received, a success story that recently gained national attention from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

“Mark’s thirst for knowledge just took off,” says Ken Kocer, financial assistance director at MMC. “Financial aid made it possible for Mark to gain his education in the learning environment that best suited his needs, and he made the most of it. He is now dedicating his research to factors affecting heart disease, one of our country’s leading cause of death. Through his financial aid story, he now is in a position to affect the lives of so many in a positive way through his work.”

Financial aid might have helped get Ranek’s foot in the door, but it was during an MMC biology class with Dr. James Sorenson during freshman year that the future scientist began to find his calling. He was encouraged to continue down the path of biological sciences, and the following year he really found his niche.

“My interest peaked the following year while taking anatomy and physiology with Dr. James Bowers,” Ranek says. “Dr. Bowers asked me to be his lab assistant in subsequent years, and I could not have been happier. These experiences sold me on pursuing a career in science.”

After graduating with his B.S. in biology and chemistry from MMC in 2006, Ranek went on to earn his Ph.D. in physiology, pathology and related sciences at the University of South Dakota, Sanford School of Medicine in 2012.

Time to explore

Ranek is quick to recognize MMC for helping to shape the trajectory of his education. It was there that he learned to apply himself, he says, and gained confidence in his abilities. But he also acknowledges that finding your focus takes time.

“You do not have to have the rest of your life figured out when you are 18 years old,” he says. “Take your time, and experience what you need to in order to find what truly interests you. Going to work when you love your job is easy and fun.”

Ranek’s best advice for future students is to confidently embrace that process.

“If you believe in anything, believe in yourself,” he says.

MMC’s Department of Natural Sciences offers undergraduate degrees in biology, chemistry, forensic science and medical laboratory science. To learn more, please visit mtmc.edu/academics/majors-and-programs.