Lowell Parascandola
Lowell Parascandola from Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, will graduate with a degree in biology.
He has served as the ROTC Commander of the Mountaineer Battalion, a Presidential Student Ambassador, a tutor at the Academic Resource Center and counselor with Camp Kesem at West Virginia University.
In addition to his rigorous coursework, this four-year Army ROTC National Scholar has immersed himself in military medical research and learning experiences, volunteered his time to the No One Dies Alone Program and served as a chemistry and math tutor for Preston County schools. He is also an avid hunter and fisherman.
Parascandola conducted research with a trauma surgeon at Ruby Memorial Hospital, and he is the co-author of three articles published in peer-reviewed journals.
Through this research, he compared rural-urban differences in trauma center health costs and undergraduate versus advanced academic degrees in surgical leadership, in addition to evaluating the applicability of the Army Blue Book, which outlines military-civilian partnerships in medical centers.
As an intern in the Overlook Summer Internship Program in Summit, New Jersey, he spent more than 200 hours shadowing doctors in the emergency department, operating room, hospital floors and physician offices.
One of his most gratifying achievements has been the completion of the U.S. Army Air Assault School, one of the Army’s most physically and mentally demanding training programs. This 10-day training, focused on mastering sling load procedures, airborne rappelling techniques and combat assault operations, has a 55% fail rate.
Parascandola was promoted to officer in charge of the Army ROTC Color Guard during his junior year, and among other leadership duties, he was responsible for training cadets to march and present the U.S. and West Virginia flags at Mountaineer basketball, football and soccer games.
An aspiring field surgeon, he will commission into the U.S. Army this month and attend the WVU School of Medicine in the fall.
Once he completes his active-duty service, Parascandola plans to eventually return to West Virginia to practice medicine.