S. Stephana Choong (1933-xxxx) High School, College, Researcher
Sister Stephana (Stephana Aeja) was born in 1933 in Kyung-Gi-Do, Korea to Joseph Change Hun Choong and Mary Kan Nan Rhee. She came to the College of St. Benedict in 1953, graduating with a B.A. in biology in 1957. She went back to back to Korea in 1957 but returned and entered the community in 1959 with the hope of becoming a missionary. Her teaching career began at St. Benedict's High School where she taught biology, chemistry, and physics. She also taught basic physics and chemistry to nursing students at the St. Cloud Hospital. In 1970 due to changes and staffing with the high schools closing of Pierz and St. Boniface, she volunteered to get out of teaching and was given permission to attend the University of Minnesota to continue her Ph.D. She obtained her Ph.D in 1978 from the University of Minnesota in plant physiology.
While her background was in plant physiology, she had a strong background in biochemistry and was mentored by Sister Rogiata, Sister Mary Grell, and Sister Plantenberg.
She taught at the University of Minnesota Morris, but returned to the main campus in Minneapolis and got a research job. Civil Service division- research scientist vs. academic track. At first, she was doing research in reproductive physiology, this did not suit her. Then she switched to immunology - immunohistology. She worked with Ph. D.s and MDs working on immunotherapy to treat blood cancer. Grant money was significant to train and have the equipment and chemicals. She learned many techniques such as human tissue culture, cell separation, and HPLC. Her medical research resulted in a factory producing immunotherapy drugs used in cancer treatments (ALG) This drug was made on the St. Paul campus but did not get full FDA approval. It was a precursor to today's immunotherapy. She also worked on research projects in the orthopedic surgery department on glucosamine and projects in hematology using transgenic mice isolating STEM cells related to the sickle cell gene.
At the University of Minnesota, she noticed many Korean students at the University and formed a small Catholic community. They were given permission from the Diocese in 1973 to become an independent parish, the University Catholic Church.
Sister Stephana had a unique agreement to live with her brother due to his poor health and continues to live in St. Paul today.
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