- Name: Rick Vavolizz
- Hometown: Rye Brook, New York
- Year: Sophomore
- Major: Biology with a Chemistry and Spanish minor. But I am applying to the Gillings School of Global Public Health’s Nutrition program, so hopefully it will be Nutrition!
- Favorite YoPo/Coldstone flavor: Brownie sundaes. I will never eat ice cream unless I have brownies to mash up and stir in.
- Favorite Study Spot: 6th floor Davis
- Fun Fact: I have been to Vegas 13 times!
- Celebrity Crush: Vanessa Anne Hudgens
- What you look for in a girl: A girl who is very outgoing and has a lot of energy, loves to laugh and someone who is cute.
- Turn-offs: Bad breath (absolutely disgusting)
- If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? Argentina. I love Hispanic culture and would love to learn more about it through full immersion.
- Favorite musicians: Lil’ Wayne
- Favorite Carolina memory? Rushing Franklin Street after beating Duke last semester!
This altruistic Campus Cutie is one of the busiest guys at Carolina. His blistering class schedule (Biology major with a Chemistry-Spanish minor, anyone?) aside, Rick is a Chi Psi brother, Vice President of Community Service for the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and a UNC Admissions Ambassador. Somehow, he still finds time between his many extracurricular activities to fill his most important role on campus: co-president of Autism Outreach.
Rick’s interest in autism is both scientific and personal. In high school, he conducted research on the disorder at Mount Sinai School of Medicine; his paper on “The Effect of an Autism-Associated Polymorphism in the STK39 Gene on the Autism System Domains” (if you grasped more than three of those words, more power to you) was recently published in The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorder. His current involvement with Autism Outreach focuses especially on local teenagers with autism. “Whenever there is a toy drive, people tend to buy the cute stuffed animal for a little girl…but they forget about the teenagers. This program allowed our members to build big brother, big sister relationships with these teenagers with autism.”
Rick has no plans to slow down in the remainder of his time at UNC, nor does he intend to coast post-graduation. Eradicating cancer is next on his to do list: he hopes to start researching treatment options at UNC Hospital soon and to continue his work in medical school.
Still, despite his do-gooder efforts and mind-numbing schedule, Rick has managed to maintain a social life and a reputation as a friendly, fun-loving guy. “Snooki,” as his Southern friends call him, epitomizes his personal motto of “achiev[ing] the paradox.” “I always want to be able to have a great balance in life between working hard and having a good time.” A brilliant scientist out to save the world who also know how to have a good time? Have at him, ladies.