Reno Reporter

An alum from the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) is giving back to the school that he hopes will make a difference in the lives of other students.

Zachary Brounstein, who graduated from the school in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and chemical engineering and then went on to the University of New Mexico for his Ph.D. in nanoscience and microsystems engineering, noted that his success is attributed to his roots at UNR; a recent news release from the university said.

“In so many ways, the University changed and morphed and matured who I was,” he said in the release.

Brounstein now works as an associate senior research and development engineer of product development at Lonza, a pharmaceutical and biotechnology company.

“I knew I wanted to give back,” Brounstein said in the release. “In my mind, a scholarship was one of the most direct ways I could give back and help other people experience what the University has to offer. All the extracurriculars that comprised my experience, I honestly don’t think I could’ve had that anywhere else. It’s unparalleled.”

He added that while the cost of going to UNR is more affordable than your typical college, it nevertheless provides a quality education.

“But the cost of tuition is still increasing most years,” Brounstein said. “From a student perspective, a little bit of help may go a long way. I wanted to help students out while they were paying for school. That was first and foremost on my mind.”