SALEM, Mass. - Andrew Latham, a senior chemistry major at Salem State College, has been accepted into the doctorate program at Penn State University.

A lifelong Lynn resident and graduate of Lynn English High School, Latham entered Salem State College's honors program in 1999 with a Paul Tsongas scholarship. He is the fourth member of his immediate family to pursue a degree at Salem State College. "I chose Salem State because I loved science. Since my mother and two sisters came here, I knew it had a strong program. I also wanted to commute," he said.

Latham's mother, Catherine, has received both an undergraduate degree and a master's degree from Salem State College. The Friends of the School of Education at SSC recently honored her as a recipient of the 2002 Outstanding Educator Award.

According to Andrew, who has maintained a 3.97 grade point average, "The chemistry department at Salem State is small enough so you get to know all the professors, and they couldn't be more helpful."

As he was inspired by his mother and two sisters to attend Salem State, Latham said he received inspiration to move on to Penn State from two SSC professors - Christine and Ronald MacTaylor - both of whom had done their graduate work at Penn State. "Last year, through the National Science Foundation, I signed up for a summer program and I knew Penn State was the place for me," he explained. Latham will return there this summer to begin work on his Ph.D.