Evangel Profile

Laura (Graeff) Armas, M.D. (’97): Creighton University Medical School teacher

Dr. Laura (Graeff) Armas graduated summa cum laude from Evangel University in 1997. Along with acquiring  her degree in Biology, she was recognized as an Outstanding Science and Technology Graduate. According to Laura,  her favorite memories at Evangel include long talks with friends, midnight runs  to Wal-Mart, going to movies and “studying” at coffee shops.

“My parents went  to Evangel, which played a large part in my college choice,” Laura said. “I  knew that I wanted to go to a Christian school, and I was interested in a  science degree. Having an overall Christian emphasis on higher education makes  a difference. I will always remember the close friends I made and the teachers  I had who cared for me, not only as a student but also as a person.”

Following  graduation from Evangel, she attended Creighton University School of Medicine,  graduating in 2001. Laura then finished her residency program in Internal  Medicine and completed a fellowship program in Endocrinology and Metabolism at Creighton University Medical   Center.

Laura feels that  attending Evangel made all the difference in preparing for her career. “As a biology  major, I had many classes with Dr. Tenneson and Dr. Bohanon. I felt that I was  prepared for medical school and now that I have a research career, I feel that  the classes I took in research design and statistics were particularly  helpful,” she said.

Laura is now an  assistant professor at Creighton University Medical  School in the Division of  Endocrinology and the Osteoporosis   Research Center.  She has been board certified with the American Board of Internal Medicine since  2004 and the American Board of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism since  2007. Her work is focused on research in the areas of nutrition and bone  disease, but she has also done work on nutrition’s effects on cardiovascular  disease, immunity, and cancer.

Laura and her  husband, Rolando, met while she was in medical school. “We went to the same  church in Omaha  and were part of a group of single young adults who had just finished college,”  Laura said.     The Armas’s reside  in Nebraska  with their three children: Gabriella, 6; Jonathan, 3; and Sarah, 8 months