Tate YawitzBIOSC Senior In summer 2019, a few months before I began my junior year at Pitt (and about 10 years before the pandemic began), I lived in San Francisco and worked at the California Academy of Sciences to study the evolutionary arms race between bark scorpions and grasshopper mice. Bark scorpions have evolved venom so toxic that it has killed people, yet they’re preferentially hunted by grasshopper mice, which have evolved resistance to the scorpions’ venom. Admittedly, one of the first questions that I get when I tell people I did scorpion venom research is, “How did you get into that?”. It’s a fair question for sure, and one that doesn’t have a quick answer. When I was a kid, I’d spend my summers outside collecting bugs. I’ve always loved spiders and other arachnids in particular and would tell my parents that I was going to be an entomologist when I grew up. When I got to college and eventually started working in Dr. Kevin Kohl’s lab, I realized that I loved research, and knew that I wanted to find some kind of entomology or arachnology research opportunity. After casually searching for research internships, I found the National Science Foundation’s Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) website. These are fully funded opportunities where undergraduate students from the US can apply for research internships all over the country. The NSF pays for your relocation, research, housing, and your stipend throughout the summer. Just about any kind of research that you can dream of is available through an REU in pretty much any field of STEM. The NIH also has a similar set of opportunities that are more focused on biomedical sciences. The problem with these programs, however, is that they’re incredibly competitive. There are usually only around 10 spots per program, but each program gets hundreds of applicants each year. I ended up applying for 11 programs, but there was one that I wanted far more than the others. At the California Academy of Sciences, a world-famous natural history museum and research institution in San Francisco, I applied to work with the Curator of Arachnology, Dr. Lauren Esposito. Lauren is a scorpion biologist and the founder of a queer visibility campaign called 500 Queer Scientists. The campaign serves as a centralized space for queer scientists to share who they are and what they do. As a young queer scientist myself, I was overwhelmed when I first found the website. I grew up in a small, conservative town, where coming out was not a safe option. I came out to a few of my closest friends just before college started, but overall, Pitt was the place where I came to terms with my queer identity. My research advisor here at Pitt, Dr. Kevin Kohl, is also a member of the LGBTQ+ community. As an Assistant Professor, he has always been open and transparent about his identity, which has inspired me since the day I met him. Dr. Kohl was the first adult queer person who I had ever come to know, so I immediately wanted to come out to him and learn about his experiences as a queer man, and particularly, as a queer man in biology. Still though, because of where I was at in my own coming out process, I was afraid and didn’t know if it was appropriate to tell him that I was also queer. That all changed thanks to 500 Queer Scientists. While scrolling through countless profiles on the website, I came across Dr. Kohl’s. Most of his profile was filled with things that I already knew from working in his lab, but his last sentence stuck with me. He said, “I enjoy serving as an informal mentor for LGBT+ students''. That was the invitation that I needed to come out to him. Later that week, I let him know that I was queer. Had it not been for the 500 Queer Scientists website that Dr. Esposito created, I wouldn’t have come out to Dr. Kohl. So not only was Dr. Esposito a world-expert arachnologist, but her advocacy and work for the queer community literally changed my life. So, I had to let her know. After submitting my application to work with her for the summer, I emailed her and shared how 500 Queer Scientists made a difference in my life. She responded by thanking me and saying that she would keep an eye out for my REU application. A few months later, by what I thought was pure luck, I got an acceptance email inviting me to work with Dr. Esposito to study scorpion venom evolution. When the summer rolled around, I flew to San Francisco, and moved into a big house with nine other interns. We all worked hard on our own research projects at the museum, took a course on systematics and biodiversity, did some field work, and explored the city whenever we could. It was the best summer I’ve ever had. My REU taught me so much about biology and about myself, it solidified my decision to pursue a career in science, it introduced me to incredible mentors, and it gave me life-long friends. I returned to Pitt after my REU and was more confident in every way. I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone and tried the things I always wanted to do on campus; I became a Pathfinder, joined a fraternity, and got a committee position on Student Government Board. My college experience has become so much more meaningful all because I pushed myself to pursue my childhood passion for bugs. So, as a senior who will be graduating all too soon, my advice is to do whatever makes you happy like you’re a kid again. Even if it’s in ways you don’t expect, those efforts will pay off in one way or another.
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Eric JordahlJunior Molecular Biology major As a second semester Junior, I can honestly say my time at Pitt has flown by already. It is crazy to me that I only have a year left, and I will be applying to Graduate Schools in the fall. However, my path to get here was not one that I expected…. At all. As a freshman, I entered Pitt with a plan to go to medical school, get my MD, and become a pediatric cardiologist, working closely with sick children, trying to make them healthier. I have a passion for this even today, and I was ready to make it my plan for the rest of my life. However, in November of 2018, my freshman year, I joined the O’Donnell Lab, here in the Department of Biological Sciences. Had I known the impact this lab would have on me for the rest of my career, I would have tried to jump onboard even sooner! I started in the O’Donnell Lab as many other undergraduates do when they start in a lab, as a lab aide. I washed dishes, made media and stock solutions, racked test tubes and pipette tips, and so much more. Yet, no matter how boring and monotonous some of this stuff could be, it gave me a strong foundation from which to start in the lab. I learned where everything was kept, I was able to communicate with my lab members, and as time went on, I learned more and more about what it was that the lab studied and how exactly we did that. I have talked to so many undergraduate researchers that followed the same path that I did, and most of us agreed, even though the time we spent as a lab aide was not the most exciting, it was rewarding in its own way. After a few months with the O’Donnell Lab, I was already starting to branch into more research, rather than more lab chores. I began working on imaging experiments, extracting plasmids from bacterial cultures, culturing yeast, and so much more. When I returned from summer break, now as a sophomore, I started on full time research, working on the Evolutionary Rate Covariation Project to identify novel cargoes of the trafficking adaptor proteins, α-arrestins. Within this project, I am working to implement a technique known as Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation (BiFC), in order to visualize the protein-protein interactions between an α-arrestin and a membrane protein, Fat3. BiFC involves the splitting of the fluorescent protein, VENUS, into two halves, the front half of the protein (known as the N-terminus and shortened to ‘VN’) and the back half of the protein (called the C-terminus and shortened to ‘VC’). When VENUS is expressed in the cell it is a green fluorescent protein variant but when split in half, neither VC nor VN fluorescence. However, when the two halves of Venus come in proximity they can bind together, which restores the fluorescence of the fluorophore. I have created this figure below to help with understanding, so hopefully it will help you all as well. My work in the O’Donnell Lab has had a tremendous impact on me and given rise to many opportunities for me in the field of Cell Biology. I have presented posters, given oral presentations, attended conferences, and even received awards and fellowships from my research. I have had the opportunity to expand my knowledge outside my major coursework, and I could not be happier with the information I am learning. I have interacted and worked with people from different labs and disciplines in order to complete my goals, expanding my network and my people skills. I truly would recommend seizing the opportunity to get into research with anyone that asks or has it available (which everyone at Pitt does, if you put yourself out there). Without the people and research in the O’Donnell Lab, I would not be as confident in my future goals as I am now. I have found my calling in lab research and found a home in the field of academia. I can truly express my passion for research and knowledge, while also possibly teaching at the collegiate level, if I would like to. Graduate School has so much to offer, and I am excited at the prospect of finding my niche in the research community and sharing my research with a passionate group of people. Until then, I will continue to work hard on my classes and research, all preparing me for what is ahead, and I am so excited to see where it takes me. If anyone has any questions about my journey, me, or my research please feel free to reach out, my email is [email protected] If interested in the research my lab performs, you can also check out our lab website www.odonelllab.com Nicole EngSenior BIOSC and premed student who is soon to graduate :( As a second semester senior my days are numbered. I have a few weeks left to experience all that Pitt has to offer and explore the city of Pittsburgh while finishing my classes strong, submitting gap year job applications, starting job interviews, and preparing medical school applications. After a long cold isolated inside winter, the weather is finally turning nice, which I know makes it hard for many to stay focused and on top of ones work. Take advantage of the weather and the beautiful city we live in but don’t forget to keep up with your workload by doing work outside:
If you are a premedical student who is applying this semester, don’t procrastinate and let time fly by and all of a sudden, its June and you want to submit an unedited application!
As the idea sets in that this is my last blog post, and last time speaking to other biology students I feel it is a bittersweet moment. I am happy that I got to talk to other high-strung stressed biology students and help ease their minds about the journey they are about to take. I enjoy helping others who are in the same position I found myself in not too long ago. I am sad because I don’t want my time at Pitt to end and I feel I have so much more to offer. So, I will give some final tips here about classes, life at Pitt, and life in general. As a department of biology - whether it be molecular bio, micro bio, computational bio, , or ecology/evolution - you have the option to take one or more Bio electives aside from the required core major classes. Really think about what classes you want to spend time taking and learning. Don’t take a class because it seems easy or if it’s what you think everyone else takes, take something that is interesting to you or will help you in whatever field you are interested in. For example, one of the Biology electives I took was Human Physiology. I took this class because I am a pre-medical student aspiring to be a physician. I thought Human Physiology would be a great course to take since it introduces students to the different body systems and that is something I am interested in learning. I also planned to take this and Biochemistry close to and before I took my MCAT, since I knew this would help me better study. If you take the time to plan what classes would best help you and at what point in your college career to best take them, this can save you lots of unhappy restudying or disinterest later. The same goes for your gen-eds or wild card classes (if you have space for those!), if you are interested in a subject, take a class in it! Attending college, and one like Pitt, is an amazing experience, so take advantage of this wealth of knowledge and opportunity in front of you! Learn a lot don’t waste your time here, but also don’t forget to take breaks! Lately I have been thinking back to my 1st and 2nd year and regret the times I stayed in to do more work or studying and ended up missing friends' birthday parties, trips to restaurants, and events like basketball games. Enjoy your time here, it goes by toooo fast! You got this! If you are ever too stressed about a class, take a deep breath, put it in perspective and realize that this stress will pass and get better. And please come talk to me at my office hours Monday 11-12 if you ever need a pep talk or help with anything Bio (or non-bio) related! Madison PalmieroBIOSC Junior and Pre-PA Everyone studies and learns differently; and with classes online, most of our study habits have likely changed. During this period of remote learning, most of my exams and quizzes have been open note. With open note exams, I think it can be tempting to skimp on study time. Although we no longer need to memorize every detail, good studying habits are still crucial to good grades (and long-term learning!). I have used varying study methods over the years and depending on the class, but recently I have found one that I love. It is a simple method, but it has proven effective for me in both online and in-person classes. If you are looking to raise your grades, or to just improve your study habits, I recommend giving it a try. I learned this method last spring semester in my organic chemistry II class. When we were still in person, we were permitted to bring one 8x11 piece of paper, with anything we wanted written on it, to use during our exams. Before each exam, I would go through my notes and copy down everything I found important onto my condensed sheet. Depending on how small you write, you can surprisingly fit a lot onto an 8x11 piece of paper. It was nice to have this sheet during the exam, and I found that I had actually memorized a lot through the process of making the sheet. This showed me that condensing my notes was a great way to learn and study class material. I think this method is especially great for science classes. Last semester, I used it for physics I, and this semester I have been using it for human physiology and physics II. For physics, I tend to stick mostly to equations. For physiology, I like to add diagrams, as you can see in the example above! To apply this method to your own classes, here is what I would recommend: After each class, or after each unit, go through your notes and condense onto your "cheat sheet" everything that you think is important. Draw out diagrams, write down equations and constants, draw flow charts, write definitions, etc. You now have a condensed note sheet that you can use for open note exams, homework, and studying in general! (But please don't use it as a cheat sheet if notes are not allowed!) You may be thinking that with classes online this is a waste of time, since most exams are open note anyways. However, I think this is actually one of the most efficient ways to use your study time. Below are a few benefits that I have found from using the condensed study sheet method. 1. Repetition of material At least for me, rewriting material helps me learn and remember it more than just reading through it. If you are going to spend an hour studying, it will be a lot more effective to use that time actively, through making a "cheat sheet", rather than spending it passively, and just reading your notes. 2. Helpful with homework Homework is a great way to learn class material, as it gives you hands-on practice. However, when you aren’t familiar with the material, homework can take a long time to complete! I have found it helpful to make my condensed sheet before I start my homework. This way, I have already gone through the material once, and have a better understanding of it. It also makes it easier to find equations or specific details that I need, since I can look at my sheet instead of looking back through all of my notes. 3. Helpful during open note exams Since we have been online, all of my exams have been open note. When you have the important information all on one piece of paper, this will save you the time of flipping through all of your notes during an exam. Instead of spending time trying to find something in your notes, you can spend your time actually thinking about the problem. Efficiency is key! I have found my physics "cheat sheets" especially helpful during exams. With all of the equations and constants in front of me, I don’t have to waste time looking for them. 4. Great for midterms and finals If you save all of the "cheat sheets" you make, when it is time for the midterm or final exam, studying will be so much easier! You already have condensed notes for each unit and can quickly review the main points. If you’re looking for a new way to study, I hope you will give this method a try. It is simple, but effective, and a great way to work smarter instead of harder. Peter RittenhouseBIOSC Senior & pre-dental student Hey everyone! My name is Peter Rittenhouse and I am a senior at the University of Pittsburgh. This year has definitely been stressful and testing for all of us, but I received a good bit of news in my acceptance to dental school! This moment was followed by immediate happiness, then quickly with the thought of how will I be paying for this? Graduate school tuition is something that can be extremely daunting and the thought of taking out loans may be something that scares you. I too felt this way. This led me to search for ways to reduce the cost of tuition. Today, I wanted to talk about a scholarship I am applying to through the United States Navy. The official title of the scholarship is the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP). It is a full tuition scholarship that also covers cost of supplies, textbooks, and gives you a generous stipend each month for living/housing costs. The scholarship also gives a signing bonus of upwards of twenty thousand dollars. This tremendous deal does come with some conditions. All the time spent in school must be re-payed in the form of service. In other words, your four years at school must in turn become four years as a Navy dentist or doctor at one of their military bases in the United States or abroad. This scholarship provides the recipient with a lot of very cool opportunities such as the ability to travel around the world. This is something that otherwise would be very unlikely for someone pursuing dentistry or medicine. Similarly, it offers a slightly competitive salary without the startup costs of your own practice. It is a very interesting offer. That being said, as you could imagine it is extremely competitive. It is open to all pre-med, pre-dental, pre-optometry, etc. students in the United States who are competing for a limited number of spots. I want to spend the rest of this blog post laying out the process of applying to the scholarship. To begin, you want to get in contact with a recruiter. The Army and Air Force offer nearly the exact same scholarship so you’ll want to do some research and decide which branch is right for you. The recruiter will send you a lot of outdated paperwork that you must fill out as soon as possible. None of the paperwork is especially hard and it shouldn’t take too much time. Any questions can be directed to your recruiter and mine was very helpful. After the paperwork, you will be scheduled for Military Entrance Processing (MEPS). This is a full day of physicals, eye and ear testing, blood tests, and more paperwork. This is to ensure that you meet the qualifications to be enlisted in whatever branch of service you decide is best for you. After MEPS, you will have two interviews with military officers who went through the same process. They generally will ask the same questions during both interviews. Some examples are: Why Dentistry? Why the Navy? How are you a leader? The interview is mainly to see who you are outside of your resume. Then that’s it. You have successfully applied. The time after is just waiting to hear back - that is where I am right now. I am not expecting to get this scholarship. As I said it is extremely competitive. This year especially due to COVID they are offering fewer scholarships than normal. I am very proud that I tried for the scholarship, and truly believe it was a great experience. If you have any questions about the scholarship or my pre-dental journey feel free to reach out or attend my office hours Wednesdays from 12-1. |
Pitt Bio BlogThe Pitt Bio Blog is maintained by the Department of Biological Sciences Advising Office. Posts are authored by our students Archives
January 2022
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