Describe the work you did with Dr. Kosal.

During my spring semester of my freshman year, I initiated an honors contract with Dr. Kosal to receive honors credit for BIO 181 and be on track to fulfill the requirements of the University Honors Program. When I brought up the idea to Dr. Kosal, she was thrilled and suggested that I create an educational case study regarding evolutionary medicine. Dr. Kosal sent me articles to read and annotate; eventually, I had drafted an entire manuscript that, with adjustments from Dr. Kosal, would satisfy the honors requirements for BIO 181. However, Dr. Kosal encouraged me to continue to work on the manuscript into the summer and allow her to submit the manuscript for publication once I was finished.

Explain the process of submitting a manuscript and getting your case study published in a national journal.

Submitting a manuscript seems cut-and-dry – you write, you submit, you edit, and you publish. I wish the process was this easy, but depending on who reviews your manuscript is critical. Of course, when Dr. Kosal and I submitted the manuscript, the reviewers made suggestions and edits; however, they were on the middle ground concerning whether they would accept it. Still, Dr. Kosal and I persevered, made appropriate adjustments accordingly, and submitted again in hopes of acceptance. Again, the reviewers were on the middle ground; so, we decided to revamp it and then submitted to a different journal The American Biology Teacher where it was eventually published in the February 2023 edition. Yes, it took two years from inception to publication of the case study. Regardless, the satisfaction of seeing your hard work being recognized is always worth the wait.

What steps you took or advice you have to students who are interested in working with a faculty member on campus.

Finding experience on campus was daunting for me when I arrived at NC State, but I have accomplished a lot since then! Here is my advice:

1. Join mailing lists that suit your career goals. 

For life sciences, I know Dr. Dana Thomas administers several mailing lists related to research, healthcare, job listings, and so on. (I would highly recommend this; I have added four experiences to my resume by being on her mailing lists!)

2. Reach out to your professors.

It can be intimidating being in a 200+ person lecture hall; I remember how small I felt when I stepped foot in one. Professors can also be intimidating, but, from my experience, they are people too – just so happens they know a lot of things. Email is great for those situations as you have more time to plan and articulate what you want to say.

3. Cold email.

As embarrassing as it can be to send an email to a complete stranger who will hopefully see you as ambitious rather than desperate, just send the email. If they respond negatively (or do not respond at all), who cares? You will (probably) never see or hear from them again. But, if they respond positively, you just scored an opportunity! Yes, at times, it can be discouraging to send ten emails and have all of them say no. But, keep trying! A door will open eventually.

What are your future goals?

My future goal is to join an MD/PhD program. Regarding the MD, I hope to become a radiologist or anesthesiologist; for the PhD, I would like to pursue some area of biochemistry as I find molecular biology to be fascinating. To me, biology is the ultimate science – it is the intersection of mathematics, physics, chemistry, and so much more that is used to describe life as we know it. It is incredible how the tiniest change at the molecular level can have dramatic effects on the development of an organism – what if we could use this idea to eliminate autoimmune diseases? Both creativity and ingenuity are essential to biology, and that is why I love biology!