2019-2020 Department Fellows

Since I was a child, I have wanted to be a doctor. Pursuing a degree in biology became a critical step in this goal. I came to Denison for the promise of a strong curriculum that would prepare me for medical school, but in this process I have also developed a true passion for ecology research. Along with this preparation, I have also met exceptional friends and professors. As my knowledge and love of science expanded, I chose to work as a tutor and teaching assistant in Biology and Chemistry. These positions allowed me to refine my own knowledge, while also helping my peers in the learning process. I’m also a senior research student within the biology department with a focus on ecology. With the mentorship of Dr. Homan, I have worked to conduct a survey of stream-breeding salamanders within the Denison Bioreserve. This has been an exciting experience that has taught me much about the research process and collaboration. On the Hill, I’m also a catcher on the Denison varsity softball team and work as an intern in the varsity weight room.

My experiences within the Biology department have prepared me to attend Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine this fall (2020). I’m excited to pursue a career in primary care, where I can apply my biology knowledge to improving the lives of others. Overall, I’m incredibly grateful for my mentors within the biology department; specifically my advisor, Dr. Homan. In addition, none of this would have been possible without the love and support of my family and friends.

I am very grateful for my Denison biology experience because of the relationships and skills I have created, my ability to practice research, and the biology leadership roles I have held.

Scientific exploration and biology have always been my passions. The biology department at Denison has allowed me to create amazing relationships with faculty and students that share those same passions. I appreciate the wide variety of courses I have been able to take, from insects to eukaryotic cell biology. The program here is rigorous and the most important thing that I have learned is to be confident in my education and skills. I realized this when I was able to secure research at the University of California San Francisco, a top tier research university, and had similar or better skills when it came to journal discussions and developing self-designed experiments compared to my peers.

I love how as a scientist you can answer your own questions with experiments and research. I noticed that while CBD has become an increasingly popular commercial product, there is little scientific evidence of its health benefits. I have been able to investigate this through my senior research, where I explored the effects of CBD on immune macrophage cells. Working with the amazing and patient Dr. Caldari I have become a more independent learner and researcher, and I thank her for guiding me through my research interests. I am excited to implement my research experience and skills in my career plans for the rest of my life.

My involvement in the department as a T.A., tutor, and DUBS president have not only been my favorite leadership roles on campus but have allowed me to share what I have learned with the Denison and Granville community. I will cherish the memories I have created with biology students and faculty and am excited to culminate my time in the department with the senior research poster presentations.

Even as a kid growing up around Toledo, Ohio, I’ve always wanted to be a doctor, but I still loved nature. I would spend countless hours in the woods, but never took the same interest in other kinds of life as I did in humans. In high school, my favorite science classes were biology and human anatomy and physiology. My experience in the latter class, which included examining a cadaver at the University of Toledo, helped me to finally settle on my choice of career; I was shocked at how something so complicated could work so well almost all the time, and wanted to learn as much as I could. When I first came to Denison, most of my interest in biology was mostly limited to human biology. The more classes I took at Denison, the more I came to appreciate not only the complexity of life at large, but also the staggering amount of diversity of that complexity. The classes outside of the Department of Biology - from Chemistry to Philosophy to Art - helped me cultivate a greater understanding of life, and a greater motivation to learn more about everything I can, not just biology. Although I still feel that I have so much to learn about life at large, I think that my time at Denison has taught me to appreciate what it is to be alive.

There was never any doubt in my mind that Biology was the only career path for me. The classes I have taken at Denison, the research experiences I’ve had, the relationships I have built have only deepened that conviction. I’ve loved exploring the Bio Reserve, through classes, summer research, and hiking with my friends. I’ve been lucky- so many of the classes offered in the last 4 years have been seemingly tailored to my specific interests, and I’ve had a blast in every single one. As a freshman, I wouldn’t have guessed that I would enjoy TAing the Ecology and Evolution core class so much; getting to know professors I hadn’t taken a class from has allowed me to deepen my relationship to the department as a whole. I’ve also enjoyed being a mentor for the younger underclassmen through my position as a TA.

I’d like to thank Dr. Homan for guiding me throughout my years at Denison- even though she “forced” me to take O-Chem and both Physics 121 and 122. The summer research I did with her was not only fascinating, but some of the most fun I’ve had doing a summer internship. Herpetology and Conservation Bio have been some of my favorite classes at Denison (even though Herp should be reptiles and avians, not amphibians). I’d also like to thank Dr. Hauk and Dr. McCall for not only accepting a stranger as their TA, but treating me like a valued source of input for the labs as well. I’ll definitely look fondly on my time in the Biology Department.

There is no place at Denison where I feel more at home than in the Biology department. I arrived here as any other student does: curious, excited, and a bit nervous. Little did that scared, garrulous freshman know the opportunities that would come his way in the ensuing years. I learned to read scientific literature with ease, prepare laboratories for younger students, and conduct novel biological research. I became so interested in microbial life that I sought a research position to explore the treatment of a pesky bacterial infection utilizing bacteriophages and antibiotics.

I am proud of my investments in mentorship as a TA and a tutor for the ARC and biosphere; I always leave feeling as though younger students have taught me a new approach to the science of life. I want to thank all those whose paths have crossed with mine over the years. However, I owe perhaps the greatest gratitude to the truly excellent women of the Weingart Lab. I would not have a picture on this wall without my lab partner Anna Mankovich and Dr. Christine Weingart. Your shrewd scientific insight, jovial guidance, and endless patience make our work fun on the worst day and priceless on the best.

There is something special about Talbot’s residents, they are unafraid to push you to become the student they know you can be. The Bio department has allowed me to discover new worlds both large and small. I have sat for hours recording mallard behavior and filled wells with the smallest viruses. These experiences have molded me into the student and budding scientist that I am today. I am touched and honored to have been selected as a Senior Fellow.

Thank you so much to the Biology department for all of its support throughout my four years on the hill! Through many days and long(er) nights in Talbot, study buddies have become some of my closest friends. The staff and faculty have prepped us all for success in our passions and I am thrilled to watch my peers thrive. Relationships with professors have grown, and what began as learning about DNA transcription and zooplankton, turned into lessons of ethics, hardworking and critical thinking. As I continue my studies, this department will remain at the foundation of what’s to come. A million thank yous!