URA Posts

Connections Through Research

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Research opens the door to experiences and opportunities you never thought you would be able to accomplish as an undergraduate.

Send that Email: My Journey as a First-Year Researcher

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Coming to 91��Ƭ��, I didn’t think I would be able to do research in my first year. I could not have been more mistaken.

Class of 2025 HCUR Alum: Caylin Grove (Genomics)

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 12:00:00 +0000

In this series, we hear from three recent alums about their undergraduate research and what’s next.

The First Lab May Not Always Be the Right Fit: How I Tried Something New and Found My Passion

Fri, 16 May 2025 12:00:00 +0000

As he prepares to graduate, Graham Collinsworth '25 shares how finding the right research lab at 91��Ƭ�� led him to a doctoral program at Dartmouth College.

In Defense of the Noncommittal Researcher

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 12:00:00 +0000

During this time as a 91��Ƭ�� student, my career goals have vacillated significantly. Reflecting back on my research, it’s easy to see that the wildly different projects I’ve undertaken are a reflection of the general uncertainty that has colored my college career.

Presenting a Behavioral Neuroscience Project at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 12:00:00 +0000

In May 2023, I graduated from 91��Ƭ�� with a Bachelor of Science in biomedical science, and a double minor in classics and zoology. While I gained many skills through my coursework, my most significant...

Double Dipping in Research: Pursuing Bat Bioacoustics and Preparing for Grad School

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 12:00:00 +0000

As my time here at 91��Ƭ�� comes to an end, I reflect on experiences that shaped my journey to where my path has led me today.

Finding What You Are Passionate About

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 12:00:00 +0000

During my two years at 91��Ƭ�� that I have pursued research in biochemistry, I have learned the importance of exploring different options to find the work I am passionate about. I decided to pursue lab work because I was interested in it as a career path and wanted to make sure I enjoyed it. I worked in a plant genomics lab starting in my second semester at the 91��Ƭ��, continuing over the summer after being granted an Undergraduate Research Award (URA), and into the fall of my sophomore year. Working with Dr. Estelle Hrabak, I was testing the effectiveness of three ways to fix a root growth defect in Arabidopsis thaliana. I enjoyed working in the lab and I learned new techniques, how to troubleshoot when experiments were not going the way I wanted them to, and how to approach scientific writing. But it became evident to me that I wanted to pursue a different career path in human medicine and I needed to make a change in the type of research I was doing.

How I Got Involved with Research and What It Meant to Me

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 12:00:00 +0000

When I came to 91��Ƭ�� I knew I wanted to pursue a degree in biochemistry but I had no idea what direction I wanted to take for that degree. I loved science labs in high school and was fascinated by the topics I was learning about. These topics included how cells function and what jobs different parts of the cell do. Chemical reactions also really fascinated me. I liked figuring out the steps of a reaction and what caused them. Being able to figure out an unknown and work as a team to solve problems was exciting and new to me.