The philosophical question of “what is life?” really has a simple answer. Life is the precise control of genes through biological and chemical processes that must occur at an exact time and location. I turned to the chemistry behind genetics, where I hoped to find the link between slight changes in the chemical structure of DNA and the resulting phenotypic consequences at an organismal level. In doing so, I focused on molecular genetics and experiencing the research process so that...

Brown University built my foundations as a geneticist through a three week course teaching the protocols for genetic manipulation in a laboratory environment. The research program at the University of California in Santa Barbara granted me the unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience on the research process, from developing an idea to writing the paper and presenting the results. I bring to Emory my interdisciplinary grasp of molecular genetics, evolutionary genetics, and ecology as well as my aptitude in all...

One of the classes I had always hoped to take was one that taught how to teach. The techniques in clearly explaining an idea seem so obscure. How is a teacher so flexible that she can immediately analyze a student’s learning personality and adapt by changing her way of teaching? As I tutored, I always felt that I stumble far too often. It was not that I forgot some crucial detail in how polymerase chain reaction works. Rather, I...