Academics that Inspire

Transcript

Up next is Katie, who is a senior majoring in Biology with direct entry into the Physician Assistant Program at UE. She’s going to tell us how UE students get to work on research projects in their freshman year, and how experiences empower students, create opportunities to impact careers, and can really shape your future. Take it away, Katie.

– Thanks for the introduction, Alex. When college decision making was approaching in high school, I had a difficult time finding a school that stuck out to me above the rest. Since my hometown is a short drive from UE, I scheduled a visit as a practice college tour, never expecting to one day live, study, and grow here at the University of Evansville. My aspirations for medicine came from my relationship with my handicap brother. I wasn’t sure of my path when I first came to UE, but it was my time and experiences here that really revealed which career was best for me. One of those experiences in particular was undergraduate research. In the Biology Department, our faculty are passionate about research and lead projects for students to participate in. There are many different opportunities offered in our native plant garden, greenhouse, and labs inside Cook Center. The unique projects give students a better understanding of science, as well as a competitive edge when applying to jobs or graduate school programs. At UE, science focused majors get to work in the labs starting freshman year. In one of my classes, we took on a research project involving bacteriophage, or viruses that infect bacteria. Each of us took soil samples throughout the Evansville area, then isolated unique phage species from the samples to catalog and publish on a national database. Through this project, I realized my passion for research, which led me to taking an upper level elective the next semester to continue it. This experience early in my college career allowed me to explore different avenues in science and choose to become a physician assistant. Looking back, I’m thankful for my practice tour that caused me to fall in love with this place. Back to you, Alex.

– Katie, it’s inspiring to hear about your passion for medicine and how UE’s opportunities really fuel that for you. This is definitely something that benefits students for years to come. Nicely done.