Hannah Birky
My name is Hannah Birky, and I am a Cell & Molecular Biology major going into my senior year at Bethel College (Mishawaka, IN). I will graduate in May 2015. I initially began studying biology because of an interest in medicine; however, my time in college has opened my eyes to the broad scope of the field. When I began college, I never would have imagined myself studying the retinas of mosquitoes as I did this summer! After graduation, I plan to take a gap year to pursue other interests. From there, I will see what opportunities I have available to further my education! I feel blessed to have been able to participate in Notre Dame's REU program. I have learned valuable information about working as a member of a research group, developed better science reading and writing skills, and made friends with people from all over the U.S. and the world!
Caleb Bomske
Born and raised in the temperate rainforest off of British Columbia's rugged coast, I have been incubating an interest in ecology for a long time. I was homeschooled from kinder garden through grade 12 and attended Pensacola Christian College, potentially graduating with a bachelor of science in biology spring of 2015. When I was told about the prospect of working as a stream ecologist at Notre Dame, I jumped at the opportunity. The REU program has opened my eyes to my future's potential. Soon, I will be pursuing a PhD in science. When I'm not working and learning in the lab and beyond, I'm usually found out in the bush, catching snakes, bird watching, or swimming after turtles.
Raquel Montanez
I grew up in Caguas, Puerto Rico, and currently attend the University of Puerto Rico's Cavey Campus, where I am a Biology major graduating in 2015. I enjoy reading and playing sports. My favorite pastime is going to the beach, and just listening to the waves while looking at the horizon. I also enjoy spending time with family, they are my support system. After graduation I plan on going to graduate school in the USA to obtain my Ph.D. and become a professor and a researcher. I want to be able to motivate undergraduate students to do research. I plan on going back to Puerto Rico to be a professor, but it depends on what life can offer me in the future, I am open to a lot of possibilities.
Nicholas Deason
I study malaria transmission and control with Dr. Neil Lobo. This summer I travelled to the Solomon Islands to begin a study testing a new method of outdoor vector control. I like playing basketball, fishing, and watching public television. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a major in Biological Sciences in 2015, I plan to pursue a Ph.D. and a career in research.
Hannah Garcia
My name is Hannah Garcia. I grew up in New Carlisle, Indiana. I am a biochemistry major at Indiana University South Bend where I am currently a junior. This summer, I studied different types of breast cancer using organoids that were prepared from different transgenic mouse models.
Tyler Gibson
My name is Tyler Gibson and I'm from Denver, Colorado. This fall I'll be a senior at Earlham College, where I'm a double major in Biology and Spanish. In my free time I like to travel, ski, play guitar, go to concerts, and do handstands. After graduating, I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in cell or molecular biology. This summer, I worked in the McDowell lab studying the expression and function of GPCRs in Anopheles mosquitoes.
Ashley Graves
It’s kind of funny how things work out. I always thought that I would major in the humanities. But the sciences have always been a part of my life and I guess I accepted that during my junior year of high school. My younger brother is autistic and my grandfather started having memory issues and around that time I realized that I had the ability to help them. So, I went to Williams College and fell in love with our neuroscience concentration (which is 50% psychology, 50% biology and 100% awesome). My experiences at Williams and as an REU fellow at Notre Dame have made it clear that I’m a natural lab rat and I really want to go to graduate school and get my Ph.D. in Neuroscience. When I’m outside the lab, I’m most likely on the track or in my room reading, writing poetry, or drawing. I'm pretty active and quite quirky...and I'm okay with that.
Allison Hendershot
I grew up in the small town of Franklin, Indiana, just south of Indianapolis. Coincidentally, I ended up attending a small, liberal arts college in the same town. When I am not science-ing, I enjoy spending time with sorority sisters, friends and family, reading, watching movies, and travelling. Following graduation, I'd like to join the Peace Corps, then continue research as I work towards receiving a Ph.D. in infectious disease biology. This summer, I had the opportunity to work in the Besansky lab developing a diagnostic assay for differentiating between two "races" of Anopheles funestus mosquitoes.
Ana Illera
My name is Ana Illera. I grew up in Valladolid, a small city in Northwest Spain, but have been living in Dublin since 2010. I recently graduated in Genetics and Cell Biology major from Dublin City University. I am planning on taking a GAP year to enjoy interests other than sciences and decide on whether to pursue further education in the near future. This summer I researched freshwater bacterial tradeoffs at Dr. Jones lab at Notre Dame. The summer has definitely been a great experience, not only in terms of research, but also personally! A "to do" in the bucket list of a young researcher!
Emma McGrath
My name is Emma McGrath, and I have worked on ARF6-mediated regulation of tumor microvesicle formation in the D'Souza-Schorey lab this summer. I'm a biochemistry major in Trinity College Dublin and will be graduating in 2015. I would like to pursue a Ph.D in biochemistry or cancer cell biology, although I'm not sure whether in the USA or back in Ireland just yet! I grew up in the south-east of Ireland, but have been living in Dublin since 2011. I enjoy sunshine, travelling, music, fashion, playing tennis and trying new things. The REU program at Notre Dame is a great learning experience for any future scientist, and one I definitely will not forget!
Lexi (Alejandra) Ortiz
I like to hike, run, take pictures, hang out with my cats and go on adventures. I grew up in San Ramon, a suburb of San Francisco in the East Bay. After my graduation from UC Berkeley, where I will graduate in 2016 with a double major in Public Health and Biology (with a minor in Global Poverty and Practice), I plan on taking a little bit of time off to do some global volunteering. Then, I will be applying for medical school!
Samantha Piekos
I am a rising senior and Biological Sciences major at the University of Notre Dame. I have been a member of the Hyde Laboratory for the past two years, and my project is on the characterization of the proliferation of rod precursors, which are cells that give rise to rod photoreceptors. Upon graduation, I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology starting Fall 2015. In my free time, I enjoy singing and am involved in a capella and choir at Notre Dame.
Luqun Shen
I'm a rising junior at the University of Notre Dame from the South Bend area majoring in Biological Sciences. I'm interested in Cell Biology because of the impact it has on everyday life and simply the wide berth of knowledge we still don't know about it. At school, I participate as an editor for the campus' scientific journal, Scientia. Outside of science, I enjoy playing basketball, running, and watching movies.
Denise Tarnowski
I am a rising senior at Notre Dame majoring in Biological Sciences with a minor in Theology. This summer I continued my work in Dr. Fraser's lab creating recombinant N-glycosylated monoclonal antibodies in silkworms. After I graduate this year, I plan to pursue a Ph.D. and continue to conduct research. Outside of biology, I enjoy being a member of the Notre Dame marching band and love playing intramural sports on campus such as soccer and broomball.
Russell Williams III
I am a U.S. Marine Corps veteran from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and am currently a Biochemistry major at Indiana University-South Bend, where I will graduate in 2016. I am a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, and my hobbies include sports, camping, hiking, and spending time with friends and family.