Q: Who mentors your project?

A: My current mentor is Dr. Deborah Smith, but Drs. Robert Hagen and Victor Gonzalez have also mentored me.

Q: What surprised you about doing research?

A: I was surprised by how much professors and other mentors were willing to spend time working with me and helping me to understand concepts, and I was also surprised by how many opportunities to travel and meet new people that doing research gave me.

Q: What did you find most challenging about getting involved in or doing your project? What advice would you offer to students facing similar challenges?

A: The most challenging thing for me was asking a professor if I could work with them because I was afraid to get turned down or look silly for asking. I would advise anyone who wants to do research to let go of that fear and try instead to understand that there are opportunities for research all over campus, so they shouldn’t get discouraged.

Q: What do you like most about your project?

A: I like that my project seeks answers to questions that have potentially large impacts on how we and other organisms live.

Q: What advice would you give to a friend wanting to get involved in research?

A: I would advise them to try and get involved as soon as possible, and to ask lots of questions so that they can get more out of their first project.

Q: How do you spend your time when you're not working on your research?

A: Most of my time is dedicated to either research or classes, but in my spare time, I like hanging out with my friends and my bearded dragon, Kala.