Where are they now?
ISU Undergraduate Research Alumni Highlights
Joseph Webb
Nutritional Science, 2016
"Research experience was the most beneficial extracurricular activity that I participated in as an undergraduate student. Working on projects with large biomedical companies provided opportunities to apply what I learned in my classes, and network with future employers. The experiences working in different research labs helped me obtain an internship at Mayo Clinic, which in turn helped clarify that I didn't want to become a physician (even though I was planning to apply to medical school at the time). After returning to ISU, I knew I wanted to apply to graduate school and every professor I spoke with described how previous research experience was one of the most important qualities professors look for in potential graduate assistants.If I could pass on any advice to students looking to pursue advanced degrees, becoming involved in research during your bachelor's degree will benefit your career more than you will ever realize!"
Ben Dralle
Nutritional Science and Genetics, 2019
"Research played an integral role in my academic and professional development at Iowa State. As a first-year student, I completed childhood obesity research as part of the First Year Mentor Program. From there, I went on to complete a summer research internship in lung cancer biology at the University of Minnesota, two more internships focused on childhood obesity at Iowa State, and another summer internship focused on health policy at the internationally-renowned Geisinger Health System. I presented my work from the childhood obesity internships at Obesity Week 2017 in Washington, D.C., Research in the Capitol 2018, and Posters on the Hill 2018. Through these experiences, I learned the foundational skills required to be successful in research, as well as the skills necessary to be productive in different areas of study. After graduating with Honors in May 2019, I have continued my studies at The Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus, OH."
Kevin Lin
Industrial Engineering, 2019
My time at Iowa State was greatly influenced by my experiences as an Undergraduate Research Assistant. I was a member of the Flexible Electronics and Additive Printing Laboratory under Dr. Hantag Qin, in the Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering Department at ISU. During my time in the lab I was able to put concepts I was learning in the classroom into cutting edge research. I was fortunate enough to work on multiple projects ranging from machine vision systems to edible 3D printing. I shared my findings through publications and conferences, such as the Research in the Capitol 2018. My experiences with undergraduate research led me to apply to graduate school, and I am now pursuing my Master of Business Analytics (MBAn) at MIT. The opportunities provided to me through undergraduate research at Iowa State opened many doors for me, and more importantly opened my mind to the idea of advancing the world through research.
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