Ever since I started as a Fisk-UIUC Undergraduate Research Scholar in 2019, all the faculty and graduate students I worked with remained active in my network, helping and mentoring me as I worked on completing my undergraduate degree. Dr. Song discussed the new master’s program with me, explaining that Dr. Ramanathan was looking forward to having me work in her lab to complete my master’s thesis. This was exciting to me because Dr. Ramanathan was already one of my favorite professors. I really like that she has very high standards for students, and she has always pushed me to be better. We also had a good connection initially, just in terms of personal experiences and cultural similarities. I became interested in the program because I knew Dr. Ramanathan was invested in making sure the program would be tailored to my needs and relevant to what I see myself doing as a career path. That was important because I didn’t have the opportunity to take classes in my specific research area of interest as an undergraduate. This program has invested in me and continues to ensure that I am making strides toward career interests.
I think that anyone who is considering a career involving research in any area of biology should consider applying to this program. The technical and quantitative skills you learn in this program are applicable to every biology research area, not just the ones advertised in the program description. The ability to manipulate and analyze complex data sets will give you an upper hand, no matter the field you are in. These skills are universally needed and all biology fields are moving in this direction. This quantitative approach does not take away from the biology focus, it just adds to it and makes you that much more competitive and effective as a researcher.
Hosting the master’s phase of this program at Fisk is ideal because of the great school culture here. It is more like a family environment, where people are invested in you not as an employee, but they care about you as an individual. They really make sure that you have what you need to succeed career-wise, but also that you have someone to talk to when you are going through challenges in your life. It has helped me so much, because outside of research, my advisors have also been my life mentors. It is such a special bond to have with a professor and it takes time to develop that. I don’t know if you would get that same experience at another school.
Read Leiana-Lavette Woodard's Profile