University of Colorado Boulder

After a difficult decision between two incredible universities with outstanding research environments, I’ve officially chosen to attend The University of Colorado Boulder! I’ll be pursuing a Master’s in Computer Science and a Ph.D. in Biological Engineering, because apparently, I like a challenge. I’m also honored to be a National Science Foundation Fellow for the next year through the Integrated Data Science Fellowship at the BioFrontiers Institute. This program will allow me to develop a unique combination of computational and biological skills—ideally, without too many existential crises along the way. As part of my Ph.D., I’ll rotate through four different research labs in my first year: three individual rotations to explore potential long-term projects, and one team rotation, where a small group of us will attempt to spark a collaboration between two professors who (so far) haven’t worked together. It’s a bit like academic matchmaking—minus the awkward small talk (hopefully). Excited for the next few years in Boulder, where I’ll be conducting interdisciplinary research, expanding my skill set, and inevitably getting lost in the woods.