Undergraduate Institution: Northwestern University
Fellowship: NIGMS - NIH Predocotral Trainee

Since entering the Watson School in the fall of 2010, I have found CSHL to be an ideal place to conduct science as a graduate student. Coming from an engineering background, the intensive first semester curriculum gave me a broad base of knowledge in biology, and I especially benefitted from the weekly instructor-guided discussions of primary literature. The small class sizes here foster a supportive environment by ensuring close support and mentoring from faculty. More generally, the close-knit community at CSHL offers a truly unique atmosphere not to be found at larger institutions, and this lends itself to many exciting cross-laboratory collaborations. As a graduate student, the design of the WSBS curriculum has also benefited me greatly by separating the periods of formal coursework and thesis research: Not having to constantly balance lab work against a course load has allowed me to focus on my science, and this has made a substantial difference in my research output.