More to science: working as an Assistant Dean for Basic Science

How did you get interested in science? As far back as I can remember, biology, math, and music were my favorite subjects in school. I guess I was always very analytical, so science and math came pretty easy to me. I grew up in North Dakota and went to a very small school, so unfortunately I didn’t get to participate in science fairs as a kid. I think the reason I ended up in science was really due to the process of elimination. I didn’t think I was talented enough to go into music, and I didn’t particularly want to teach, which is what I thought you’d have to do if you went into math, so science it was! What is your scientific background? I completed my bachelor’s degree at North Dakota State University. I majored in Biotechnology, mainly because it sounded a lot cooler and more cutting edge than a degree in Biology. After I was exposed to my first molecular biology course, I was hooked, and I knew I’d found my passion. I also was very lucky in my freshman year to get good grades my first quarter, and so my faculty advisor sent me a letter of congratulations and invited me to work in his lab. I worked there all four years, and it really paved the way for me to apply for—and get in to—graduate school. I went on to the University of Wisconsin-Madison for graduate school, majoring in Cellular & Molecular Biology, where my research focused on mitochondria and aging in mammalian cells. Already at that stage, however, I knew I’d likely end up pursuing somethin...
Source: BioMed Central Blog - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Tags: Biology Health Medicine #moretoscience careers early career researchers PhD Science > Careers science administration Source Type: blogs