Outside of studying at the library, you might find Shaina Hasan moving gracefully as she performs classical Indian dance. You might see Carl Buchholz zip past you as he cycles through town and up Mt. Lemmon. But on May 14th, we found them both at the UA College of Science graduation, recognized respectively as the Spring 2015 College of Science Outstanding Senior and Excellence in Undergraduate Research Awardee.
Hasan, who was awarded the MCB Outstanding Senior Award, and Buchholz, who was awarded both the MCB Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award and the Outstanding Senior Award in Physiology, were selected from among the departmental Outstanding Seniors and Researchers in the College of Science. As is tradition, Hasan was asked to deliver the closing speech for the Spring 2015 College of Science Commencement Ceremony, which took place on Thursday, May 14 at McKale Center.
What do these two have to say about their undergraduate education?
Q: What do you like most about being an MCB major? SH: The department is great! Everyone is so calm, good-natured, and friendly, and I always feel like a welcome member of the MCB community! CB: The advising staff is great and pretty much every course has been thoughtfully and clearly taught.
Q: What was your favorite course? SH: MCB 305 (Cell and Developmental Biology). The process of how we grow and develop into incredibly complex and dynamic organisms has always fascinated me, and this class allowed me to gain an in-depth look into those fundamental features of biology. CB: MCB 302 (The Biology of Cancer). Dr. Joyce Schroeder did a fantastic job of working through the molecular mechanisms of cells to take me from a very primitive understanding of cancer to a very broad knowledge of the disease. It was well taught with excellent content.
Q: What is the single best piece of advice you would give to other students? SH: UA may be a big state school, but it is filled to the brim with opportunities. A key to being successful is to be proactive with whatever opportunity comes your way and piques your interest, which will allow you to remain engaged and help create your own little niche, and to network at this university. CB: Focus on the big ideas; don't get bogged down in details. Years from now, you'll remember how things work and how to learn, but you won't have all the specifics you pored over for hours.
Q: What will you remember most about your time at UA? SH: The bright green lecture hall in Koffler, where I had at least one class each semester, the amazing food in Tucson, and the people who made me laugh and feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. CB: My time spent in the research lab, my ECOL 309 (Evidence-Based Medicine) class, which has really shaped my approach to medicine and science in general, and all of the hours I spent riding my bike through the desert and backpacking through the wilderness surrounding Tucson.
Q: What will you be doing after graduation? SH: I plan to work as a post-baccalaureate research fellow at the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland, in the lab of Dr. Rich Maraia. During my time at the NIH, I also plan to apply for medical school. CB: I've been accepted to medical school this fall.