Open doors and opportunities help biology master’s degree graduate find research niche

April 12, 2019

Editor’s note: This is part of a series of profiles for spring 2019 commencement.

Avery Underwood heard her mom say it her entire life: It’s not how you start. It’s how you finish. School of Life Science graduate student Avery Underwood Born and raised in Tempe, School of Life Sciences graduate student Avery Underwood always wanted to attend Arizona State University. She found a perfect research fit in assistant professor Melissa Wilson's lab. Download Full Image

This really hit home for Underwood, who is graduating with her Master of Science in biology from the School of Life Sciences this spring.

She knew she wanted to study biology, but she began her research career indecisively, wandering through wet labs and behavioral labs. Nothing stuck.

“I realize now that very few people honestly know what they are passionate about at first and it is totally OK to gain experience to see where you fit in. That’s one of the things I love most about ASU,” Underwood said. “There are so many open doors and opportunities to learn, and I feel very lucky that I finally found my research niche.”

When Underwood found out that she would be graduating a year early and had to apply for the accelerated Masters of Science program immediately if she wanted to continue doing research, she remembered a guest lecture by School of Life Sciences assistant professor Melissa Wilson that always stuck with her and she decided to reach out.

Underwood remembers walking into Wilson’s office with transcripts and resumes, feeling incredibly nervous, but as soon as the meeting started, she felt completely at ease. She explained that she didn’t know anything about bioinformatics but was eager to learn and Wilson accepted her immediately.

“Looking back now, I realize that things have a way of falling into place. I think that is something many people can relate to,” Underwood said.

Question: What was your “aha” moment, when you realized you wanted to study the field you majored in?

Answer: With a pre-med background, I have always loved the sciences. However, it wasn’t until graduate school that I found my research niche — genomics and bioinformatics. When I was a freshman at ASU, Professor Melissa Wilson gave a guest lecture in my BIO 189 class talking about her background in mathematics and her research on sex differences. Of all my professors, I never forgot how impressed and intrigued I was by her work. So, when I applied to graduate school here at ASU, I immediately reached out to her about working in her lab. The rest is history!

Q: What’s something you learned while at ASU — in the classroom or otherwise — that surprised you, that changed your perspective?

A: Attending such a diverse school as ASU, the opportunity to interact and learn from professors and students from all walks of life has truly given me a more cosmopolitan view of the world.

Q: Why did you choose ASU?

A: I was born and raised in Tempe, Arizona. In high school, I earned a full-ride scholarship to college as class valedictorian, so attending ASU was a no-brainer. I grew up with ASU in my backyard and always felt the strong presence of the university in the community — something that also attracted me to the school.

Q: Which professor taught you the most important lesson while at ASU?

A: My adviser, Professor Melissa Wilson, was one of my role models throughout college. She is an inspirational leader who is always there for her students and she taught me to not take life so seriously.

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to those still in school?

A: It’s not the start that matters in life, it’s how you finish. I grew up with my mom always telling me that and it’s become one of my mantras in adulthood. But I really do believe in that statement because I’ve lived it. It doesn’t matter where or when you start, what matters is proving to yourself that you can be tenacious enough to stick with it and see things through to the very end. I think that is something to always be proud of, and those kinds of people are my role models.

Q: What was your favorite spot on campus, whether for studying, meeting friends or just thinking about life?

A: Before having my own desk in lab, my favorite spot was the Learning Resource Center at the School of Life Sciences where I tutored undergraduate students in various life sciences classes. It was my favorite spot for studying and commiserating with my peers — griping about homework and exams.

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

A: I want to give back to the community in the largest way possible, so figuring out how to intersect my passions with that goal is my main plan. This summer after graduation, I am going to spend some time studying sex-biased gene expression in brain tissue samples from Alzheimer’s patients. I am very passionate about Alzheimer’s research, so I am excited for the opportunity. The work is actually in Melissa’s lab. I just don’t want to leave ASU yet! I guess I’m kind of weird because I have always loved learning and school.

Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle?

A: I am very inspired by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and their philanthropic efforts. My little sister has autism, and for many years, I’ve been involved with volunteering for the Zoo Walk for Autism and have supported events put on by Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center here in the Valley. My little sister is a huge inspiration to me. Being involved in organizations that are dedicated to better understanding autism have inspired me to become more educated about all aspects of biomedical research.

Q: Describe some challenges or hurdles you faced while earning your degree, and what you did or what took place to overcome them.

A: For my research, I learned the basics of coding and bioinformatics from scratch which had a very steep learning curve. Google was my best friend and I developed the patience of a saint when it came to troubleshooting code — and unfortunately, it wasn’t the kind of troubleshooting when you can’t get the WiFi to work. As time went on, I learned to ask for help when I needed it. However, I’m still working on that skill because I prefer to learn on my own by being hands-on.

Q: What’s something you are most proud of during your time at ASU?

A: I took nearly 21 credits every semester during my undergrad in order to finish in three years so I could pursue my master’s with aid from my scholarship. Even with such a full schedule, I received the Moeur Award for a 4.0 undergraduate GPA. I consider myself privileged to walk away from ASU with two degrees after four years. However, that accomplishment did not come easy and I worked very hard to achieve it.

Melinda Weaver

Communications specialist, School of Life Sciences

480-727-3616 mjweaver@asu.edu

First-generation college student defeats ‘imposter syndrome’ to earn biology PhD

School of Life Science graduate student George Brusch

Editor’s note: This is part of a series of profiles for spring 2019 commencement.A first-generation college student, George Brusch remembers watching his parents work tirelessly at jobs for which they had no passion just to make ends meet.Though Brusch knew he didn’t want that type of life, he also had no support system when he started an undergraduate degree program at California Polytechnic ...

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First-generation college student defeats ‘imposter syndrome’ to earn biology PhD

April 12, 2019

Editor’s note: This is part of a series of profiles for spring 2019 commencement.

A first-generation college student, George Brusch remembers watching his parents work tirelessly at jobs for which they had no passion just to make ends meet. School of Life Science graduate student George Brusch George Brusch exploring France with his two daughters, Olivia (left) and Penelope. Brusch is currently doing his postdoctoral work in France. Download Full Image

Though Brusch knew he didn’t want that type of life, he also had no support system when he started an undergraduate degree program at California Polytechnic State University after high school. He had no passion for his studies and soon left college to return home.

But something was missing.

After working at a variety of jobs — everything from a landscaper to a truck driver — for six years, trying to find his place, he decided to return to Cal Poly. This time, something clicked.

Brusch discovered his passion. He fell in love with biology. And, just as importantly, he found a support system through the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation which seeks to promote participation in STEM by underrepresented groups.

“Joining the Louis Stokes Alliance helped me realize I wasn’t alone. I finally had a community I could turn to, who would listen and understand the struggles first-generation college students face,” Brusch said. “The pressure to drop out, move home and support our families was ever-present. As a group we supported, motivated and inspired each other.”

As a graduate student, Brusch earned his PhD in biology through the Arizona State University School of Life Sciences and has continued to advocate for underrepresented students in STEM fields, striving to create the kind of community for them that he originally found at Cal Poly.

Question: What’s something you learned while at ASU — in the classroom or otherwise — that surprised you, that changed your perspective?

Answer: My time at ASU has taught me the tremendous value of effectively communicating science to a wide audience, which was never something I had planned to focus on. Educating and involving the public through presentations, popular science writing, manuscripts, outreach efforts and my blog has also inspired me to continue to find new ways to communicate how truly amazing our world is.

ASU has inspired me to reach out to aspiring students from all backgrounds and teach them about the scientific method, encouraging them to ask their own questions, think critically and develop as scientists.

Q: Which professor taught you the most important lesson while at ASU?

A: I came to ASU for my adviser, Dr. Dale DeNardo. I had several offers from other schools who were trying to lure me away with fellowships or promises of exotic travel, but I knew in my gut that I was meant to work with Dale. I could not have asked, or even dreamed, of a better adviser for my PhD.

He allowed me to be independent, which meant making plenty of mistakes, but those errors allowed me to grow and learn. My undergraduate education taught me how to learn and my PhD taught me how to think like a scientist.

George Brusch introduces members of the public to reptile physiology during Arizona State University's Open Door event.

Photo by Sandra Leander/ASU

Brusch received his PhD in Dale DeNardo's lab studying reptile physiology.

Photo Courtesy

Brusch was active in research throughout his PhD, including working for the Graduate and Professional Student Association, which represents graduate students at Arizona State.

Photo Courtesy

Dale showed me how to take my natural curiosity and direct it toward designing experiments, collecting meaningful data and telling a compelling story. I will be forever in debt for everything he has taught me and I will spend my career giving back to future students and trying to instill in them the same lessons and values that Dale was kind enough to give me.

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to those still in school?

A: I suffered from “imposter syndrome” pretty heavily when I first came to ASU. I felt like I did not belong and that, sooner or later, someone would figure out that I was not smart enough to be at a prestigious institution like ASU.

To any new student going through something similar, I would recommend that they reach out to their peers and share their feelings. Know that you are not alone! It took me too long to do the same, but I quickly found out that most everyone else admitted feeling the same way. For me, there was tremendous power in knowing that I did not have to suffer in silence and that most of us were in the same boat.

Q: What was your favorite spot on campus, whether for studying, meeting friends or just thinking about life?

A: There is a bench on the lawn just north of the life sciences building that was my ‘happy place.’ With a little shade it was perfect, regardless of the weather, for finding a little peace and quiet and taking a breather to refresh my mind.

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

A: I have accepted a postdoctoral scientist position in southwestern France with the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. I will be using my background in physiology to examine how temperature and water availability fluctuations as the result of climate change are impacting native European animals. I next plan to obtain a faculty position at a major research university, where I can teach, train and mentor the next generation while simultaneously conducting cutting-edge research.

Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle?

A: Too many people on our planet still do not have access to clean drinking water which, to me, is a fundamental human right. I would invest this money into research to develop cheap, reliable filtration systems that could be widely distributed and prevent disease and needless mortality.

Q: Describe some challenges or hurdles you faced while earning your degree, and what you did or what took place to overcome them.

A: The most heartbreaking event during my time at ASU was our -80°C freezer shutting down – twice! The first time it happened I lost about two years’ worth of data, which was devastating. Luckily, I had analyzed enough of the samples to start writing manuscripts, and we restarted my projects. When it happened again about a year later, I was pretty close to giving up. I learned from these experiences that I am more resilient than I thought and that incidents like this are going to happen throughout my career.

To me, the most important thing is to remain centered, pull myself up by the bootstraps and try again. I also learned that there is no point in putting anything off because I can not guarantee that the option will be available tomorrow.

Q: What’s something you are most proud of during your time at ASU?

A: I am extremely proud of the work I’ve done to advocate on behalf of underrepresented groups. Throughout my tenure at ASU, I have made every effort to work diligently and make a lasting and impacting change for multiple groups and demographics, all respectively underrepresented. I have been able to work directly with, and for, women in science, first-generation college students, minority graduate students and ASU graduate and professional students.

Just as important, I’ve been able to work on a team with the Graduate and Professional Student Association as an assembly member and as a team leader as an executive and director, all with the goal of achieving maximum success. Another lasting impact will be felt on some of the individuals I have worked with, who have pledged to give back themselves thereby continuing a cycle of advocacy and mentorship.