In this quarter's issue, we're pleased to celebrate the accomplishments of the seniors graduating from our Notation in Science Communication program. Read below to learn more about these amazing students and their plans for the future.
Annika Brakebill is graduating with a BS in Biology. Next year, she will be doing research in biology while applying to medical school
Colette Brannan is graduating with a B.S. in Chemistry, Minor in History, and Honors in FGSS. Initially, Colette will take a gap year which she'll spend traveling throughout Southeast Asia before settling in Vietnam for several months; she plans to use her time in Vietnam learning Vietnamese and spending time with family. In fall 2020, Colette will return to the States to start attending Yale Law School. Colette has this to say about her experience with the NSC program: "Many of the instructors that I've had in the Notation have been very kind and thoughtful, and that has provided a really good space for reflection, growth, and critical thought surrounding science communication."
Brook Getachew will be graduating with a BS in Human Biology.
Scarlett Guo is graduating with a BA in Human Biology. Next year, she will be attending medical school at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Scarlett credits her NSC advisors with her success in NSC; she writes, "Dr. Selby Schwartz and Dr. Robert Siegel have been instrumental to my success. They both inspire me and help me put together the nuts and bolts of my path."
Cole Holderman will be graduating with a BS in Human Biology.
Tylor Jilk is graduating with a BS in Physics. Next year, he plans to work at SpaceX and ultimately go to medical school. In reflecting on memorable NSC experiences, he writes, "Dr. Becerra's help on the cover letter of my ePortfolio really helped my true identity be portrayed."
Christina Kohlmann is graduating with a BS in bio. After graduation, she will continue working at a hospital as a Physical Therapy Aide while applying to graduate physician assistant programs. She writes about her NSC experience: "Science communication has been an integral part of my Stanford experience! I am grateful to the Notation for training me in a wide variety of science communication genres and introducing me to diverse mentors."
Cindy Liu is graduating with a BS in Biomedical Computation. In terms of her future plans, she writes, "I will be pursuing a Master's in Advanced Computer Science at Cambridge University as a Churchill scholar. I'm also applying to medical schools and hopefully will pursue an MD/PhD in the future!" Cindy wanted to share her gratitude for all those who helped her with earning her Notation: "I'd like to thank all of the wonderful NSC instructors (Shay [Brawn], Russ [Carpenter], Jenae [Cohn]) that have guided me on my journey as a science communicator at Stanford. A special thank you to Meg [Formato], who helped inspire my interest in science communication during freshman year and has continued to be such a caring and knowledgeable advisor through all four years!"
Hanna Payne is graduating with BS in Human Biology. She'll stay on next year, coterming in the Earth Systems department, with a focus on coastal and marine policy, hoping to further delve into sustainable resource management and community focused solutions to local environmental issues. Hanna had the following to say when thinking back on her NSC experience: "The Notation gave me the space to reflect on how different communication tools can be used to help better articulate scientific topics, and to create change through informing policy and management practices."
Madison Pobis is graduating with a BS in Earth Systems. She writes the following about her plans for the future: "This summer I'll be working on staff for the publication bioGraphic, which was developed by the California Academy of Sciences. When I return next year, I'll be finishing my Coterminal Master of Arts degree in Earth Systems, Environmental Communication. My focus will be on using integrated multimedia to design vibrant, sensory, and data-driven environmental stories!" She recognizes Russ Carpenter's mentorship as a key element of her NSC experience: "Dr. Carpenter was so generous with his time during the process of developing my ePortfolio. He really encouraged me to think about how my experiences outside of the classroom or Stanford context could be developed into meaningful artifacts (even if a little non-traditional). Those ended up being my favorite reflections, and I'm so grateful for his mentorship in making sense of a wild science communication journey!"
Kaitlin Schroeder is graduating with a BS in Human Biology. Next year, she will be joining a pediatric oncology team at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, working on a pediatric leukemia study. In reflecting on her NSC experience, she wanted to share the following: "First, Gathering all my pieces from my four years at Stanford while building my ePortfolio was an incredibly formative experience. I came to realize that all my widespread academic interests were not as unrelated as I had thought. Reflecting on these projects gave me a greater understanding of myself as a scientist, scholar, and public servant. Second, Dr. Jenae Cohn, my PWR advisor, was a crucial contributor in helping me recognize the interconnectedness of my studies. Our brainstorm session to come up with section groupings for my ePortfolio involved a large whiteboard, lots of color-coded labels, and fantastic discussions about the meaning of each project."
Hannah Shor will be graduating with a BS in Earth Systems.
Amanda Urke is graduating with a BS in Bioengineering with Honors. She writes about her post-graduation plans: "After graduation, I will be volunteering for one week as a Camp Kesem counselor before spending time with my family at the cabin over the 4th of July! I look forward to then returning to campus to continue my work in a neuroscience lab while applying to MD/PhD programs." She has the following to say about her time working on her Notation: "The Notation was a flexible, supportive program that allowed me to ground my work developing Fascinate–an undergrad science communication student organization–with tangible educational and portfolio building opportunities. I’d like to extend a sincere thank you to all my mentors and advisors, including Paul Wender, Meg Formato, Shay Brawn, and all my peers who have made this process fun and rewarding!"
Maggie Wood is graduating with a BS in Civial Engineering (with a focus in Environmental and Water Studies). Next year, she'll be working toward a Masters in Environmental Engineering at Stanford. She had this to say when reflecting on her NSC experience: "What I've appreciated most about the NSC program is the pervasiveness of the skills I've learned. I've applied what I've learned to both academic and professional experiences. To say the Notation has been one of the most useful learning experiences I've had would be an understatement."
