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Hometown: Beijing, China  

Academic focus: biology and German studies double major; pre-veterinary

Campus involvement: I have been on the since the first semester of college and served as treasurer of the team from 2015 to 2017. This year I have been the student liaison of the German department.  

Proudest accomplishment at ����ɬ: Academically, my proudest accomplishment would be presenting my biology thesis and German capstone project at Senior Symposium in April, which would not take place without the support and guidance from my professors. Personally, I think the proudest accomplishment is to be who I am and achieve as much as I have right now. ����ɬ has taught me so much with its diversity and inclusiveness.   

How a close connection with a faculty member has shaped you: My proudest accomplishments could not be possible without the help from two of my professors: Patricia Brennan, my biology thesis advisor, and Karen Remmler, my academic advisor in the German department (and chair of the department). During my senior year I have been writing my biology thesis and German capstone project simultaneously, which at times could be a little bit stressful. Patty and Professor Remmler have always been there for me.  

When I was 16, I read a translation of an article stressing the importance of basic science research in biology and other fields. That was the first time I saw Patty’s name. Her research and her passion are what attracted me to biology in the first place and I came to ����ɬ deciding to major in biology. In my sophomore year, Patty generously took me into her lab. I can’t believe how lucky I am — to be able to learn from and work closely with a scientist I’ve been admiring for so long! I have learned so much from her, not only knowledge about evolution and anatomy but also about dedication and passion for science and scientific research.

When I was applying to ����ɬ four years ago, I only had biology in my mind. I could never have imagined that I would also double major in German studies, but I am glad that I made the decision. Professor Remmler’s classes and all of our discussions during her office hours have reshaped my understanding of the world and how the past connects to the future. I found my interest in German colonial history when I took her class, Europe on the Edge, in my junior year. Later, this interest transformed into my capstone project.   

Favorite course you thought you might not like: Since I’m a double major and also on pre-vet track, basically all the courses I’ve taken are for major requirements and pre-reqs. But both biology and German are where my passions lie, so I enjoyed the courses offered tremendously. If I must pick one, it would be Electromagnetism with Joshua Qualls (visiting lecturer). Physics has always been my weakest subject, but Dr. Qualls’ patience gradually rebuilt my confidence in my ability and I found that I was doing better than I thought. This course is also a reflection on me, in the sense that I should keep an open mind to all the opportunities and not just focus solely on my majors.

Best takeaway from internship or research experiences: In the summer of my junior year, I interned at the Marine Science Center in Germany, with support from DAAD (the German Academic Exchange Service) and internship funding from the College, through its Lynk initiative. To assist with an experiment that was studying the cognitive abilities of harbor seals in Germany was the perfect combination of my interests. My German improved greatly during the three months. Through this experience I also learned that I enjoy the study of ecology and evolution very much.   

Favorite Five College experience: In the past two years I have the opportunities to present my projects in conferences hosted by the other college’s German studies departments. It was very interesting to learn about other undergraduate research.

How ����ɬ has shaped your global outlook: ����ɬ shows me the importance of a diverse and inclusive community. The diversity is never-ending and embracing everyone’s differences is also opening yourself up to exploring and learning more about the world.   

Future plans: I will be attending Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. My goal is to become a large animal veterinarian and maybe a theriogenologist (veterinary reproduction) — and also take more German courses at Cornell!