Professor Mitra Biography

Upon starting my freshman year in high school, I had been in honors Biology, and it quickly became my least favorite subject. Biology was something I couldn’t understand, no matter how much

Dr. Ava Morrow received a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Morgan State University in 1980 and in the same year, began her career at Gallaudet University, working in the biology department as a laboratory technician. She majored in microbiology at Howard University and earned a Master of Science degree (1988) and a Ph.D. (2004). After completing her master’s degree, Dr. Morrow become an instructor in the biology department at Gallaudet. She retired from Gallaudet in January 2013, as a full professor of microbiology, after completing 32 years of service at Gallaudet. Dr. Morrow is a passionate advocate who promotes science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by speaking to elementary, middle

Science has always been one of my favorite subjects, an always found myself fascinated by it. In elementary school, while most of my classmates dreaded going to school, I always looked forward to it. Everyday I would make sure to get to school early, because I just couldn’t wait to see what new things we would learn each day. My eagerness to learn hasn’t changed as I have gotten older. Although attending Harper College has allowed me to obtain my associate's degree, I am now ready to move on and work towards earning my bachelor's degree in Speech and Hearing Science.

The Integrated Life Sciences Honors program (ILS) is a distinguished two-year living-learning program for students with exceptional academic talents that focuses on preparing students in all aspects of biological research and biomedicine. ILS offers accelerated and advanced education in the life sciences while also emphasizing nationally recognized innovations to the training. Participating in ILS has allowed me to live and work closely with many intelligent and incredible peers, each bringing a different perspective. Furthermore, the unique approach and exclusive courses offered by ILS have helped me to develop a more holistic understanding of the multidisciplinary nature of the

Mr. Harry Hwong, a Biology 1 teacher at Arroyo High School, has taught freshmen students first through sixth period for nearly 11 years. Before arriving at Arroyo High School, Mr. Hwong immigrated from Yangon, Burma in 1984 to San Gabriel, California in 1985 (while traveling to different countries between that year). He settled there with extended family, learned English, and adapted to American culture at a young age. Through his education life, Mr. Hwong attended Gabrielino High School for his high school years and later attended University California, Santa Barbara with a Bachelor’s in Biology. He graduated in 2006. Mr. Hwong wanted to continue his education, so he worked hard and received his Masters Degree in Science Education at University

Vanessa Hilaire is a Haitian immigrant currently studying Biology at Miami Dade Honors College. She is in the Miami Dade College-University of Miami Bridge to Baccalaureate Program where she is currently researching genetic material. As a Fairchild intern, she published a research paper on environmental science relating to the conservation of orchids. As a student, science has always been Vanessa’s strongest and most favored subjects. Her aspiration is to have enough confidence in her biology knowledge to conceptualize and execute a STEM related project independently or with a team while completing her associates degree. She cares deeply about the wellbeing of people and plans to devote her time by anchoring her research on skin diseases.

We believe that mathematics, as the language of science and, even more fundamentally, the language of the universe, is essential to any student’s education, especially if he or she wishes to pursue a career in STEM. In middle school, Kaitlyn showed a marked, early interest in STEM subjects. As a result, in the 8th through 12th grades, strong emphasis was placed on STEM coursework; Kaitlyn followed an accelerated, demanding math track of 5 years of high school and college level math and an equally rigorous science curriculum with 4 years of high school and college level science courses. Every science class

Studying every day, is still not enough and that is why it demands attention. In Dillard’s essay, she discusses amoeba, euglena, rotifers and other living organisms that are only seen under a microscope. Detail is important in biology, because in biology the organism is defined by its structure and how do they function. Growing up, I had no such thoughts of being in the biology field at all. The dream was to be a business manager, or an interior designer, due to expectations biology was chosen. During high school years, I maintained a high GPA and respectable grades.

That Easter in the arboretum with the buds and tiny green leaves growing on the trees, I realized what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Mr. Manke not only showed me the difference between a silver maple and a red one, but also how wonderful the realms of science truly are. He shaped me from a nature loving seedling, into a full grown tree who understands the scientific complexities of nature and wants to continue learning. To this day, Mr. Manke is still a mentor in life and I can talk to him anytime I want about anything I want to talk about. He still gets excited regarding my scientific accomplishments and encourages me to challenge myself to choose higher level science courses. Without Mr. Manke, I wouldn’t have known this love for science that shaped who I want to

Beyette is currently teaching Biology 1082, 1081, and 2085C at UC. Dr. Beyette also coordinates and instructs the general biology labs. When asked which was her favorite course she had a hard time choosing because they both have their perks. She said, “The labs are fun and it's interesting to see what the students like and dislike about the experiments. However, the lecture content is enjoyable because you’re always learning something new.” I then proceeded to ask Dr. Beyette what the best advice that she could give a student enrolled in her classes and other classes within the University. Her answer was the best advice that I have received since starting college. Dr Beyette said, “Science and technology is fascinating, but the first two years are hard because it’s like learning the alphabet. It isn’t fun in the beginning because you don’t know the material or the building blocks yet, but as you continue it gets more interesting.” She said that she always encourages students to stick with it if they are passionate about the subject. I think that this advice is so important for any student just starting in the field of science and

Barnard College encourages women to destroy gender roles by flourishing in a scholastic institution that was previously not offered to us. Barnard is a family composed of intellectual and free-spirited sisters, and through this supportive sisterhood, we pursue our dreams and aspirations together. Because of Barnard’s partnership with Columbia, Barnard women have access to all of Columbia’s resources, and vice-versa. The access to the research opportunities at Columbia like the Biological Science undergraduate research is also access to its acclaimed professors. For a Biology major such as I, the opportunity to shadow a scientist leading in real experimentation and research in fields like Anatomy and Cell and Biology, as well as learning from

Biotechnology prompts a fear that humanity is gaining too much control over the choice of human evolution and destiny (McLean 1). CRISPR, “…the new fast, flexible, cheap way to manipulate the genetic code of life…” (Achenbach 1) exploits from the natural process used by ordinary bacteria to fend off against intrusive viruses while Cas (CRISPR-associated proteins), a set of enzymes, precisely snips DNA. CRISPR makes it simple to alter specific genes, resulting in many scientists beginning to use this new form of biotech for many of their experiments. Consequently, the editing of the

While a high school student taking biology won't care too much about the class. Most of the time high school students don’t know what career choice they will peruse and as a result will they take the class for granted. I myself can vouch for taking high school biology for granted. I knew I needed to take it to graduate and that's all I cared about, I just did it because it was required of me. Being an adult learner I understand

I am writing in support of the M.S. in Biology program application of Elizaveta Shmakova. It is a pleasure to write on behalf of Elizaveta and to recommend her highly. She plans to graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree with majors in biology in May 2018. I came to know Elizaveta when I was her professor for Cellular and Molecular Biology (BIOL 4340) during fall semester 2018. During the course Elizaveta was able to learn cellular processes at the molecular level, including the determination of cell fate and differentiation, growth regulation of cell, Cell adhesion and movement, and intracellular trafficking. She finished the class with A-. I support Elizaveta's application for admission without reservation. Her academic work for me has

Student achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses – despite its importance in developing a generation of interdependent, innovative, and responsible leaders – is often difficult to accomplish (Abbas, 2017). Chemistry and biochemistry departments experience this dilemma firsthand; much of the curriculum relies on students’ successful comprehension of visual representations of concepts, such as three-dimensional models (Mnguni, Schönborn, & Anderson, 2016). This is hindered by both the intrinsic complexity of biomolecular structures and the comprehension ability of individuals (Mnguni et al., 2016). If the