Honors, Recognitions, and Certifications

• Louisiana State Teaching Certificate, Louisiana Department of Education, December 15th, 2020

• Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program award, LSU Discover, December 17th, 2020

• LSU Distinguished Communicator Medalist, LSU Communication Across the Curriculum, November 11th, 2020

Lab Experience & Skills

Microscopy

• Pinned flies for morphological measurements and dissection of fly heads for RNA extraction using a PCR methodology.

• Examined phenotypes of unconscious flies expressed by mutated, balancer genes used for tracking such as curly wings or irregular facets.

• Sorted through sex and phenotype of progeny of fly line crossings in order to generate various experimental genetic fly lines.

• Measured parasites in smears, cardiomuscular tissue, and intestinal tissue using an eyepiece micrometer and gridded slides in my course Parasitology.

Dissection

• During my time in Colombia, I had the opportunity to experience a cadaver lab at the University of Anatomy of Manezales. There I learned bone cleaning techniques, examined gross anatomy such as the optic nerve and the heart, and was disgusted by the putrid stench of formaldehyde that lingered throughout the lab.

• Within a research lab of Vertebrate Physiology under the direction of Dr. Leaf Boswell, I learned about the various physiological systems of the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis and the ethics behind experimentation on model organisms. We dissected frogs, isolating muscles and nerves for electrical experiments studying twitch reactions and action potential travel times.

Machinery and preparation

• Assisted in the weekly preparation of vats of fly food for lab use in stock vials.

• Experienced in operating various lab machinery. Specifically, a microscope and pipette for regular tasks in lab, a centrifuge and thermal cycler in performing a PCR on select RNA, and a rotovap for purifying solvents.

• Operated the Drosophila Activity Monitor, DAM-2, from Trikinetics for my Thesis Research. The monitor enabled me to automatically collect data on the activity of my experimental flies in the form of a matrix that I would further analyze using a software program called ShinyR-DAM.

Healthcare Experience

International Service and Learning Global health volunteering

• In Chinchina, Colombia, I underwent Basic First Aid Training for ambulance response operations under the supervision of ISL clinical staff and Colombian emergency response personnel. This training included: taking vitals, checking patient responsiveness, CPR compression training with and without an assistant, and securely stabilizing patients with a neck brace and gurney.

• Supported advanced healthcare services through ambulance emergency response rides over 10 days working 14 hours a day

Teaching Experience & Skills

LSU Geauxteach

• Through the LSU GeauxTeach program, I have taught several times at Elementary, Middle, and High schools over the course of my degree. In my later years in the program, I taught content specific to my degree, Biology, to Mr. Kampin’s Biology class at Lee High school.

• In my final semester, I conducted my Student Teaching at the preparatory school University Laboratory School under my mentor teacher Mr. Adam Barrett. I attended Mr. Barrett’s classroom in a capacity equivalent to a full-time teacher: 8 hours a day, 5 days a week except for school days off. Here I took on full responsibility as the instructor of Mr. Barrett’s 6th grade Science class. I employed lesson planning techniques for inquiry-based learning, encouraged collaborative learning among students, facilitated classroom discussions, and reserved a lot of patience.

  • At the end of the semester, I accomplished over 221 teaching hours and 414 in-class hours.

Interpersonal Skill Development

Leadership

• I have experience leading various groups of people from positions I have held in LSU Residential Life, as an ambassador for the College of Science, as a student teacher within Geauxteach, and in my time serving as a Vice President for my honor society for two consecutive terms. Below are descriptions of these positions with examples of how I have demonstrated my capacity as a leader:

LSU Residential Life

• I have worked for LSU Residential Life for 3 and a half years as a Desk Assistant, Lead Desk Assistant, and Residential Assistant. In my time with Res Life, I have engaged in various trainings and activities. I have trained 12 DAs in 24/7 residential desk operations at Evangeline Hall on campus. I have lead groups of over 10 residents through weekly, unique engaging programs. For example, I served as the RA Captain of residential security and hosted two Safety Day events where I collaborated with LSU Police to reach out to LSU residents about safety on campus. I was also recognized by LSU Res Life at an Award Banquet for my teamwork and leadership on my staff.

LSU College of Science Ambassador

• I became an ambassador of the College of Science in my Sophomore year at Dr. Hollie Hale-Donze’s invitation. During my time as an ambassador, I participated in various College of Science events and supported welcome operations for incoming SRC Freshmen. Such events include serving as a representative at the annual SRC Spring Games event and tutoring events assisting freshmen in Biol 1201 (intro biology) or Math 1501(calculus 1). Also, I helped man LSU’s annual Medical Panel event for the entire College of Science and Honors College hosted by the SRC.

National Society of Collegiate Scholars | Lsu chapter

• I joined NSCS my Freshman year at LSU and held officer positions in my Sophomore and Junior years. First, I was elected as the V.P. of P.A.C.E. which stands for Planning to Achieve College Excellence. In this officer position, I supported future collegiate students by hosting high school students at the university in March To College Day. This is a day where a college student hosts high schoolers at their university and shows the students what a normal day of being in college might look like. I also advocated for volunteer tutoring opportunities and personally tutored 5 University Laboratory School students throughout my sophomore year. Through my efforts, I was reelected to Executive Vice President of the chapter. In this role, I took on a larger administrative role for the chapter where I organized meetings with our officers and facilitated chapter meetings. I was a speaker for the NSCS Fall New Member Induction Ceremony that hosted over 200 new members. I also served as a leader in LSU’s Geaux Big service event with NSCS and towards the end of my term campaigned for Active Minds, a college student suicide prevention program.

References

Adam Barrett, Masters

Teacher, 6th Grade Science

LSU University Laboratory School, Baton Rouge, LA

E-mail: abarrett@lsu.edu

Alyssa Johnson, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences

LSU Life Sciences Building

E-mail: johnsona@lsu.edu | Office: 218 LSB

Hollie Hale-Donze, Ph.D.

Instructor and Science Residential College Rector

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA

Phone: (225) 578-7192 | E-mail: hdonze@lsu.edu | Office: 516 Life Sciences Building