“I firmly believe that BCMB was the best program for me. I’ve seen incredible science and networked with equally impressive scientists. Even though my undergrad focused more on evolutionary biology than biochemistry, the first-year curriculum gave me a strong, far-reaching foundation that thoroughly prepared me for my rotations. This program has instilled me with the confidence to both learn and do good science.”
Joshua McCausland, Current Student
“I specifically chose the BCMB graduate program within Hopkins for the breadth of knowledge this program encompasses. By taking classes in many scientific disciplines, I have become a well-rounded scientist that can approach complex problems from different perspectives. In addition, I find the faculty members’ dedication to graduate students to be astounding.”
Leah Greenspan, Current Student
“I believe that the most essential part of the PhD program is the training and mentorship that you gain through your advisor. Carol Greider serves as a role model for me both scientifically and personally. With her guidance, I have learned (and am still learning) how to critically evaluate scientific problems, how to interpret experimental findings, and how to look for potential flaws and limitations of my own experiments.”
Kayarash Karimian, Current Student
“I was first told about the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program by our program director Carolyn Machamer. I then talked to a few of the more senior BCMB students that had received the fellowship for some advice and with a few faculty members that I rotated with previously. It was immensely helpful to hear there perspective on the process and to get feedback from them when I began writing.”
Jonathan Augustin, Current Student
“I most recently served as a camp aid at the Johns Hopkins Fun with Science Camp. This three-day camp brought together a group of rising-sixth graders from across Baltimore city to learn about science through a series of hands on workshops. Watching the amount of BCMB faculty volunteering their time to teach a workshop to these children was inspiring. It is great to be part of a program that strives for excellence both inside and outside of the laboratory.”
Meiling May, Current Student
“Being able to have open conversations about project trajectories, lab dynamics, and mentoring style has been important. Being able to talk to my PI about those also makes conversations about science easier. Being able to have a peer-peer discussion about what questions we should be asking, what experiments should be done, and where to publish is a skill and I think it will be one of the most important skills that I take from the lab.”
“My mentors in BCMB encouraged me to take part in leadership opportunities to develop my transferrable skills for a career outside of academia. BCMB is one of the only programs at Hopkins that has student representatives on the policy committee; serving on the policy committee was a great opportunity to learn about administration of graduate programs, connect with professors throughout the program, and advocate for student interests.”
Risa Burr, Alum