Twenty-five students from 10 different undergraduate and community college programs have joined the Institutional Development Award Program (IDeA) Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE)/ Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network (BRIN) program.
Established in 2001, the BRIN program was created to expose students to serious biomedical research, build a statewide biomedical research infrastructure between undergraduate and graduate institutions and to strengthen undergraduate institution’s infrastructure and increase its capacity to conduct cutting-edge biomedical and behavioral research.
Today, you’ll meet Daniel McDermott one of the new BRIN scholars on campus.
Daniel McDermott
Chadron State College junior
Human biology major
Q. What should we know about Daniel McDermott?
A. I am originally from Merna, Neb., which is about 10 miles west of Broken Bow. I am majoring in human biology at Chadron State College where I will be a junior this fall. I plan to graduate in 2008.
Q. What or who influenced your interest in science?
A. I have had an interest in science since grade school, which increased in high school.
Q. What is it about science that excites you?
A. There are such a wide variety of sciences to study, from the physical sciences, which includes geology and chemistry to the biological sciences, which includes anatomy, physiology and microbiology. Science is never boring and there is always something going on. Also, science is always changing. Researchers, especially in the health sciences, are always finding new results.
Q. Will you pursue a career in science? If so, what do you hope to accomplish?
A. I do plan to pursue a career in science. I don’t know what specific field of science but I would like to someday go into research and teach in a college setting.
Q. Why is it important to have programs like BRIN?
A. It is important to have programs like BRIN because it gives you a head start. It allows you to get into the lab and get hands on experience, which is rare for undergraduates to do. Science is a very competitive field and the experience gives you an edge against your competition, even if you don’t plan to do research for the rest of your life.