INBRE Scholars: Tiffany Truong

The Nebraska Institutional Development Award Program (IDeA) Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program has welcomed 27 undergraduate students from across Nebraska as they embark on their summer research experience at Creighton University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and UNMC.

Below, Tiffany Truong, a chemistry major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, talks about her INBRE experience.

Who is Tiffany Truong?

I am an incoming junior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln majoring in chemistry and biochemistry. I was born in Albion, Neb., and lived for some time in Newman Grove, Neb., before finally setting in Lincoln. My mother, Bich Chau, and father, Thu Truong, are both from Vietnam and immigrated to the United States after the end of the Vietnam War. Both have taught me the importance of work ethic and the value of science from day one. I am grateful for their support, as well as the support of my family, friends and lab group.

Has science always been a part of your life?

From a young age, I’ve inquired about the world around me, including how and why it works. Much to my parents’ slight annoyance, I was constantly asking them questions about everything, to which they responded by giving me my first encyclopedia. From then on, my passion for science has continued to grow. Science is not just a subject in school. It governs the way natural phenomena operate. It is a challenging mixture of logic and cognition, and it is the pursuit of truth in a world of doubt.

Why did you choose to participate in the INBRE Program?

I chose to participate in the INBRE Program because biomedical research is of great importance and interest to me in my future career. The program places emphasis on professionalism, self-motivation, and scientific thinking. These are all skills that I wish to improve on and perfect before becoming a real-world scientist. I believe the INBRE Program goes above and beyond the instruction taught in standard classrooms and prepares young scientists for STEM-related careers and a lifelong appreciation of science. Above all, it is an engaging and fun program to be involved in and exposes scholars to amazing students and mentors across the state.

What do you hope to gain from the program?

I hope to become a better scientist, researcher and student. I hope to gain a greater appreciation of not only biomedical research, but of the scientific process and how it is utilized in everyday life. It is imperative that I continue chemical biology research because it is an area of interest that continually fascinates me. Each day, there is an opportunity to harness the power of chemical biology to improve current medical practices and develop novel chemical tools to impact the scientific world.