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, Harim Won, a biotechnology major at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, talks about his INBRE experience.
Who are you?
I was born in Seoul, South Korea, but moved to Omaha when I was 2 years old. I have spent my entire life since then in this area, except for a 10-month period when my family and I lived in Cyprus and Israel. I attended Sword of the Spirit Christian School through high school, and during my senior year, chose to attend the University of Nebraska at Omaha because of the strengths I saw in its program — particularly in the biology department and the research conducted there.
Has science always been a part of your life?
Science has long been my favorite subject in school; this can be largely attributed to the many teachers in my life who made its study so fascinating to me. Their teaching and mentorship strengthened the initial curiosities I had for science, and I am grateful for each of them.
Why did you choose to participate in the INBRE program?
From the moment that I learned of the program, I recognized what a valuable opportunity it was. This was clear not only from the chance to work with fantastic faculty at the primarily undergraduate institutions, but also the ability to spend a summer in a lab at one of Nebraska’s Ph.D.-granting institutions. Though I was a premedical student as a freshman, my involvement in molecular biology research shifted my career interests to biomedical science. I then decided to apply for the INBRE scholarship with the expectation that it would equip me to be an effective researcher.
What do you hope to gain from the program?
Primarily, I hope to develop the knowledge and skill sets that are so critical for a science career; specifically, extensive wet lab techniques and oral presentation experience. Aside from the obvious benefits that this program provides in the area of research, I find the networking opportunities to be equally as important. Through our Monday seminars, we have the chance to interact with faculty and current graduate students alike. Additionally, I look forward to building relationships with the other INBRE scholars as we advance in our careers — perhaps even as future collaborators.