On May 29, the Nebraska Institutional Development Award Program (IDeA) Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program welcomed 28 undergraduate students from across Nebraska as they embark on their summer research experience at Creighton University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and UNMC.
The breakdown of this year’s 28 INBRE Scholars include:
- Representatives of nine colleges and universities;
- 18 women; and
- 10 men.
Below, Jacquelyn Wright, a biochemistry major at Creighton University, talks about her INBRE experience.
Who is Jacquelyn Wright?
I am a rising junior in the honors program at Creighton University. Although I am a biochemistry major, I also love Spanish and hope to double major in Spanish during my time at Creighton. When I am not doing schoolwork, I enjoy spending time with friends and listening to music, watching movies, or just getting outside. I also like traveling, and I am always looking for the next opportunity to visit some place new.
Has science always been a part of your life?
I think science has always been there, calling to me in the background, but it wasn’t until junior high that I recognized just how much I enjoyed learning and discovering through science. Ever since then, I felt so much more eager to dig deeper into my classwork and actually spend time reading textbooks in addition to feeling more motivated to ask questions and think critically about what I was learning.
Why did you choose to participate in the INBRE program?
I decided to apply to and later participate in the INBRE program, because for the better part of my life I have loved and enjoyed science. This love of science and scientific inquiry has translated itself into a passion for research and to an inner calling toward a research career. The INBRE program provides a great opportunity to get a taste of academic research in addition to giving the participants an inside look into graduate research labs and graduate life.
What do you hope to gain from the program?
Knowledge and experience are both such incredibly powerful tools for personal and intellectual development. I think the INBRE program will give me the opportunity to gain both research knowledge and experience. Through the project I will work on this summer as well as those in the future, I will not only learn useful techniques and protocols but also gain the experience of implementing these practices in an independent project of my own.