Artifacts

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation includes both a description of the artifact and a reflection on why it is important to you, what you learned, and what it means for your next steps.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

About Me

Hello, my name is Joseph Ballas. I’m living in Taylor Tower, and my intended majors are Molecular Genetics and Philosophy. I am very excited about the opportunity to do research in genetics, particularly relating to uncovering the causes of congenital disorders, developmental disabilities, and mental illnesses. Currently, I do research in Dr. Sung Yoon’s lab trying to uncover and understand the biochemical pathways behind Alzheimer’s Disease. I’m also very concerned about big issues that face our world like income inequality and social injustice, so I hope to spend time here on campus in organizations working to address those issues. One of these organizations is Pass the Class, a service organization dedicated to creating systematic solutions for disadvantaged youth in the Columbus area. I serve as the StarHouse Site Director for Pass the Class. In my free time, I enjoy running, basketball, ping pong, and volunteering. I’m also a big fan of the Green brothers.

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

Through these goals, I hope to become a well-rounded individual and a more effective contributor to society:

  • Global Awareness: Through involvement in service and extracurriculars, I hope to gain a broader perspective on the world from right here in Columbus, which (thanks in part to Ohio State) has lots of global diversity. Through meeting new people and acquiring new experiences within the city of Columbus, I hope that I can become more cognizant of a broader world. I visited Europe during the summer, and I’d like to think that I acquired a more global perspective through my visit. While I’m open to studying abroad, I’d want to make sure I had my academic and financial situation in order first.
  • Original Inquiry: I greatly appreciated the opportunity to be a member of a genetics research lab this past summer, and I intend to participate in research at Ohio State as soon as I am able to balance it with my academic course load. Through research opportunities, I not only hope to expand my knowledge of biological and data analysis processes, but also to gain a better understanding of effective research processes. I am particularly interested in researching the genetic causes of congenital disorders. In order to uncover these genetic causes, researchers must trace the complex biochemical pathway from gene to trait, a task that can be murky and very challenging. I hope that research in a field related to this issue would allow me to one day acquire the knowledge to contribute in a greater way to this type of research.
  • Academic Enrichment: I have chosen to take 18 credit hours, which include the following classes: Calculus II, Chemistry I, Intro to Computer Science (Java), a seminar on biology in big data, and an honors philosophy course. I will hopefully continue to take honors courses in other subjects, particularly in biology and genetics. Although I find classes related to data science and mathematics to be less enjoyable than biology or humanities-related classes, I still recognize the importance of these subjects within the fields in which I am interested. As such, I am very committed to pursuing math and data science fields, even at the expense of my GPA. I don’t want my college experience to be exclusively built around having an impressive GPA or enjoying my experience; it also should be about acquiring knowledge that leads to effective progress in the real world.
  • Leadership Development: One of the most important aspects of leadership is to set a good example. By working to develop my academic and extracurricular pursuits, I believe I can grow enough to become a better person and a better leader. Additionally, as I acquire more knowledge in my academics and within the community, I think it would be appropriate to pursue leadership positions in certain areas.
  • Service Engagement: Through campus organizations, I have greatly enjoyed the opportunities for community involvement. I enjoyed participating in the Day of Service from the Office of Student Life, where I went with a group to help clean up Goodale Park. I also helped raised money for muscular dystrophy research with the Molecular Genetics Club. Through organizations like Pass the Class, I intend to continue trying make an impact in the community. With Pass the Class, I will have many opportunities to work towards addressing the systemic inequality present within society. Pass the Class works at StarHouse Homeless Shelter to help underprivileged individuals, and I plan to work to be an effective contributor to this organization.

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]