In order to accomplish the many goals I have set, I hope to be very organized and make a detailed study plan that helps me stay on track. I also hope to schedule in time to do things aside from school, such as exercise, etc. I hope that with a detailed plan, I will be able to set and achieve more goals!
Vision Statement and Future goals
The past two years in the Biological Sciences Program have allowed me to grow in many ways. It helped me transition to college and make a new group of friends, who are with me in many of my classes. For the next two years, I hope to continue to grow with my peers academically. I hope to figure out my career path through the classes I am taking and figure out what type of lifestyle I would like to have.
A New Research Position
This year, I was able to obtain a new research position in a wet lab. Working in a wet lab was a very different experience than a dry lab. I learned so much more about the ethical side of things. I got to also research in a new field-neuroscience. I was able to use the information from my classes and actually apply it as well. This opportunity helped me form new connections at OSU. I spent most of the second-semester training and hope to spend the summer starting a project.
What can you find here?
Hi! Welcome to my E-portfolio!
Here, you will be able to see information about me like my resume, things I like to do outside of school, my career goals, my contact information, as well as follow my journey through college with me!
Best,
Akanksha
Sophomore Year
Hi everyone!
This past year and a half have had a lot of changes and updates. I have grown tremendously as a person and am so excited to share it with you. With a rocky start to my grades, I made a new study plan and improved my grades tremendously. I was challenged with harder classes like Organic Chemistry and Microbiology and classes like these taught me how to study at a level different from high school, since that was what was getting me through this. Aside from academics, I also obtained a new research position at the Kirby Lab in the psychology building doing neuroscience research. I also learned to balance myself outside of school by going to classes at the RPAC, and taking out time for myself. Overall, the past year and a half have been a lot of growth and I cannot wait to see what the next 2 years hold! 🙂
Artifacts
The beauty of the biological sciences scholar’s program is the ability for like minds to come together and achieve a common goal. Living in a community where almost everyone is a natural sciences major allows students to turn to their classmates for help anytime. One of the most memorable events as a scholar’s student has been study session nights. Study session nights are an opportunity for students to discover which of their friends are in the same classes. Additionally, by discovering the students in each class, students have the opportunity to make a network of friends they can go to when help is needed. While studying with your friends has its perks, being with people you are comfortable with also provides for great study breaks and snacks. The first study session has opened many doors for study sessions outside of the classroom.
Career
Artifacts
Research has been an integral part of my life as soon as I decided I wanted to pursue the sciences. I chose this artifact because it was a key point in my life- This was the first time I had been entirely responsible for a project. With this project, I competed in many symposiums, science fairs, and had the opportunity to showcase work that I had invested hundreds of hours in.
My research in the lab was titled “ME2 Gene Expression is associated with Epilepsy.” Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy (IGE) is classified as a category of epilepsy that is believed to have a strong genetic cause. Epilepsy is diagnosed when there are spontaneous “electric storms,” caused by an abnormally high amount of brain activity. These effects can be counteracted with GABA, the brain’s primary inhibitory neurotransmitter. Since IGE is believed to have an underlying genetic factor, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) genotypes were used to determine the association between IGE and Malic Enzyme 2 (ME2). ME2 is a gene that is involved in the production of GABA. The association was determine using a linear regression in the programming language “R.” ME2 expression was regressed onto SNP genotypes and a linear equation was created. This equation was then used to predict ME2 expression in the cases, or living subjects. After the prediction and comparison of ME2 levels among the two groups, ME2 was found to be differentially expressed, proving that a lack of ME2 results in IGE.
This project is symbolic in the sense that it taught me the true meaning of research. Before this, I thought of research solely consisted of lab coats and animal testing; however, there are many different aspects of research that have such a large impact. While I did research for 8 years of my life, this project was the most memorable because I grew not only academically, but also as a person.
About Me
Hi everyone! My name is Akanksha Malhotra and I am a Biological Sciences Scholar. I am ecstatic to go to OSU and cannot wait to see what the Scholars program has in store. Meeting new people and exploring new places is something I look forward to at OSU. I chose the Scholars Program because of the close-knit community it offers inside of a large campus. With this program, I am able to enjoy the opportunities a large school has to offer as well as the small community for academics and a social life.
Generally I am an extrovert and love to talk whenever I can; however, when it comes to an academic setting, I prefer small-medium class sizes where I can get to know each person. Additionally, I enjoy the facilitation of group discussions in a smaller classroom. Biology/Anatomy, Spanish, and Math are subjects that interest me the most. While at OSU, I hope to get a major in Biology and obtain a career in Pharmaceutical sales or go to Medical School. I took Spanish for 5 years in high school and if there is ample time, I would like to get a minor in Spanish. As I obtain these degrees, I plan to take advantage of the study abroad programs OSU offers. In high school I went to Nicaragua and would love to return to another Spanish-speaking country and give back to the community, more specifically helping in ways related to a degree in Biology (in clinics, etc.).
While academics are a top priority for me, I strive to maintain a balanced life-style. Outside the classroom, I take an interest in planning events and want to continue this as a member of OSU’s student government. In high school, I was a student researcher for OSU’s CAPS center (2015-2016) and Nationwide Children’s Hospital (2016-2017). Both of these research opportunities consisted of research in dry labs. At OSU, I hope to obtain a different research experience in order to better understand the field of research. Aside from research and student government, community service has been a part of my lifestyle for years and I hope to be a part of an organization that helps women and children around the world. Through these experiences, I strive to become a more well-rounded person and take advantage of all the opportunities OSU has to offer, both inside and outside the classroom! 🙂
Welcome to my Honors & Scholars e-Portfolio
Hi! Welcome to my Homepage! My name is Akanksha Malhotra and I’m a Biological Scholars Science Student. I love meeting new people and pushing myself to try new things! I am extremely excited to share my experiences with you and I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I do!