Year in Review – 2018-2019

What have I done so far to develop Global Awareness?

  • I think there are a lot of ways one can increase global awareness while at Ohio State. Whether it’s taking a class or getting involved in a new organization, Ohio State has a lot of different opportunities to expand one’s worldview. For instance, I have in the past taken classes such as the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality studies class I took last spring, which allowed me to learn more about LGBTQ issues in America and in the world. I also am a member of the Executive Board of SDES, an organization focused on community outreach in the Columbus area. Working with the club has allowed me to learn more about the community in and around Columbus. I plan on continuing to expand my global awareness with other classes such as the Comparative Studies class next semester, which will hopefully help me understand more about literature from around the world regarding medicine.

What experiences have I had so far that have helped me to understand the research or creative process?

  • My major classes have helped me in this category the most. This year I have had the opportunity to take neuroscience classes focused on the differing approaches of cognitive neuroscience and hormones and behavior. These two classes approach neuroscience from very different angles, but both have helped me to understand my major better and have continued to spark my curiosity in the subject, as will the other neuroscience classes I plan on taking in the future. Behavioral neuroscience has a lot of different facets, and throughout these four years I hope to continue to develop my understanding of them.

How does my Honors Contract demonstrate a commitment to the goal of Academic Enrichment?

  • I am continuing to pursue a degree in neuroscience with a premedical focus. This includes taking neuroscience classes, but also means taking chemistry, biology, and biochemistry. These are not easy subjects, but medical school is my end goal, and I continue to work hard in them. Neuroscience is a great major for this not just because of its success of preparation for medical school and other higher degrees, but it is a subject which genuinely fascinates me and I feel is worth my time.

With which activities am I involved?

  • I am involved in a number of clubs and organizations, both as a member in some and in a leadership position in others. Some have a premedical or major focus such as my being an ambassador for my major, as well as a member of Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED), a pre-health organization with a focus on community service and networking. I am also a member of the Evans Scholars, and through the scholarship house hold a chair position, organizing the blood drives twice a semester with the Red Cross. Outside of that I am also on the Executive Board of Students for Diversity and Education through Service (SDES, mentioned above). I am also a member of OSU Votes, a nonpartisan student cohort focused on civic engagement in the OSU community. Though not all of these have a specific medical focus, all do provide leadership experience and OSU Votes especially allows me to get to know students outside of my intended field of study, while pursuing a personal passion (political science and civic engagement).

List the service oriented activities with which you are involved.

  • I’ve mentioned most of the service-oriented actives I do in the question above, but I also have plans for the future as well. I hope to continue to be involved in the organizations I am already, and to continue to seek out leadership positions within them. I hope especially to do this in AED, as well as in OSU Votes. My hope is that continuing to be a leader within these organizations allows me to help affect positive change within the Ohio State community and beyond.

 

 

November 2017

Lily Mannix

Neuroscience Major, Honors

Evans Scholars, OSU Chapter

Though I’m just a freshman here at OSU, this campus is already starting to feel like home. Navigating a school with such a large population can be tough, but it’s made easier by the smaller communities that I’ve been able to find within the school. First and foremost I am so lucky to be a part of the Evans Scholars here at OSU. I’ve only been living at the house since August, but I already feel like I’ve found a family within the Hamilton House. I can’t wait to become an active scholar this winter and continue to be a part of this very special community. I have also found community within organizations centered around my major and other pre-medical affiliations such as Nu Ro Psi, as well as Alpha Epsilon Delta, which helps me further forge my pre-med track though opportunities such as Buckeye Tutoring, which allows me to spend time at Nationwide Children’s Hospital volunteering and learning more about inpatient care.

I can’t wait to see what other communities I can find on campus! I know this is just the beginning of an incredible journey here at The Ohio State University.

 

Fungal Endophytes, A Work in Progress

In my Biology 1114H laboratory, my lab partner and I are working on the culturing of endophytes, which are microscopic fungi and bacteria that live in a mutually beneficial relationship with plants on which they live. We are studying the effect of varying environmental factors such as pollution on the growth of endophytes to further explore how they are an indicator of the overall health of plants. This is a look at some of the microscopic photographs taken of endophytes that we have cultured.

They may just look like smudges, but the DNA sequencing of these organisms can help us understand the interaction of endophytes and their environments.

A zoomed-in look at the above photo

 

 

Semester in Review

“Sunflowers”, Vincent Van Gogh

“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” 

As finals week looms just beyond the comfort of the Thanksgiving holiday, I find myself meditating on painter Vincent Van Gogh’s words, and thought it would be appropriate to take a moment to reflect on the first semester of my college experience.

I do like to think that I have begun to evolve beyond the confused freshman who couldn’t figure out that Lazenby Hall had a basement and was thus very late to her first Biology 114H lecture (which is, by the way, not a great first impression to make on your professor). Since then I have been through club fairs, confusing lectures, singing Carmen for the first time after a home game, activities with my house, lectures that sort of made sense, late night study sessions with my quadmates, more midterms than I care to count, falling in love with the RPAC, working up the courage to actually go to office hours, and finally becoming confident that I’m moving in the right direction with my major. Vincent Van Gogh’s words seem to resonate with me this semester: as a student, I do believe that I have the potential to do great things, but until then I must remember that they can only be done by a succession of small but critical steps.

(image source: www.vangoghmuseum.nl)

Fall Semester, 2017

Global Awareness: Global Awareness can be a difficult idea when I’ve lived in Ohio all my life, but Ohio State has a myriad of opportunities to reach out and learn more about the world around me. To increase my global awareness I am planning on looking into study abroad opportunities in May of my sophomore year. Some places of interest include Ireland, Scandinavia, Australia, and Germany.
Original Inquiry: As a pre-medical student, Original Inquiry is of special interest to me. Research is key to understanding what interests you, as well as understanding your own strengths as an independent learner, which are both paramount to being a successful medical student. Though I am not currently engaged in any research at this moment, I am looking in to doing work during my sophomore year. Some areas of interest include Neuroscience, Clinical Psychology, and Botany. I am looking forward to exploring the opportunities of Original Inquiry that OSU has to offer!
Academic Enrichment: Academics are always my first priority. Currently I am in four different science-based courses, including Chemistry 1210 and Psychology 3313: Behavioral Neuroscience. I am looking forward to taking more academically challenging classes as a student, both within my major and beyond.
Leadership Development: Though I am not in any formal leadership positions at this point, I am a member of many organizations where this is a possibility, such as Buckeye Tutoring through Alpha Epsilon Delta. I am also looking forward to the possibility of being a part of the Executive or Judicial Board of my scholarship house.

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 information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]