Current Event

https://www.popsci.com/naked-mole-rat-queen-facts#page-2

This article is written solely about the facts most people do not know about the elusive naked mole rats. Being a biology major I was truly intrigued by this article and I fell for the click bait. I learned quite a bit about this strange species. Naked mole rats are what is known as a eusocial species, meaning the group collectively cares for young and there is a queen at the head of the population. The largest female in the population is generally the queen and she can prevent puberty in other females in the population so that none of the other females reproduce. The exact mechanism by which this occurs is still unknown, but it is known that if a female leaves the colony she beings to sexually mature. Naked mole rats are found to also murder other individuals in the population as well as cuddle with other members in the population to maintain body heat. The animals themselves struggle to maintain warmth and are often founding snuggling. Scientists also  recently studied and found that naked mole rats can survive at much less oxygen than humans, and even laboratory mice. Scientists also recently learned that naked mole rats do not experience pain similar to many other animals. Nor do naked mole rats experience death from old age the way many other animals, including humans, do. This fact will be further studied as to its human medical applications.

Most people will not care about the exact details of the lives of naked mole rats, but the potential medical applications could benefit all of humanity. There was not much bias present in this article as it was a statement of naked mole rat facts. There were no sides being taken for or against the naked mole rats; this was truly a statement of facts. I am really interested in this, as I want to enter the field of biological research. After my undergraduate education, I would like to pursue higher education in the field of biology and research either plants or animals and their interactions with the environment. Naked mole rats may provide a link to the future of medicine, and maybe one day I will look into this and research this.

Artifact 3: Women in Astrophysics

Last week I attended a talk by a renowned researcher who is an expert in her field. She spoke about the women at Harvard who helped to map the skies. She spoke about the struggles women go through, especially back in the 1900s, to be recognized for their accomplishments and their intelligence. I learned about all of these women’s accomplishments and saw that their work is still be acknowledged and is still significant to this day. These women worked day in and day out to attempt to understand the skies and to share their findings about the star’s light spectrum with the world. The speaker ended the whole talk by encouraging all of us in attendance, as well as all people in science, to share our true science with the rest of the world, just like the women from Harvard, especially in the scientifically unbalanced political climate. This presentation inspired me as I am a young woman entering the field of science. I do not want to be pushed aside because I am I woman; I was to be acknowled like the intelligent women of Harvard College of Astronomy. I would like to make an impact on the world but in my field. I am passionate about biology in the same way that the women of Harvard were passionate about the sky an the stars. Their work is still being studied to this day, and their work truly inspired me, not because I love the stars, but because they were women pursing scientific knowledge in the face of adversity.

Personal Development

There is something in my personality that makes me always want to strive for perfection. In high school this worked pretty well for me; I was involved in numerous extra-curricular activities, I was friends with almost everyone at my school, I had exceptional grades, I was dating a football player, I was managing my time well enough to balance all of that with a large family commitment and working two jobs. I thought I had things figured out; I thought I knew how to succeed, to be perfect, and I assumed this would continue in college.  To make things short, this did not continue. I entered college thinking everything would continue to go my infallible way, and they certainly did not. This statement should not be misconstrued as me saying I am unhappy. That is quite the opposite. I am happier than I ever have been, yet many things are imperfect. I am slowly wrapping my mind around the fact that there are many things I cannot control, and that my life is not, and will probably never again be, perfect. I am involved in few extra-curricular due to the fact I am always doing homework, yet my grades do not seem to reflect all the time and effort I put into them. I am struggling in school, which is a new concept to me. I am recognizing that this will be something I have to live with, and that I just have to keep up my determination and willpower to do the best I possibly can. I am now single, which is also something that has been hard for me to deal with, but I have the most amazing friends and that is simply all I can ask for. I no longer know and am friends with everyone in the school. Coming from a small school, I knew practically everyone in the building. Now, I attend a school with 60,000 people and am not even well acquainted with everyone that lives on the same floor as me. I am working on keeping everything as faultless as possible, but I am coming around the the fact that not everything will be perfect. My life is a roller coaster ride, and as long as I enjoy the ride, I think that everything will be just fine.

Peers :)

Adjusting to life in college has been a challenge with the substantial coursework that I have never before experienced. Living with other science and STEM majors has helped me greatly to deal with the stress of doing homework for hours upon hours. Studying and doing homework with likeminded peers motivates me to keep going. Because, if I get tired and try to not do homework, I don’t have anything else to do, since all of my dorm mates are busy doing homework. I stay focused on completing all tasks and learning the material. Constantly being surrounded by such intelligent peers gives me personal tutors and references to ensure I am learning the material that I need to learn. This environment is fostering my success in college. A specifiic experience in this environment that has proven significant in my life was when I was so frustrated with calculus I was brought to tears, but my peers calmed me down, assured me I was okay, helped me through the problem, and reminded me of the myriad of resources available at OSU where I can get the help I need. This shows my determination to succeed in college and my willingness to work in a team, because I could seclude myself and procrastinate my schoolwork and not work with anyone else to help them accomplish their schoolwork as well. Instead I work beside my peers to accomplish everything I need to do. What I have learned thus far in school about how I need supportive peers will carry me through all my collegiate years. I have an internal drive to succeed, and my peers push me to do the extra mile when I begin to doubt myself. This has proven to be of paramount important thus far, I know that I will continue to work with my fellow STEM majors and STEM EE scholars to push myself to be the best that I can be, academically, personally, and professionally.

Year in Review

When I moved into Ohio State I was naive. I did not know a thing, even though I thought I knew everything. High school had taught me that I was intelligent and special and unique. I spent the entire summer before college ecstatic to move into Houston House and meet everyone on the campus. I was bright-eyed and innocent as my parents drove off and let me settle into my dorm. Then the reality of college and adult life began to set in. I quickly started to realize that college was a lot of work. And, when I say a lot of work, I mean a lot of work. I spent countless hours working for my “2 credit hour Fundamentals of Engineer” class, that I didn’t even like. Halfway through the second week I had decided I did not want to be an engineer, yet I had to finish the class and I had to finish the class strong. I thought I knew what a lot of work meant in high school, but the first round of midterms first semester was eye-opening to say the least. I would spend more time learning concepts and material than anything else. On top of my difficult schedule, I was starting a new job, making friends and meeting people everywhere I went, going to football games, meeting all my STEM scholars requirements, and trying to experience all that I could. Academic and work ethic both naturally grew and matured as the school year progressed as did my personal relationships. I learned so many valuable lessons through my experiences, both good and bad. I made so many mistakes that led to more personal development in this one single year of school than I had in all of high school. It may have taken me a while to get where I wanted to be, but I am finally happy with where I am, and am now even listening to advice given by others. I now have a much better idea of what I want to do with my life, which has nothing to do with engineering and everything to do with researching and exploring the natural biological world. My maturity has grown a lot, mostly in this second part of this past semester. I am a different person than I was moving in. I learned to deal with stressful roommate situations, friendships, family matters, as well as anxiety inducing chemistry exams. I became more resilient than ever before as I bounced back from a grade I wasn’t expecting and several personal mistakes. These have all made me who I am. I am still growing as a person and still have much to learn, but this last year has changed me for the better. As much work as this past year been, I am more than eager to take on another year here end experience Organic Chemistry, more football games, and meet as many more people that will further influence me as a person.

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. 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.

  • Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc.
  • Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
  • Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
  • Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
  • Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]

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.]