As an aspiring scientist, the Biology Department at Pitt was a great place to start because it provided ample opportunities for undergraduate research. Everyone I knew in my degree program participated actively in independent scientific research. These opportunities were made further accessible by the great availability of funding support; I received research scholarships from the Samuel D. Colella Award and from the HHMI undergraduate research program. I also received training as a scientist not only in research, but also in teaching. I took part in a summer high school outreach program. In this program, I instructed high school students and teachers as they developed the skills and thought processes of the scientific method. I also worked with teachers, graduate students, and faculty to develop materials for future use in the high school classroom. Therefore, Pitt Biology provided me a solid base for starting out a career in science, particularly because of the program’s strong focus on both research and educational experience.
Neil is a Senior Scientist, Oncology Bioscience at AstraZeneca.
Last updated: 10/14/20