What is your hometown?
I’ve spent almost my entire life in Sheldon, IA, which is located in the northwest corner of the state.
How or when did you become interested in science and cell biology?
I’ve always had a drawing to science, even in grade school, but never imagined making a career of it. It wasn’t until high school through the help of a guidance counselor, that I was steered in this direction. She suggested that because of my interest in science, combined with a family history of law enforcement, I consider a career in forensic science. Her suggestion guided my decisions in undergraduate training and a degree in Biology and Chemistry, which ultimately landed me here, at the University of Iowa. An internship at the University of Mississippi Medical Center before I arrived at the University of Iowa reshaped my goals to a more research oriented career.
How or why did you choose the University of Iowa to complete your doctorate degree?
Having grown up in Iowa my entire life, in addition to having a diehard Hawkeye fan for a father, I’ve always been excited about coming here for school. Like most people I applied to several schools for graduate training, but was secretly hoping Iowa would be the place. The opportunities offered at the University of Iowa gave me great incentive to come. I really enjoyed the flexibility of the Biosciences Program; an umbrella entry program allowing me to choose from a wide range of labs and departments. Also, the facilities available at Iowa along with their integrated ease, clearly would give any graduate student an upper hand in their training. I also appreciated the “friendly” atmosphere I felt during my interview weekend; typical of the “Iowa attitude” I’ve experienced growing up in this state.
Is there a teacher, mentor or faculty member who has helped shape your education?
Clearly my high school guidance counselor, as I mentioned earlier, got my mind oriented towards a science career. I give her lots of credit for seeing this potential in me, which I wasn’t even aware of. My mentors at Dordt College (which consisted of three biology professors), also gave me lots of guidance in my training there. Given the limited science resources a small northwest Iowa liberal arts college can have, they guided me, pushed me, and gave me the best science foundation a student could have coming into graduate school. Finally, two mentors at the University of Mississippi, Dr. Craig Stockmeier and his wife Dr. Grazyna Rajkowska motivated me and pushed me to continue on and make a life-long career of science, initially by getting back into graduate school. I’ve definitely had life-long guidance by individuals who were honestly motivated to guide a young student.
What kinds of opportunities or advantages does being a doctoral student at Iowa provide? What about challenges?
There are several advantages offered by my training at Iowa. I think the initial entry into an umbrella interdisciplinary program has given me the freedom not every graduate student has. I think the average student doesn’t know exactly which department or field of study he or she will want to get into, as well as the type of research they want to be involved in for the next 5-6 years. Given the wide range of labs I was able to rotate between before choosing one to do my training in, it gave me a nice opportunity to find one I would be comfortable in and enjoy. The facilities here at the University of Iowa have also been amazing. Already there have been several occasions in which my project could not move forward without the assistance and guidance of a facility on campus. Along with this, is the diverse range of experts on campus which have helped shape my project as I continue my training.
Please describe your professional goals and interests?
I initially wanted to pursue a career in forensic science but I’ve replaced this with a more research based career. Starting graduate school I would have said I would like to have a career in industry. However, as my training continues I have become more and more interested in an academic based career, such as continuing to do research at a University much like Iowa. It is a little difficult to say for sure where I’ll be in the future, but either way, I plan on doing a postdoctoral fellow following my time here.
What are some of your outside interests?
I’m an old married man, so I love sitting at home on the weekends with my wife. I think you learn a new appreciation for relaxation and free-time when you’re in graduate school. I’ve also enjoyed tailgating as well as watching every football game possible. I recently got a brand new tent for this summer as well, so I’m looking forward to lots of camping.
Do you participate in any community service/outreach projects? If so, what are they and what have your experiences been?
This has been something that I have missed out since I’ve been in Iowa City. Living in Mississippi I had several opportunities to travel south and help out after Hurricane Katrina, which was always a rewarding experience. I think everyone often lets it slip through their minds how fortunate we really are, and these experiences are often a good way to remind us of this.
Do you have an insight or philosophy that guides you in your work?
I’ve been raised in a Christian family that has taught hard work and honesty in everything I do. They’ve also taught me how to laugh and have a good time with whatever I’m doing. This pushes me through graduate school. Definitely hard work is a must, and honesty is a critical aspect of science. To be able to laugh, even through all this seriousness, is a “must have” trait to survive graduate school.
If you could change one thing about the world (or the world of science), what would it be?"
I think the “world of science” needs more individuals who can convey the “world of science” to those who are not in “the world of science.” All too often there seems to be a large gap between these groups which leads to a lot of misunderstanding and hesitation by the general public to support research. In part, fault is with the scientists themselves, who are not always the most efficient at communicating their work to those not involved in the sciences. More efficient communication would be a nice change.
What one piece of advice you would give to students who are interested in applying to a PhD program?
Ask questions. I was always intimidated emailing professors and students before applying for graduate school. It wasn’t until afterwards that I realized how much easier the process would have been if I had only asked more questions. Graduate school, and science in general has been a humbling experience because you realize nobody knows everything, and the smartest people are those who aren’t afraid to ask the “stupid” question.
What do you see as "the future" of Anatomy/Cell Biology research?
One future of Anatomy and Cell Biology is stem-cell research. This is clear from the media attention the topic has received in the last few years. Especially with the recent work focusing on inducing pluripotent stem cells from adult tissues (avoiding the potential ethical issues of using an embryo), this topic has seen a lot of attention. Although the clinical use of this research is a way off it offers promising hope for several diseases.