MEET OUR STUDENTS

There are some people in this world that are incredible marathon runners, and some people that are amazing sprinters. Some people have blue eyes, others have freckles. At the end of the day, there has to be something different between them physiologically. That's what drives my research.

Genes tell the story of who you are. I'm trying to figure out the role that genetics plays in muscle health. The fact that something on a microscopic level can have an immense impact on you is fascinating to me. I hope to determine why some people's muscles deteriorate faster than others.

When I got to OU, I met Dr. Wendell. He gave me the space and freedom I needed to learn the most important lesson in science. Failure is okay. What makes a difference is getting back up and trying again, regardless of the outcome.

I went to grad school right out of undergrad. It just made sense for me. I love school, and I wanted to keep my momentum going. People talk about how OU is a hidden gem. It was never hidden to me. I'm constantly reminded that I belong here.

A dream of mine is to make people realize how accessible and incredible science is. That's why I manage the bio-learning lounge. My mentor showed me how I can be great within science, and I want that for other people too. I think that genetics is the future of medicine. If I can be involved in helping people that have been waiting for that call or that cure it would be an honor. My advice for potential grad students is if you want to do something, put your mind to it. If your heart's in it, you can do it.

I absolutely love music. Having it on in the background every day sets the mood. I'm an electrical engineer who works in pro audio. It's a bit of an art. If your circuit's good, the sound can take you to a whole other world.

Back when I was working on my Ph.D., I had bought a house and was rebuilding it. I wanted to put a speaker system in the house that I could control through one device. The technology didn't exist at the time. I decided to build one. That's how my business started.

One of the biggest things I got from the graduate program at OU, were the connections. At OU, I met Professor Hanna when starting my business; I had a lot of questions. He helped me out and explained to me how to do it. Even though I've graduated, I'm still highly involved at OU. I teach at the Engineering Institute, give presentations to classes, and even hire OU graduates. My message is, anybody can have an idea, but it takes persistence to see it through.

My parents tell the story of when I was a little kid. I used to carry around a stethoscope and pretend to heal people. That's never changed. I've always wanted to work in healthcare.

Today, I teach at a university and work in healthcare as a nurse practitioner. I love it. Back when I was looking to go to grad school, I wanted to find a place that felt like I could focus on my future. Oakland University was that place.

At OU, I met Dr. Holka. She made me feel like I belonged and sparked my interest in education, inspiring me to pursue it as a career. Now I'm the one inspiring others, sharing my experiences with students and preparing them to lead the next generation.

My degree opened doors to advancing my career and making the difference in ways I could only have imagined before. My advice to grad students is to strike a balance between school, work and your personal life. If you do that, the sky is the limit and even beyond.