Year you started the Neuroscience Program: 2005

Why you chose the UCD Neuroscience Program:

1. There is a strong emphasis on collaboration among faculty members here that creates a fantastic research atmosphere
2. As a first year student I was a little unsure of what area I wanted to do my thesis in, by coming to UCD I knew that I would be working with some of the best in the field, whatever it may be
3. The faculty here has a genuine interest in the success of the students

What labs you rotated in: Mark Dell'Acqua, Rock Levinson, Kurt Beam

What lab you joined and why: Kurt Beam, that is the answer to both questions.

Short description of your project: We are investigating the biophysical properties of calcium channels.

Where you attended undergrad and what your major/minor(s) were: Black Hills State University and Colorado State University. I majored in Psychology.

What you did (if anything) between undergrad and grad school: I worked for 14 months as a counselor for mentally ill adults in a residential setting. I also moved to Northern California to prepare me for graduate school and then worked for a year at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in Rockville Maryland.

What you like to do outside of school: Music, playing guitar, camping, fishing, hiking (of course), and the occasional cocktail, preferably Jim Beam.