Sarah Vose is joining a postdoctoral team at Harvard School of Public Health after graduating with Ph.D. in Molecular Toxicology. In her exit interview Sarah shares insights about her leaning experiences and plans for the future.
Q: What inspired you to join NST?
A: Professor Casida's research on pesticide metabolism.
Q: What were the highlights of your experience here as a student?
A: Forming relationships with other students, and ... learning! Looking back, I realize how much knowledge I have gained in the last 5 years.
A: Professor Casida has been an amazing mentor and teacher.
Q: What did you like the most?
A: The thrill of having my own project. It's always very exciting to get good results and see that my ideas are working.
Q: What did you dislike the most?
A: The agony of having my own project.
Q: What are your plans and hopes for your postdoctoral position in Harvard?
A: The position is in a biochemistry laboratory and my project will be very different from my graduate research. I hope to learn new techniques and new areas of research that will make me a well-rounded scientist.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
A: In 5 years, I hope that I'm done with my postdoc. In 10 years, I would like to be a professor at a 4- or 5-year college in the northeastern US.
Q: What is your biggest professional dream?
A: I desire a career that is rewarding and allows me to express myself and make an impact on other people. I think I can achieve these goals by teaching undergraduates and introducing them to basic research in preparation for graduate school.
Q: What is your biggest personal dream?
A: My biggest personal dream is to achieve a balance among all of my dreams: to become a professor, a fashion designer, a mother, and a yoga teacher.
Q: If you had a message for those students that have just started their graduate studies, what would it say?
A: Just hang in there. There are times when it feels like everything is going wrong, and you cry, and you get mad, and it stinks. Round up some friends and visit Triple Rock or Jupiter, and things get better.
Q: Anything else you'd like to share?
A: I'd like to thank everyone in the NST department. I've gleaned knowledge and advice from so many amazing people through seminars, in classes, at parties, and even in bars. :)