The Impact of Undergraduate Research

UNC Asheville Biology Department Alumni Share Experiences with Current Students

By UNC Asheville

March 24^th, 2023

Undergraduate research is a crucial part of a UNC Asheville education, with around 70 percent of students completing some form of creative activity or research during their time here.

UNC Asheville biology students had the opportunity to learn about how undergraduate research can impact their careers during a networking event with six local professionals, four of whom are UNC Asheville alumni.

Students had the opportunity to hear from the guests in a panel style discussion and then have more one-on-one conversations over dinner. They talked about their paths through and after college, what they do now, and offered advice on grad school and work.

In conversation with alumni in attendance, they each brought up the undergraduate research opportunities UNC Asheville has to offer and the valuable role it’s had in their current careers.

“My experience doing undergraduate research and the training my employer provided to me helped prepare me for the daily tasks required as a study coordinator,” said Miranda Redmann-Satterfield ‘16, who works with Asheville Neurology Specialists in Clinical Research. “Specifically, undergraduate research required a level of detailed note-keeping, frequent communication with my mentor and other professors, clear and succinct communication in writing, and critical thinking that helped equip me for my current position.”

Photo courtesy of Miranda Redmann-Satterfield

Renee Fortner ‘06 credits the summer research experience she was encouraged to apply for by Jonathan Horton, professor of biology, as the reason she was able to get a paid research assistantship in graduate school. Through that research, she and another student studied an invasive grass species on the Biltmore Estate and determined how it was able to invade forest environments. She now works with local organization Riverlink as their watershed resources manager.

The other panelists were Jacob Boone ‘19, who works as a clinical applications specialist with ForTec Medical; Natali Ramirez Boulton, who serves as a fish and wildlife biologist at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Caitlin Borkowski, who works in the emergency department at Mission Hospital.

More about Undergraduate Research at UNC Asheville can be found here. More about UNC Asheville’s Biology Department can be found here.

Footnotes

Alex Pritchard '23

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FootNotes

Alex Pritchard '23