POOJA RAVI ' 22
MAJOR : BIOLOGY HOMETOWN : BROOKEVILLE , MD
Growing up , Pooja Ravi ‘ 22 was invested in learning more about alternative therapies and treatments of diseases , clinging to the hope of one day being able to make a difference in the world one patient at a time . “ It really catalyzed my desire to go into medicine from a young age ,” says Pooja .
What made all the difference for Pooja in choosing Stevenson ’ s Biology program was the emphasis on research alongside early exposure in the field . Her fair share of research experiences during her tenure at SU is a testament to the University ’ s career-oriented approach to education . Starting her freshman year , Pooja worked in the Agricultural Research Service at the U . S . Department of Agriculture , assisting with a project on protein separation from soybean seeds , as well as working with various biochemical machinery , ranging from NIR and GC to RAMAN . Thereafter , she aided in an internship within the Food and Drug Administration where she studied vaccine development and the immunogenicity of two separate viruses , Rotavirus and Norovirus . " I intend to pursue another research opportunity this fall , beneath a faculty member on campus , Dr . Tucker , in her research of Lyme Disease and pathologies among several tick populations ,” Pooja says .
In addition to her classroom studies and research experiences , Pooja was given the opportunity of a lifetime to engage in a clinical observation internship at the Velammal Hospital in Madurai , India . “ The experience really piqued my interest in surgery and aided in introducing me to a variety of techniques and procedures I had only read of within textbooks ,” says Pooja .
However , Pooja ’ s favorite part about her major is that you don ’ t have to travel far to get those types of lab and kinesthetic learning experiences : “ Stevenson ’ s labs are developed in such a way that students have the flexibility to work together on investigating a research project , sometimes of their own choosing .” In the Biology program , she and her peers also get to go outdoors for labs incorporating ecology or epidemiology of various species . “ It ’ s always an exciting experience to identify and experiment with problem-solving techniques for modern issues , and visualize many everyday things through an engaged , scientific perspective ,” Pooja says .
Another facet of her Stevenson experience that has undeniably helped Pooja ’ s sense of career preparation is the Pre-Health advising . From the start of her undergraduate curriculum , Pooja received guidance from SU ’ s Pre-Health experts to ease her into incorporating the necessary steps it would take to promote her matriculation to medical school .
Above all , Pooja holds a certain sentiment for the field of biology close to her heart : “ If there ’ s one thing biology as a whole has shown me , it ’ s the capacity to perceive most , if not all , problems as potentially solvable . The perseverance of one ’ s mind is truly great , but having the comprehension and fortitude to work alongside it , is even greater .”
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