Name: Katie Ahmann

Hometown: Eden Prairie, MN

Brown Affiliation: Class of 2004

School:  UC-San Diego

Position: Ph.D. student

Degree(s) Earned:

BS Biomedical Engineering, Brown University

What experiences were you able to gain in biotechnology during your undergraduate years at Brown?

I worked for a year in Professor Palmore's lab on a project dealing with neuron growth on a conductive polymer substrate.  I was funded by an UTRA for the summer after my junior year and received a stipend from the engineering department for January research.

What advice do you have for undergraduates seeking summer positions?

If you are interested in research, UTRAs are a great way to go.  It was a great way to get a jump start on research for my senior project, as well as figure out if I was interested in going on to graduate school.  Summer in Providence is a lot of fun. 

What are your plans for next year?

I'll be attending UC-San Diego in their Bioengineering program.

Where else did you apply?

University of Minnesota, Georgia Tech, Yale University, Boston University.

What features impacted your decisions?

I had a specific interest in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, so I looked at schools with strong programs/research in those areas.  Also, finding faculty at the school that I felt would be good advisors for me.

What advice would you give seniors applying to grad school?
 
The process is not complicated.  Begin it early so that you don't have to stress over it all fall.  Talk to people.  Communicate with faculty in your area of interest at the schools you are interested in, even if that just means sending an email. 

Consider applying for outside funding (NSF, etc) in the fall.  The deadlines are early.