Katie Ryan is a 2024 WISCIENCE STEM Public Service Fellow and a graduate student in cellular and molecular pathology. She went to undergrad at North Carolina State University, where she studied chemical engineering, biochemistry, and biological sciences. She did undergraduate research in a number of different fields, which led to her current research looking for new treatments for parasitic worms in microbial natural products. When she’s not in lab, she prefers to be outside, either running, camping, or hiking the Ice Age Trail!
What has been your favorite part of the STEM Public Service Fellow program so far?
My favorite part so far is getting to work with like-minded individuals who value public engagement and want to leverage their STEM skills to collaboratively solve real world problems. Despite these shared passions, our cohort is also very diverse in our backgrounds, and it’s been equally great to learn from everyone’s experiences.
What are some of your career goals and how do you think this program will help you achieve them?
I have always been passionate about both basic scientific research and increasing access to STEM education, and I believe this program will help me further integrate those passions as I continue into new roles post graduation. I think the program will give me the network and translational skills to commit to including service in my future career regardless of the specific position I take.
What is something surprising or unexpected that you’ve experienced as a Fellow?
As I continue in the program, I realize that the discussions I’ve had with my cohort and the perspectives we’ve heard from have influenced and changed the way I approach my research. It might seem like this program is an “extracurricular” that is separate from one’s science, but the principles we learn about apply to all career aspects, and I look forward to continuing to develop my evolving philosophy of community engagement in all of those contexts.
Learn more about STEM Public Service Fellows.