![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/Destinee-Saunders_810554148-745x1024.jpg?resize=745%2C1024&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nDestinee Saunder<\/strong>s<\/h2>\n\n\n\nSmaldino lab researcher: January 2018 \u2013 June 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Current work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI currently work for an energy risk management firm called ACES Power in Carmel, IN, as a Senior IT Vendor Coordinator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The college experience with research participation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nMy research aided in my understanding of higher-level concepts that I learned in my 300\/400 level courses because I had the opportunity to practice these concepts prior to learning them in a formal classroom setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The impact of lab experience after graduation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHaving research experience allowed me to discover that I enjoy documenting processes to ensure standard results. Although I did not decide to pursue a career in science, my research experience showcased my attention to detail and helped me land my current position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advice to current students<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nMy advice is to take the time to sit and think about whether a life of academia or research is what you really want. Grad schools are looking for authenticity, and it\u2019s hard to fake excitement for a topic that you have little interest in. I did not continue doing research after graduation, but the critical thinking skills that I learned along the way were way more valuable than anything else.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12101202\/Sandwith_Siara_medium.jpg?resize=782%2C1000&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nSiara Sandwith<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSmaldino lab researcher: February 2018- July 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Current work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI am currently attending the University of Michigan, working towards a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The college experience with research participation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nParticipating in research during undergrad was such a gift! I was always fascinated by learning the tiny details of different molecular cascades\/pathways in class, but it’s even more exciting to discover a new step in a molecular mechanism that isn’t as well understood. In the classroom, you learn by hearing about what was already known; in the lab, you learn by generating new knowledge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to enhancing my classroom learning, working in a lab gave me a greater sense of community within the Biology department. When I needed help with a new technique or troubleshooting, I could always go to the Rubenstein, Bernstein, or Roossien lab. The Smaldino lab was also blessed with a great lab culture. Some of my best friends today are people I worked with in the Smaldino lab. Experiments often fail, which can be demoralizing at times. But I had great lab mates who always made it such a joy to be in the lab, whether experiments went well or not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The impact of lab experience after graduation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nPrior to working in a lab, I knew nothing about research or research career options. I thought a degree in biology meant you had to do something in the medical\/health care field. I originally joined the lab to boost my resume to apply to genetic counseling graduate programs. However, after just a few months in the lab, I realized I loved research and quickly changed the direction I took with my graduate education (Ph.D. in biology instead of a master’s in GC). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advice to current students<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nAs a jaded graduate student, I’m going to be honest. People don’t like to take this advice, including me. My advice to someone applying for graduate school: Mentorship should ALWAYS be prioritized over any other factor when choosing a lab. Join a lab where you will receive good training and mentorship. Mentorship is more important than your actual graduate program\/degree (e.g., cancer vs. immunology vs. genetics vs. biochemistry — doesn’t matter). Be open to different areas of research, don’t be set on a particular field. You might be surprised to find something new you enjoy. Graduate school is about learning how to think. Once you learn how to think, you can easily learn the background of any field and come up with your own interesting research questions for a field new to you. If you have to switch graduate programs to join the lab that will set you up to succeed, SWITCH programs. And NEVER prioritize research interest over lab mentorship and lab culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some people argue that they need to at least be excited about the research they do. With all due respect, they are wrong. Things could be worse than just being a little bored with your thesis project.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/Sharlow_Meredith_QA_Pic-827x1024.jpeg?resize=827%2C1024&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nMeredith Sharlow<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSmaldino lab researcher: August 2019 \u2013 June 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Current work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI work for Bureau Veritas as a contract scientist studying pulmonary fibrosis and systemic scleroderma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The college experience with research participation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI would not have my current job if it weren\u2019t for gaining undergraduate research experience at Ball State. My lab work helped me to better understand my coursework by applying what I learned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The impact of lab experience after graduation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThrough participating in research work at Ball State, I learned about the biotechnology certificate and enrolled in the program. Because of the biotechnology program and my lab experience, I applied to the BSU and Lilly Co-op program. From there, I was matched with my current lab, where I worked for a year as a co-op student and transitioned into a contract scientist role after the co-op ended. I love my job and am passionate about the research that I do. I would not have found my current job or research niche without my undergraduate research experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advice to current students<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI highly recommend the biotechnology program if you are considering research jobs or grad school. I took one BIOT class as a trial run before committing to the program and loved it. I joined Dr. Smaldino\u2019s lab because of my BIOT PCR class and wanted to learn what a research job would entail. The Biotechnology program is a great way to figure out if you\u2019d enjoy research. You meet professors and learn about the research being done at Ball State.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/Reisinger_Michael_QA_Pic-576x1024.jpeg?resize=576%2C1024&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nMichael Reisinger<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSmaldino lab researcher: January 2018 \u2013 June 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Current work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI work in the post-life department of LabCorp<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The college experience with research<\/strong><\/strong> participation<\/h2>\n\n\n\nIt was both hectic and valuable. It certainly took up a lot of time, and I was up at weird hours to get both lab work and assignments done. The research differed somewhat from my major, so I couldn’t apply much of what I learned to either. However, it did expose me to a wider range of science than I otherwise would have been, which expanded my view of life and biology considerably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The impact of lab experience after graduation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI found my research experience extremely beneficial in interviews. Most of my interviews have involved STAR (situation, task, action, and result) questions, and having a background that involved being in a lot of situations relating to critical thinking and problem solving allowed me to provide answers that never disappointed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advice to current students<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nGo for it. As for general advice for applying in my field:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. R\u00e9sum\u00e9s only get you in the door for an interview; don’t sweat them too much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Be personable and professional during the interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Write a cover letter to express your interest in whatever you’re applying for; people in science tend to love it when others express interest in science.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
For more information about the Department of Biology<\/a>, visit our website<\/a>, contact our office<\/a>, or follow us on Facebook<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Annika Sharlow Destinee Saunders Smaldino lab researcher: January 2018 \u2013 June 2021 Current work I currently work for an energy risk management firm called ACES Power in Carmel, IN, as a Senior IT Vendor Coordinator. The college experience with research participation My research aided in my understanding of higher-level concepts that I learned in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3227,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[17,58,11,23],"tags":[54,15,20,594],"class_list":["post-3222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-biology","category-humanities","category-immersive-learning","tag-alumni","tag-biology","tag-immersive-learning","tag-researchlab"],"yoast_head":"\n
Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"College of Sciences & Humanities\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BallStateCSH\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"wpengine\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@BallStateCSH\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@BallStateCSH\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"wpengine\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"wpengine\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/457bf04d6c62eff0169d84330898082f\"},\"headline\":\"Smaldino’s Lab Alumni\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1219,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/12102824\\\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Alumni\",\"Biology\",\"Immersive Learning\",\"researchlab\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Alumni\",\"Biology\",\"Humanities\",\"Immersive Learning\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/\",\"name\":\"Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/12102824\\\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00\",\"description\":\"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/12102824\\\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/12102824\\\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707,\"caption\":\"MC-69656 Alumni Magazine Article for CSH on Sep. 9, 2024. Photo by Samantha Blankenship \\\/ Ball State University\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Smaldino’s Lab Alumni\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/\",\"name\":\"College of Sciences & Humanities\",\"description\":\"Home to Ball State University's College of Sciences and Humanities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Ball State University College of Sciences and Humanities\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/assets.blogs.bsu.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2022\\\/09\\\/08143418\\\/csh-avatar.png?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/assets.blogs.bsu.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2022\\\/09\\\/08143418\\\/csh-avatar.png?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1\",\"width\":500,\"height\":500,\"caption\":\"Ball State University College of Sciences and Humanities\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/BallStateCSH\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/BallStateCSH\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/ballstatecsh\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/457bf04d6c62eff0169d84330898082f\",\"name\":\"wpengine\",\"description\":\"This is the \\\"wpengine\\\" admin user that our staff uses to gain access to your admin area to provide support and troubleshooting. It can only be accessed by a button in our secure log that auto generates a password and dumps that password after the staff member has logged in. We have taken extreme measures to ensure that our own user is not going to be misused to harm any of our clients sites.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/wpengine.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/author\\\/wpengine\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities","description":"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities","og_description":"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.","og_url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/","og_site_name":"College of Sciences & Humanities","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BallStateCSH","article_published_time":"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1707,"url":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"wpengine","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@BallStateCSH","twitter_site":"@BallStateCSH","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"wpengine","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/"},"author":{"name":"wpengine","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#\/schema\/person\/457bf04d6c62eff0169d84330898082f"},"headline":"Smaldino’s Lab Alumni","datePublished":"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/"},"wordCount":1219,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","keywords":["Alumni","Biology","Immersive Learning","researchlab"],"articleSection":["Alumni","Biology","Humanities","Immersive Learning"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/","name":"Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00","description":"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707,"caption":"MC-69656 Alumni Magazine Article for CSH on Sep. 9, 2024. Photo by Samantha Blankenship \/ Ball State University"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Smaldino’s Lab Alumni"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/","name":"College of Sciences & Humanities","description":"Home to Ball State University's College of Sciences and Humanities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#organization","name":"Ball State University College of Sciences and Humanities","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/assets.blogs.bsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2022\/09\/08143418\/csh-avatar.png?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/assets.blogs.bsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2022\/09\/08143418\/csh-avatar.png?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1","width":500,"height":500,"caption":"Ball State University College of Sciences and Humanities"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BallStateCSH","https:\/\/x.com\/BallStateCSH","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ballstatecsh\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#\/schema\/person\/457bf04d6c62eff0169d84330898082f","name":"wpengine","description":"This is the \"wpengine\" admin user that our staff uses to gain access to your admin area to provide support and troubleshooting. It can only be accessed by a button in our secure log that auto generates a password and dumps that password after the staff member has logged in. We have taken extreme measures to ensure that our own user is not going to be misused to harm any of our clients sites.","sameAs":["http:\/\/wpengine.com"],"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/author\/wpengine\/"}]}},"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2969,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2024\/09\/03\/chemistry-and-biology-faculty-win-1-2-million-in-grant-funding\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":0},"title":"Chemistry and Biology Faculty Win $1.2 Million in Grant Funding","author":"Nathan Herbst","date":"September 3, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"In addition to teaching students, CSH faculty research their areas of expertise to advance human knowledge and solve problems. Faculty in the Department of Chemistry and Department of Biology conduct research that requires significant investment in staffing and advanced equipment. To secure this capital, our faculty regularly apply for research\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Biology"","block_context":{"text":"Biology","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/biology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Two people in white lab coats and safety goggles. One person wearing blue gloves uses a pipette to add liquid to a flask.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/08\/30120023\/Chemistry-Scholarship-Ball-State.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/08\/30120023\/Chemistry-Scholarship-Ball-State.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/08\/30120023\/Chemistry-Scholarship-Ball-State.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/08\/30120023\/Chemistry-Scholarship-Ball-State.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/08\/30120023\/Chemistry-Scholarship-Ball-State.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1348,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2021\/07\/12\/the-biology-department-is-brimming-with-accomplishments\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":1},"title":"The Biology Department is Brimming with Accomplishments","author":"Ellen Good","date":"July 12, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The faculty and students in the Biology Department are world-class researchers and scholars. We love to share and celebrate their accomplishments. \u00a0 Kathleen L. Foster, Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Kathleen L. Foster and her collaborator from Purdue University Fort Wayne\u00a0have just been awarded an\u00a0NSF-Simons Pilot Project Program Grant\u00a0from the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Biology"","block_context":{"text":"Biology","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/biology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"North Quad Building and text that reads Good News","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100105\/Good-News.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100105\/Good-News.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100105\/Good-News.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100105\/Good-News.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100105\/Good-News.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2147,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2022\/05\/10\/letter-from-two-graduating-seniors-philosophy-and-reliogious-studies\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":2},"title":"Letter from Two Graduating Seniors of Philosophy and Religious Studies","author":"Kathryn S. Gardiner","date":"May 10, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Hello, alumni of the Ball State Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, It seems like only yesterday that Aristotle wrote his treatise Meteorologica in order to understand the weather. With how much rain has fallen here in Muncie, we\u2019ve tried to understand, too, which is all the more reason\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Alumni"","block_context":{"text":"Alumni","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/alumni\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A bronze winged statue of a woman stands on a pedestal between stone columns, framed by purple flowers in the foreground.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2549,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2023\/03\/31\/letter-from-seniors-of-philosophy-and-religious-studies\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":3},"title":"Letter From Seniors of Philosophy and Religious Studies","author":"Thaddeus Lee","date":"March 31, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Hello, alumni of the Ball State Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, As graduating seniors, we have attended Ball State for the entirety of the pandemic, and in our last year, it is exciting that our senior year is once again immersed in community and outreach. Immersive learning continues to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Humanities"","block_context":{"text":"Humanities","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/humanities\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A bronze winged statue of a woman stands on a pedestal between stone columns, framed by purple flowers in the foreground.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3235,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/06\/04\/venturellis-lab-publishes-marine-recreational-fishing-project\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":4},"title":"It\u2019s O-FISH-ial: Dr. Venturelli\u2019s Lab Publishes Mapping Project Over Marine Recreational Fishing Around the World\u00a0","author":"wpengine","date":"June 4, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By Brenna Large In collaboration with the world\u2019s most popular fishing app and The Nature Conservancy, Dr. Paul Venturelli and his team of graduate students completed a project to map marine recreational fishing efforts across the world.\u00a0 This project detailed patterns of recreational fishing in countries, working with over ten\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Biology"","block_context":{"text":"Biology","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/biology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Five people smile for a photo in front of a green plant wall with a neon sign. They are wearing casual clothing and sitting on a red beanbag chair.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/03124724\/venturell_lab.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/03124724\/venturell_lab.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/03124724\/venturell_lab.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/03124724\/venturell_lab.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3260,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/07\/07\/letter-from-the-chair-of-sociology-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":5},"title":"Letter from the Chair of Sociology","author":"wpengine","date":"July 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Greetings from Ball State! Do you know how much your engagement matters to the Department of Sociology? Thanks to your continued support, the 2024\u20132025 academic year was another outstanding one for our department. Here are just a few of the ways your engagement has helped us advance our mission of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faculty"","block_context":{"text":"Faculty","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/faculty\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A bronze winged statue of a woman stands on a pedestal between stone columns, framed by purple flowers in the foreground.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3222"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3222\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
I currently work for an energy risk management firm called ACES Power in Carmel, IN, as a Senior IT Vendor Coordinator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The college experience with research participation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nMy research aided in my understanding of higher-level concepts that I learned in my 300\/400 level courses because I had the opportunity to practice these concepts prior to learning them in a formal classroom setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The impact of lab experience after graduation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHaving research experience allowed me to discover that I enjoy documenting processes to ensure standard results. Although I did not decide to pursue a career in science, my research experience showcased my attention to detail and helped me land my current position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advice to current students<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nMy advice is to take the time to sit and think about whether a life of academia or research is what you really want. Grad schools are looking for authenticity, and it\u2019s hard to fake excitement for a topic that you have little interest in. I did not continue doing research after graduation, but the critical thinking skills that I learned along the way were way more valuable than anything else.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nSiara Sandwith<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSmaldino lab researcher: February 2018- July 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Current work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI am currently attending the University of Michigan, working towards a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The college experience with research participation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nParticipating in research during undergrad was such a gift! I was always fascinated by learning the tiny details of different molecular cascades\/pathways in class, but it’s even more exciting to discover a new step in a molecular mechanism that isn’t as well understood. In the classroom, you learn by hearing about what was already known; in the lab, you learn by generating new knowledge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to enhancing my classroom learning, working in a lab gave me a greater sense of community within the Biology department. When I needed help with a new technique or troubleshooting, I could always go to the Rubenstein, Bernstein, or Roossien lab. The Smaldino lab was also blessed with a great lab culture. Some of my best friends today are people I worked with in the Smaldino lab. Experiments often fail, which can be demoralizing at times. But I had great lab mates who always made it such a joy to be in the lab, whether experiments went well or not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The impact of lab experience after graduation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nPrior to working in a lab, I knew nothing about research or research career options. I thought a degree in biology meant you had to do something in the medical\/health care field. I originally joined the lab to boost my resume to apply to genetic counseling graduate programs. However, after just a few months in the lab, I realized I loved research and quickly changed the direction I took with my graduate education (Ph.D. in biology instead of a master’s in GC). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advice to current students<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nAs a jaded graduate student, I’m going to be honest. People don’t like to take this advice, including me. My advice to someone applying for graduate school: Mentorship should ALWAYS be prioritized over any other factor when choosing a lab. Join a lab where you will receive good training and mentorship. Mentorship is more important than your actual graduate program\/degree (e.g., cancer vs. immunology vs. genetics vs. biochemistry — doesn’t matter). Be open to different areas of research, don’t be set on a particular field. You might be surprised to find something new you enjoy. Graduate school is about learning how to think. Once you learn how to think, you can easily learn the background of any field and come up with your own interesting research questions for a field new to you. If you have to switch graduate programs to join the lab that will set you up to succeed, SWITCH programs. And NEVER prioritize research interest over lab mentorship and lab culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some people argue that they need to at least be excited about the research they do. With all due respect, they are wrong. Things could be worse than just being a little bored with your thesis project.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nMeredith Sharlow<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSmaldino lab researcher: August 2019 \u2013 June 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Current work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI work for Bureau Veritas as a contract scientist studying pulmonary fibrosis and systemic scleroderma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The college experience with research participation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI would not have my current job if it weren\u2019t for gaining undergraduate research experience at Ball State. My lab work helped me to better understand my coursework by applying what I learned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The impact of lab experience after graduation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThrough participating in research work at Ball State, I learned about the biotechnology certificate and enrolled in the program. Because of the biotechnology program and my lab experience, I applied to the BSU and Lilly Co-op program. From there, I was matched with my current lab, where I worked for a year as a co-op student and transitioned into a contract scientist role after the co-op ended. I love my job and am passionate about the research that I do. I would not have found my current job or research niche without my undergraduate research experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advice to current students<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI highly recommend the biotechnology program if you are considering research jobs or grad school. I took one BIOT class as a trial run before committing to the program and loved it. I joined Dr. Smaldino\u2019s lab because of my BIOT PCR class and wanted to learn what a research job would entail. The Biotechnology program is a great way to figure out if you\u2019d enjoy research. You meet professors and learn about the research being done at Ball State.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nMichael Reisinger<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSmaldino lab researcher: January 2018 \u2013 June 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Current work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI work in the post-life department of LabCorp<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The college experience with research<\/strong><\/strong> participation<\/h2>\n\n\n\nIt was both hectic and valuable. It certainly took up a lot of time, and I was up at weird hours to get both lab work and assignments done. The research differed somewhat from my major, so I couldn’t apply much of what I learned to either. However, it did expose me to a wider range of science than I otherwise would have been, which expanded my view of life and biology considerably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The impact of lab experience after graduation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI found my research experience extremely beneficial in interviews. Most of my interviews have involved STAR (situation, task, action, and result) questions, and having a background that involved being in a lot of situations relating to critical thinking and problem solving allowed me to provide answers that never disappointed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advice to current students<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nGo for it. As for general advice for applying in my field:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. R\u00e9sum\u00e9s only get you in the door for an interview; don’t sweat them too much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Be personable and professional during the interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Write a cover letter to express your interest in whatever you’re applying for; people in science tend to love it when others express interest in science.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
For more information about the Department of Biology<\/a>, visit our website<\/a>, contact our office<\/a>, or follow us on Facebook<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Annika Sharlow Destinee Saunders Smaldino lab researcher: January 2018 \u2013 June 2021 Current work I currently work for an energy risk management firm called ACES Power in Carmel, IN, as a Senior IT Vendor Coordinator. The college experience with research participation My research aided in my understanding of higher-level concepts that I learned in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3227,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[17,58,11,23],"tags":[54,15,20,594],"class_list":["post-3222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-biology","category-humanities","category-immersive-learning","tag-alumni","tag-biology","tag-immersive-learning","tag-researchlab"],"yoast_head":"\n
Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"College of Sciences & Humanities\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BallStateCSH\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"wpengine\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@BallStateCSH\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@BallStateCSH\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"wpengine\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"wpengine\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/457bf04d6c62eff0169d84330898082f\"},\"headline\":\"Smaldino’s Lab Alumni\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1219,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/12102824\\\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Alumni\",\"Biology\",\"Immersive Learning\",\"researchlab\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Alumni\",\"Biology\",\"Humanities\",\"Immersive Learning\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/\",\"name\":\"Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/12102824\\\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00\",\"description\":\"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/12102824\\\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/12102824\\\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707,\"caption\":\"MC-69656 Alumni Magazine Article for CSH on Sep. 9, 2024. Photo by Samantha Blankenship \\\/ Ball State University\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Smaldino’s Lab Alumni\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/\",\"name\":\"College of Sciences & Humanities\",\"description\":\"Home to Ball State University's College of Sciences and Humanities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Ball State University College of Sciences and Humanities\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/assets.blogs.bsu.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2022\\\/09\\\/08143418\\\/csh-avatar.png?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/assets.blogs.bsu.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2022\\\/09\\\/08143418\\\/csh-avatar.png?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1\",\"width\":500,\"height\":500,\"caption\":\"Ball State University College of Sciences and Humanities\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/BallStateCSH\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/BallStateCSH\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/ballstatecsh\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/457bf04d6c62eff0169d84330898082f\",\"name\":\"wpengine\",\"description\":\"This is the \\\"wpengine\\\" admin user that our staff uses to gain access to your admin area to provide support and troubleshooting. It can only be accessed by a button in our secure log that auto generates a password and dumps that password after the staff member has logged in. We have taken extreme measures to ensure that our own user is not going to be misused to harm any of our clients sites.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/wpengine.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/author\\\/wpengine\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities","description":"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities","og_description":"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.","og_url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/","og_site_name":"College of Sciences & Humanities","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BallStateCSH","article_published_time":"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1707,"url":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"wpengine","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@BallStateCSH","twitter_site":"@BallStateCSH","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"wpengine","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/"},"author":{"name":"wpengine","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#\/schema\/person\/457bf04d6c62eff0169d84330898082f"},"headline":"Smaldino’s Lab Alumni","datePublished":"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/"},"wordCount":1219,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","keywords":["Alumni","Biology","Immersive Learning","researchlab"],"articleSection":["Alumni","Biology","Humanities","Immersive Learning"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/","name":"Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00","description":"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707,"caption":"MC-69656 Alumni Magazine Article for CSH on Sep. 9, 2024. Photo by Samantha Blankenship \/ Ball State University"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Smaldino’s Lab Alumni"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/","name":"College of Sciences & Humanities","description":"Home to Ball State University's College of Sciences and Humanities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#organization","name":"Ball State University College of Sciences and Humanities","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/assets.blogs.bsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2022\/09\/08143418\/csh-avatar.png?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/assets.blogs.bsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2022\/09\/08143418\/csh-avatar.png?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1","width":500,"height":500,"caption":"Ball State University College of Sciences and Humanities"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BallStateCSH","https:\/\/x.com\/BallStateCSH","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ballstatecsh\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#\/schema\/person\/457bf04d6c62eff0169d84330898082f","name":"wpengine","description":"This is the \"wpengine\" admin user that our staff uses to gain access to your admin area to provide support and troubleshooting. It can only be accessed by a button in our secure log that auto generates a password and dumps that password after the staff member has logged in. We have taken extreme measures to ensure that our own user is not going to be misused to harm any of our clients sites.","sameAs":["http:\/\/wpengine.com"],"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/author\/wpengine\/"}]}},"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2969,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2024\/09\/03\/chemistry-and-biology-faculty-win-1-2-million-in-grant-funding\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":0},"title":"Chemistry and Biology Faculty Win $1.2 Million in Grant Funding","author":"Nathan Herbst","date":"September 3, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"In addition to teaching students, CSH faculty research their areas of expertise to advance human knowledge and solve problems. Faculty in the Department of Chemistry and Department of Biology conduct research that requires significant investment in staffing and advanced equipment. To secure this capital, our faculty regularly apply for research\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Biology"","block_context":{"text":"Biology","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/biology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Two people in white lab coats and safety goggles. One person wearing blue gloves uses a pipette to add liquid to a flask.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/08\/30120023\/Chemistry-Scholarship-Ball-State.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/08\/30120023\/Chemistry-Scholarship-Ball-State.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/08\/30120023\/Chemistry-Scholarship-Ball-State.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/08\/30120023\/Chemistry-Scholarship-Ball-State.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/08\/30120023\/Chemistry-Scholarship-Ball-State.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1348,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2021\/07\/12\/the-biology-department-is-brimming-with-accomplishments\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":1},"title":"The Biology Department is Brimming with Accomplishments","author":"Ellen Good","date":"July 12, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The faculty and students in the Biology Department are world-class researchers and scholars. We love to share and celebrate their accomplishments. \u00a0 Kathleen L. Foster, Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Kathleen L. Foster and her collaborator from Purdue University Fort Wayne\u00a0have just been awarded an\u00a0NSF-Simons Pilot Project Program Grant\u00a0from the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Biology"","block_context":{"text":"Biology","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/biology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"North Quad Building and text that reads Good News","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100105\/Good-News.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100105\/Good-News.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100105\/Good-News.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100105\/Good-News.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100105\/Good-News.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2147,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2022\/05\/10\/letter-from-two-graduating-seniors-philosophy-and-reliogious-studies\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":2},"title":"Letter from Two Graduating Seniors of Philosophy and Religious Studies","author":"Kathryn S. Gardiner","date":"May 10, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Hello, alumni of the Ball State Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, It seems like only yesterday that Aristotle wrote his treatise Meteorologica in order to understand the weather. With how much rain has fallen here in Muncie, we\u2019ve tried to understand, too, which is all the more reason\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Alumni"","block_context":{"text":"Alumni","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/alumni\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A bronze winged statue of a woman stands on a pedestal between stone columns, framed by purple flowers in the foreground.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2549,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2023\/03\/31\/letter-from-seniors-of-philosophy-and-religious-studies\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":3},"title":"Letter From Seniors of Philosophy and Religious Studies","author":"Thaddeus Lee","date":"March 31, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Hello, alumni of the Ball State Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, As graduating seniors, we have attended Ball State for the entirety of the pandemic, and in our last year, it is exciting that our senior year is once again immersed in community and outreach. Immersive learning continues to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Humanities"","block_context":{"text":"Humanities","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/humanities\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A bronze winged statue of a woman stands on a pedestal between stone columns, framed by purple flowers in the foreground.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3235,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/06\/04\/venturellis-lab-publishes-marine-recreational-fishing-project\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":4},"title":"It\u2019s O-FISH-ial: Dr. Venturelli\u2019s Lab Publishes Mapping Project Over Marine Recreational Fishing Around the World\u00a0","author":"wpengine","date":"June 4, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By Brenna Large In collaboration with the world\u2019s most popular fishing app and The Nature Conservancy, Dr. Paul Venturelli and his team of graduate students completed a project to map marine recreational fishing efforts across the world.\u00a0 This project detailed patterns of recreational fishing in countries, working with over ten\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Biology"","block_context":{"text":"Biology","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/biology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Five people smile for a photo in front of a green plant wall with a neon sign. They are wearing casual clothing and sitting on a red beanbag chair.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/03124724\/venturell_lab.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/03124724\/venturell_lab.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/03124724\/venturell_lab.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/03124724\/venturell_lab.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3260,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/07\/07\/letter-from-the-chair-of-sociology-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":5},"title":"Letter from the Chair of Sociology","author":"wpengine","date":"July 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Greetings from Ball State! Do you know how much your engagement matters to the Department of Sociology? Thanks to your continued support, the 2024\u20132025 academic year was another outstanding one for our department. Here are just a few of the ways your engagement has helped us advance our mission of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faculty"","block_context":{"text":"Faculty","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/faculty\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A bronze winged statue of a woman stands on a pedestal between stone columns, framed by purple flowers in the foreground.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3222"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3222\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Having research experience allowed me to discover that I enjoy documenting processes to ensure standard results. Although I did not decide to pursue a career in science, my research experience showcased my attention to detail and helped me land my current position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advice to current students<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nMy advice is to take the time to sit and think about whether a life of academia or research is what you really want. Grad schools are looking for authenticity, and it\u2019s hard to fake excitement for a topic that you have little interest in. I did not continue doing research after graduation, but the critical thinking skills that I learned along the way were way more valuable than anything else.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nSiara Sandwith<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSmaldino lab researcher: February 2018- July 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Current work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI am currently attending the University of Michigan, working towards a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The college experience with research participation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nParticipating in research during undergrad was such a gift! I was always fascinated by learning the tiny details of different molecular cascades\/pathways in class, but it’s even more exciting to discover a new step in a molecular mechanism that isn’t as well understood. In the classroom, you learn by hearing about what was already known; in the lab, you learn by generating new knowledge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to enhancing my classroom learning, working in a lab gave me a greater sense of community within the Biology department. When I needed help with a new technique or troubleshooting, I could always go to the Rubenstein, Bernstein, or Roossien lab. The Smaldino lab was also blessed with a great lab culture. Some of my best friends today are people I worked with in the Smaldino lab. Experiments often fail, which can be demoralizing at times. But I had great lab mates who always made it such a joy to be in the lab, whether experiments went well or not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The impact of lab experience after graduation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nPrior to working in a lab, I knew nothing about research or research career options. I thought a degree in biology meant you had to do something in the medical\/health care field. I originally joined the lab to boost my resume to apply to genetic counseling graduate programs. However, after just a few months in the lab, I realized I loved research and quickly changed the direction I took with my graduate education (Ph.D. in biology instead of a master’s in GC). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advice to current students<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nAs a jaded graduate student, I’m going to be honest. People don’t like to take this advice, including me. My advice to someone applying for graduate school: Mentorship should ALWAYS be prioritized over any other factor when choosing a lab. Join a lab where you will receive good training and mentorship. Mentorship is more important than your actual graduate program\/degree (e.g., cancer vs. immunology vs. genetics vs. biochemistry — doesn’t matter). Be open to different areas of research, don’t be set on a particular field. You might be surprised to find something new you enjoy. Graduate school is about learning how to think. Once you learn how to think, you can easily learn the background of any field and come up with your own interesting research questions for a field new to you. If you have to switch graduate programs to join the lab that will set you up to succeed, SWITCH programs. And NEVER prioritize research interest over lab mentorship and lab culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some people argue that they need to at least be excited about the research they do. With all due respect, they are wrong. Things could be worse than just being a little bored with your thesis project.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nMeredith Sharlow<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSmaldino lab researcher: August 2019 \u2013 June 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Current work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI work for Bureau Veritas as a contract scientist studying pulmonary fibrosis and systemic scleroderma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The college experience with research participation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI would not have my current job if it weren\u2019t for gaining undergraduate research experience at Ball State. My lab work helped me to better understand my coursework by applying what I learned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The impact of lab experience after graduation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThrough participating in research work at Ball State, I learned about the biotechnology certificate and enrolled in the program. Because of the biotechnology program and my lab experience, I applied to the BSU and Lilly Co-op program. From there, I was matched with my current lab, where I worked for a year as a co-op student and transitioned into a contract scientist role after the co-op ended. I love my job and am passionate about the research that I do. I would not have found my current job or research niche without my undergraduate research experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advice to current students<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI highly recommend the biotechnology program if you are considering research jobs or grad school. I took one BIOT class as a trial run before committing to the program and loved it. I joined Dr. Smaldino\u2019s lab because of my BIOT PCR class and wanted to learn what a research job would entail. The Biotechnology program is a great way to figure out if you\u2019d enjoy research. You meet professors and learn about the research being done at Ball State.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nMichael Reisinger<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSmaldino lab researcher: January 2018 \u2013 June 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Current work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI work in the post-life department of LabCorp<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The college experience with research<\/strong><\/strong> participation<\/h2>\n\n\n\nIt was both hectic and valuable. It certainly took up a lot of time, and I was up at weird hours to get both lab work and assignments done. The research differed somewhat from my major, so I couldn’t apply much of what I learned to either. However, it did expose me to a wider range of science than I otherwise would have been, which expanded my view of life and biology considerably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The impact of lab experience after graduation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI found my research experience extremely beneficial in interviews. Most of my interviews have involved STAR (situation, task, action, and result) questions, and having a background that involved being in a lot of situations relating to critical thinking and problem solving allowed me to provide answers that never disappointed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advice to current students<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nGo for it. As for general advice for applying in my field:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. R\u00e9sum\u00e9s only get you in the door for an interview; don’t sweat them too much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Be personable and professional during the interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Write a cover letter to express your interest in whatever you’re applying for; people in science tend to love it when others express interest in science.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
For more information about the Department of Biology<\/a>, visit our website<\/a>, contact our office<\/a>, or follow us on Facebook<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Annika Sharlow Destinee Saunders Smaldino lab researcher: January 2018 \u2013 June 2021 Current work I currently work for an energy risk management firm called ACES Power in Carmel, IN, as a Senior IT Vendor Coordinator. The college experience with research participation My research aided in my understanding of higher-level concepts that I learned in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3227,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[17,58,11,23],"tags":[54,15,20,594],"class_list":["post-3222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-biology","category-humanities","category-immersive-learning","tag-alumni","tag-biology","tag-immersive-learning","tag-researchlab"],"yoast_head":"\n
Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"College of Sciences & Humanities\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BallStateCSH\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"wpengine\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@BallStateCSH\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@BallStateCSH\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"wpengine\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"wpengine\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/457bf04d6c62eff0169d84330898082f\"},\"headline\":\"Smaldino’s Lab Alumni\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1219,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/12102824\\\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Alumni\",\"Biology\",\"Immersive Learning\",\"researchlab\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Alumni\",\"Biology\",\"Humanities\",\"Immersive Learning\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/\",\"name\":\"Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/12102824\\\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00\",\"description\":\"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/12102824\\\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/12102824\\\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707,\"caption\":\"MC-69656 Alumni Magazine Article for CSH on Sep. 9, 2024. Photo by Samantha Blankenship \\\/ Ball State University\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Smaldino’s Lab Alumni\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/\",\"name\":\"College of Sciences & Humanities\",\"description\":\"Home to Ball State University's College of Sciences and Humanities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Ball State University College of Sciences and Humanities\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/assets.blogs.bsu.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2022\\\/09\\\/08143418\\\/csh-avatar.png?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/assets.blogs.bsu.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2022\\\/09\\\/08143418\\\/csh-avatar.png?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1\",\"width\":500,\"height\":500,\"caption\":\"Ball State University College of Sciences and Humanities\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/BallStateCSH\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/BallStateCSH\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/ballstatecsh\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/457bf04d6c62eff0169d84330898082f\",\"name\":\"wpengine\",\"description\":\"This is the \\\"wpengine\\\" admin user that our staff uses to gain access to your admin area to provide support and troubleshooting. It can only be accessed by a button in our secure log that auto generates a password and dumps that password after the staff member has logged in. We have taken extreme measures to ensure that our own user is not going to be misused to harm any of our clients sites.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/wpengine.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/author\\\/wpengine\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities","description":"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities","og_description":"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.","og_url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/","og_site_name":"College of Sciences & Humanities","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BallStateCSH","article_published_time":"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1707,"url":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"wpengine","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@BallStateCSH","twitter_site":"@BallStateCSH","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"wpengine","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/"},"author":{"name":"wpengine","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#\/schema\/person\/457bf04d6c62eff0169d84330898082f"},"headline":"Smaldino’s Lab Alumni","datePublished":"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/"},"wordCount":1219,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","keywords":["Alumni","Biology","Immersive Learning","researchlab"],"articleSection":["Alumni","Biology","Humanities","Immersive Learning"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/","name":"Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00","description":"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707,"caption":"MC-69656 Alumni Magazine Article for CSH on Sep. 9, 2024. Photo by Samantha Blankenship \/ Ball State University"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Smaldino’s Lab Alumni"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/","name":"College of Sciences & Humanities","description":"Home to Ball State University's College of Sciences and Humanities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#organization","name":"Ball State University College of Sciences and Humanities","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/assets.blogs.bsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2022\/09\/08143418\/csh-avatar.png?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/assets.blogs.bsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2022\/09\/08143418\/csh-avatar.png?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1","width":500,"height":500,"caption":"Ball State University College of Sciences and Humanities"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BallStateCSH","https:\/\/x.com\/BallStateCSH","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ballstatecsh\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#\/schema\/person\/457bf04d6c62eff0169d84330898082f","name":"wpengine","description":"This is the \"wpengine\" admin user that our staff uses to gain access to your admin area to provide support and troubleshooting. It can only be accessed by a button in our secure log that auto generates a password and dumps that password after the staff member has logged in. We have taken extreme measures to ensure that our own user is not going to be misused to harm any of our clients sites.","sameAs":["http:\/\/wpengine.com"],"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/author\/wpengine\/"}]}},"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2969,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2024\/09\/03\/chemistry-and-biology-faculty-win-1-2-million-in-grant-funding\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":0},"title":"Chemistry and Biology Faculty Win $1.2 Million in Grant Funding","author":"Nathan Herbst","date":"September 3, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"In addition to teaching students, CSH faculty research their areas of expertise to advance human knowledge and solve problems. Faculty in the Department of Chemistry and Department of Biology conduct research that requires significant investment in staffing and advanced equipment. To secure this capital, our faculty regularly apply for research\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Biology"","block_context":{"text":"Biology","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/biology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Two people in white lab coats and safety goggles. One person wearing blue gloves uses a pipette to add liquid to a flask.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/08\/30120023\/Chemistry-Scholarship-Ball-State.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/08\/30120023\/Chemistry-Scholarship-Ball-State.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/08\/30120023\/Chemistry-Scholarship-Ball-State.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/08\/30120023\/Chemistry-Scholarship-Ball-State.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/08\/30120023\/Chemistry-Scholarship-Ball-State.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1348,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2021\/07\/12\/the-biology-department-is-brimming-with-accomplishments\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":1},"title":"The Biology Department is Brimming with Accomplishments","author":"Ellen Good","date":"July 12, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The faculty and students in the Biology Department are world-class researchers and scholars. We love to share and celebrate their accomplishments. \u00a0 Kathleen L. Foster, Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Kathleen L. Foster and her collaborator from Purdue University Fort Wayne\u00a0have just been awarded an\u00a0NSF-Simons Pilot Project Program Grant\u00a0from the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Biology"","block_context":{"text":"Biology","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/biology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"North Quad Building and text that reads Good News","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100105\/Good-News.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100105\/Good-News.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100105\/Good-News.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100105\/Good-News.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100105\/Good-News.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2147,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2022\/05\/10\/letter-from-two-graduating-seniors-philosophy-and-reliogious-studies\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":2},"title":"Letter from Two Graduating Seniors of Philosophy and Religious Studies","author":"Kathryn S. Gardiner","date":"May 10, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Hello, alumni of the Ball State Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, It seems like only yesterday that Aristotle wrote his treatise Meteorologica in order to understand the weather. With how much rain has fallen here in Muncie, we\u2019ve tried to understand, too, which is all the more reason\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Alumni"","block_context":{"text":"Alumni","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/alumni\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A bronze winged statue of a woman stands on a pedestal between stone columns, framed by purple flowers in the foreground.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2549,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2023\/03\/31\/letter-from-seniors-of-philosophy-and-religious-studies\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":3},"title":"Letter From Seniors of Philosophy and Religious Studies","author":"Thaddeus Lee","date":"March 31, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Hello, alumni of the Ball State Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, As graduating seniors, we have attended Ball State for the entirety of the pandemic, and in our last year, it is exciting that our senior year is once again immersed in community and outreach. Immersive learning continues to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Humanities"","block_context":{"text":"Humanities","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/humanities\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A bronze winged statue of a woman stands on a pedestal between stone columns, framed by purple flowers in the foreground.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3235,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/06\/04\/venturellis-lab-publishes-marine-recreational-fishing-project\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":4},"title":"It\u2019s O-FISH-ial: Dr. Venturelli\u2019s Lab Publishes Mapping Project Over Marine Recreational Fishing Around the World\u00a0","author":"wpengine","date":"June 4, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By Brenna Large In collaboration with the world\u2019s most popular fishing app and The Nature Conservancy, Dr. Paul Venturelli and his team of graduate students completed a project to map marine recreational fishing efforts across the world.\u00a0 This project detailed patterns of recreational fishing in countries, working with over ten\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Biology"","block_context":{"text":"Biology","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/biology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Five people smile for a photo in front of a green plant wall with a neon sign. They are wearing casual clothing and sitting on a red beanbag chair.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/03124724\/venturell_lab.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/03124724\/venturell_lab.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/03124724\/venturell_lab.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/03124724\/venturell_lab.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3260,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/07\/07\/letter-from-the-chair-of-sociology-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":5},"title":"Letter from the Chair of Sociology","author":"wpengine","date":"July 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Greetings from Ball State! Do you know how much your engagement matters to the Department of Sociology? Thanks to your continued support, the 2024\u20132025 academic year was another outstanding one for our department. Here are just a few of the ways your engagement has helped us advance our mission of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faculty"","block_context":{"text":"Faculty","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/faculty\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A bronze winged statue of a woman stands on a pedestal between stone columns, framed by purple flowers in the foreground.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3222"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3222\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nSiara Sandwith<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSmaldino lab researcher: February 2018- July 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Current work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI am currently attending the University of Michigan, working towards a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The college experience with research participation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nParticipating in research during undergrad was such a gift! I was always fascinated by learning the tiny details of different molecular cascades\/pathways in class, but it’s even more exciting to discover a new step in a molecular mechanism that isn’t as well understood. In the classroom, you learn by hearing about what was already known; in the lab, you learn by generating new knowledge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to enhancing my classroom learning, working in a lab gave me a greater sense of community within the Biology department. When I needed help with a new technique or troubleshooting, I could always go to the Rubenstein, Bernstein, or Roossien lab. The Smaldino lab was also blessed with a great lab culture. Some of my best friends today are people I worked with in the Smaldino lab. Experiments often fail, which can be demoralizing at times. But I had great lab mates who always made it such a joy to be in the lab, whether experiments went well or not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The impact of lab experience after graduation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nPrior to working in a lab, I knew nothing about research or research career options. I thought a degree in biology meant you had to do something in the medical\/health care field. I originally joined the lab to boost my resume to apply to genetic counseling graduate programs. However, after just a few months in the lab, I realized I loved research and quickly changed the direction I took with my graduate education (Ph.D. in biology instead of a master’s in GC). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advice to current students<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nAs a jaded graduate student, I’m going to be honest. People don’t like to take this advice, including me. My advice to someone applying for graduate school: Mentorship should ALWAYS be prioritized over any other factor when choosing a lab. Join a lab where you will receive good training and mentorship. Mentorship is more important than your actual graduate program\/degree (e.g., cancer vs. immunology vs. genetics vs. biochemistry — doesn’t matter). Be open to different areas of research, don’t be set on a particular field. You might be surprised to find something new you enjoy. Graduate school is about learning how to think. Once you learn how to think, you can easily learn the background of any field and come up with your own interesting research questions for a field new to you. If you have to switch graduate programs to join the lab that will set you up to succeed, SWITCH programs. And NEVER prioritize research interest over lab mentorship and lab culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some people argue that they need to at least be excited about the research they do. With all due respect, they are wrong. Things could be worse than just being a little bored with your thesis project.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nMeredith Sharlow<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSmaldino lab researcher: August 2019 \u2013 June 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Current work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI work for Bureau Veritas as a contract scientist studying pulmonary fibrosis and systemic scleroderma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The college experience with research participation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI would not have my current job if it weren\u2019t for gaining undergraduate research experience at Ball State. My lab work helped me to better understand my coursework by applying what I learned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The impact of lab experience after graduation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThrough participating in research work at Ball State, I learned about the biotechnology certificate and enrolled in the program. Because of the biotechnology program and my lab experience, I applied to the BSU and Lilly Co-op program. From there, I was matched with my current lab, where I worked for a year as a co-op student and transitioned into a contract scientist role after the co-op ended. I love my job and am passionate about the research that I do. I would not have found my current job or research niche without my undergraduate research experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advice to current students<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI highly recommend the biotechnology program if you are considering research jobs or grad school. I took one BIOT class as a trial run before committing to the program and loved it. I joined Dr. Smaldino\u2019s lab because of my BIOT PCR class and wanted to learn what a research job would entail. The Biotechnology program is a great way to figure out if you\u2019d enjoy research. You meet professors and learn about the research being done at Ball State.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nMichael Reisinger<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSmaldino lab researcher: January 2018 \u2013 June 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Current work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI work in the post-life department of LabCorp<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The college experience with research<\/strong><\/strong> participation<\/h2>\n\n\n\nIt was both hectic and valuable. It certainly took up a lot of time, and I was up at weird hours to get both lab work and assignments done. The research differed somewhat from my major, so I couldn’t apply much of what I learned to either. However, it did expose me to a wider range of science than I otherwise would have been, which expanded my view of life and biology considerably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The impact of lab experience after graduation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI found my research experience extremely beneficial in interviews. Most of my interviews have involved STAR (situation, task, action, and result) questions, and having a background that involved being in a lot of situations relating to critical thinking and problem solving allowed me to provide answers that never disappointed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advice to current students<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nGo for it. As for general advice for applying in my field:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. R\u00e9sum\u00e9s only get you in the door for an interview; don’t sweat them too much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Be personable and professional during the interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Write a cover letter to express your interest in whatever you’re applying for; people in science tend to love it when others express interest in science.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
For more information about the Department of Biology<\/a>, visit our website<\/a>, contact our office<\/a>, or follow us on Facebook<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Annika Sharlow Destinee Saunders Smaldino lab researcher: January 2018 \u2013 June 2021 Current work I currently work for an energy risk management firm called ACES Power in Carmel, IN, as a Senior IT Vendor Coordinator. The college experience with research participation My research aided in my understanding of higher-level concepts that I learned in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3227,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[17,58,11,23],"tags":[54,15,20,594],"class_list":["post-3222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-biology","category-humanities","category-immersive-learning","tag-alumni","tag-biology","tag-immersive-learning","tag-researchlab"],"yoast_head":"\n
Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"College of Sciences & Humanities\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BallStateCSH\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"wpengine\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@BallStateCSH\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@BallStateCSH\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"wpengine\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"wpengine\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/457bf04d6c62eff0169d84330898082f\"},\"headline\":\"Smaldino’s Lab Alumni\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1219,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/12102824\\\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Alumni\",\"Biology\",\"Immersive Learning\",\"researchlab\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Alumni\",\"Biology\",\"Humanities\",\"Immersive Learning\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/\",\"name\":\"Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/12102824\\\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00\",\"description\":\"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/12102824\\\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/12102824\\\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707,\"caption\":\"MC-69656 Alumni Magazine Article for CSH on Sep. 9, 2024. Photo by Samantha Blankenship \\\/ Ball State University\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Smaldino’s Lab Alumni\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/\",\"name\":\"College of Sciences & Humanities\",\"description\":\"Home to Ball State University's College of Sciences and Humanities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Ball State University College of Sciences and Humanities\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/assets.blogs.bsu.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2022\\\/09\\\/08143418\\\/csh-avatar.png?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/assets.blogs.bsu.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2022\\\/09\\\/08143418\\\/csh-avatar.png?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1\",\"width\":500,\"height\":500,\"caption\":\"Ball State University College of Sciences and Humanities\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/BallStateCSH\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/BallStateCSH\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/ballstatecsh\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/457bf04d6c62eff0169d84330898082f\",\"name\":\"wpengine\",\"description\":\"This is the \\\"wpengine\\\" admin user that our staff uses to gain access to your admin area to provide support and troubleshooting. It can only be accessed by a button in our secure log that auto generates a password and dumps that password after the staff member has logged in. We have taken extreme measures to ensure that our own user is not going to be misused to harm any of our clients sites.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/wpengine.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/author\\\/wpengine\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities","description":"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities","og_description":"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.","og_url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/","og_site_name":"College of Sciences & Humanities","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BallStateCSH","article_published_time":"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1707,"url":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"wpengine","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@BallStateCSH","twitter_site":"@BallStateCSH","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"wpengine","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/"},"author":{"name":"wpengine","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#\/schema\/person\/457bf04d6c62eff0169d84330898082f"},"headline":"Smaldino’s Lab Alumni","datePublished":"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/"},"wordCount":1219,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","keywords":["Alumni","Biology","Immersive Learning","researchlab"],"articleSection":["Alumni","Biology","Humanities","Immersive Learning"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/","name":"Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00","description":"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707,"caption":"MC-69656 Alumni Magazine Article for CSH on Sep. 9, 2024. Photo by Samantha Blankenship \/ Ball State University"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Smaldino’s Lab Alumni"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/","name":"College of Sciences & Humanities","description":"Home to Ball State University's College of Sciences and Humanities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#organization","name":"Ball State University College of Sciences and Humanities","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/assets.blogs.bsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2022\/09\/08143418\/csh-avatar.png?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/assets.blogs.bsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2022\/09\/08143418\/csh-avatar.png?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1","width":500,"height":500,"caption":"Ball State University College of Sciences and Humanities"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BallStateCSH","https:\/\/x.com\/BallStateCSH","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ballstatecsh\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#\/schema\/person\/457bf04d6c62eff0169d84330898082f","name":"wpengine","description":"This is the \"wpengine\" admin user that our staff uses to gain access to your admin area to provide support and troubleshooting. It can only be accessed by a button in our secure log that auto generates a password and dumps that password after the staff member has logged in. We have taken extreme measures to ensure that our own user is not going to be misused to harm any of our clients sites.","sameAs":["http:\/\/wpengine.com"],"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/author\/wpengine\/"}]}},"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2969,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2024\/09\/03\/chemistry-and-biology-faculty-win-1-2-million-in-grant-funding\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":0},"title":"Chemistry and Biology Faculty Win $1.2 Million in Grant Funding","author":"Nathan Herbst","date":"September 3, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"In addition to teaching students, CSH faculty research their areas of expertise to advance human knowledge and solve problems. Faculty in the Department of Chemistry and Department of Biology conduct research that requires significant investment in staffing and advanced equipment. To secure this capital, our faculty regularly apply for research\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Biology"","block_context":{"text":"Biology","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/biology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Two people in white lab coats and safety goggles. One person wearing blue gloves uses a pipette to add liquid to a flask.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/08\/30120023\/Chemistry-Scholarship-Ball-State.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/08\/30120023\/Chemistry-Scholarship-Ball-State.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/08\/30120023\/Chemistry-Scholarship-Ball-State.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/08\/30120023\/Chemistry-Scholarship-Ball-State.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/08\/30120023\/Chemistry-Scholarship-Ball-State.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1348,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2021\/07\/12\/the-biology-department-is-brimming-with-accomplishments\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":1},"title":"The Biology Department is Brimming with Accomplishments","author":"Ellen Good","date":"July 12, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The faculty and students in the Biology Department are world-class researchers and scholars. We love to share and celebrate their accomplishments. \u00a0 Kathleen L. Foster, Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Kathleen L. Foster and her collaborator from Purdue University Fort Wayne\u00a0have just been awarded an\u00a0NSF-Simons Pilot Project Program Grant\u00a0from the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Biology"","block_context":{"text":"Biology","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/biology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"North Quad Building and text that reads Good News","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100105\/Good-News.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100105\/Good-News.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100105\/Good-News.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100105\/Good-News.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100105\/Good-News.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2147,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2022\/05\/10\/letter-from-two-graduating-seniors-philosophy-and-reliogious-studies\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":2},"title":"Letter from Two Graduating Seniors of Philosophy and Religious Studies","author":"Kathryn S. Gardiner","date":"May 10, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Hello, alumni of the Ball State Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, It seems like only yesterday that Aristotle wrote his treatise Meteorologica in order to understand the weather. With how much rain has fallen here in Muncie, we\u2019ve tried to understand, too, which is all the more reason\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Alumni"","block_context":{"text":"Alumni","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/alumni\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A bronze winged statue of a woman stands on a pedestal between stone columns, framed by purple flowers in the foreground.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2549,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2023\/03\/31\/letter-from-seniors-of-philosophy-and-religious-studies\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":3},"title":"Letter From Seniors of Philosophy and Religious Studies","author":"Thaddeus Lee","date":"March 31, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Hello, alumni of the Ball State Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, As graduating seniors, we have attended Ball State for the entirety of the pandemic, and in our last year, it is exciting that our senior year is once again immersed in community and outreach. Immersive learning continues to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Humanities"","block_context":{"text":"Humanities","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/humanities\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A bronze winged statue of a woman stands on a pedestal between stone columns, framed by purple flowers in the foreground.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3235,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/06\/04\/venturellis-lab-publishes-marine-recreational-fishing-project\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":4},"title":"It\u2019s O-FISH-ial: Dr. Venturelli\u2019s Lab Publishes Mapping Project Over Marine Recreational Fishing Around the World\u00a0","author":"wpengine","date":"June 4, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By Brenna Large In collaboration with the world\u2019s most popular fishing app and The Nature Conservancy, Dr. Paul Venturelli and his team of graduate students completed a project to map marine recreational fishing efforts across the world.\u00a0 This project detailed patterns of recreational fishing in countries, working with over ten\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Biology"","block_context":{"text":"Biology","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/biology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Five people smile for a photo in front of a green plant wall with a neon sign. They are wearing casual clothing and sitting on a red beanbag chair.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/03124724\/venturell_lab.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/03124724\/venturell_lab.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/03124724\/venturell_lab.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/03124724\/venturell_lab.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3260,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/07\/07\/letter-from-the-chair-of-sociology-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":5},"title":"Letter from the Chair of Sociology","author":"wpengine","date":"July 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Greetings from Ball State! Do you know how much your engagement matters to the Department of Sociology? Thanks to your continued support, the 2024\u20132025 academic year was another outstanding one for our department. Here are just a few of the ways your engagement has helped us advance our mission of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faculty"","block_context":{"text":"Faculty","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/faculty\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A bronze winged statue of a woman stands on a pedestal between stone columns, framed by purple flowers in the foreground.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3222"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3222\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
I am currently attending the University of Michigan, working towards a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The college experience with research participation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nParticipating in research during undergrad was such a gift! I was always fascinated by learning the tiny details of different molecular cascades\/pathways in class, but it’s even more exciting to discover a new step in a molecular mechanism that isn’t as well understood. In the classroom, you learn by hearing about what was already known; in the lab, you learn by generating new knowledge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to enhancing my classroom learning, working in a lab gave me a greater sense of community within the Biology department. When I needed help with a new technique or troubleshooting, I could always go to the Rubenstein, Bernstein, or Roossien lab. The Smaldino lab was also blessed with a great lab culture. Some of my best friends today are people I worked with in the Smaldino lab. Experiments often fail, which can be demoralizing at times. But I had great lab mates who always made it such a joy to be in the lab, whether experiments went well or not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The impact of lab experience after graduation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nPrior to working in a lab, I knew nothing about research or research career options. I thought a degree in biology meant you had to do something in the medical\/health care field. I originally joined the lab to boost my resume to apply to genetic counseling graduate programs. However, after just a few months in the lab, I realized I loved research and quickly changed the direction I took with my graduate education (Ph.D. in biology instead of a master’s in GC). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advice to current students<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nAs a jaded graduate student, I’m going to be honest. People don’t like to take this advice, including me. My advice to someone applying for graduate school: Mentorship should ALWAYS be prioritized over any other factor when choosing a lab. Join a lab where you will receive good training and mentorship. Mentorship is more important than your actual graduate program\/degree (e.g., cancer vs. immunology vs. genetics vs. biochemistry — doesn’t matter). Be open to different areas of research, don’t be set on a particular field. You might be surprised to find something new you enjoy. Graduate school is about learning how to think. Once you learn how to think, you can easily learn the background of any field and come up with your own interesting research questions for a field new to you. If you have to switch graduate programs to join the lab that will set you up to succeed, SWITCH programs. And NEVER prioritize research interest over lab mentorship and lab culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some people argue that they need to at least be excited about the research they do. With all due respect, they are wrong. Things could be worse than just being a little bored with your thesis project.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nMeredith Sharlow<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSmaldino lab researcher: August 2019 \u2013 June 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Current work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI work for Bureau Veritas as a contract scientist studying pulmonary fibrosis and systemic scleroderma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The college experience with research participation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI would not have my current job if it weren\u2019t for gaining undergraduate research experience at Ball State. My lab work helped me to better understand my coursework by applying what I learned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The impact of lab experience after graduation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThrough participating in research work at Ball State, I learned about the biotechnology certificate and enrolled in the program. Because of the biotechnology program and my lab experience, I applied to the BSU and Lilly Co-op program. From there, I was matched with my current lab, where I worked for a year as a co-op student and transitioned into a contract scientist role after the co-op ended. I love my job and am passionate about the research that I do. I would not have found my current job or research niche without my undergraduate research experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advice to current students<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI highly recommend the biotechnology program if you are considering research jobs or grad school. I took one BIOT class as a trial run before committing to the program and loved it. I joined Dr. Smaldino\u2019s lab because of my BIOT PCR class and wanted to learn what a research job would entail. The Biotechnology program is a great way to figure out if you\u2019d enjoy research. You meet professors and learn about the research being done at Ball State.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nMichael Reisinger<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSmaldino lab researcher: January 2018 \u2013 June 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Current work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI work in the post-life department of LabCorp<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The college experience with research<\/strong><\/strong> participation<\/h2>\n\n\n\nIt was both hectic and valuable. It certainly took up a lot of time, and I was up at weird hours to get both lab work and assignments done. The research differed somewhat from my major, so I couldn’t apply much of what I learned to either. However, it did expose me to a wider range of science than I otherwise would have been, which expanded my view of life and biology considerably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The impact of lab experience after graduation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI found my research experience extremely beneficial in interviews. Most of my interviews have involved STAR (situation, task, action, and result) questions, and having a background that involved being in a lot of situations relating to critical thinking and problem solving allowed me to provide answers that never disappointed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advice to current students<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nGo for it. As for general advice for applying in my field:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. R\u00e9sum\u00e9s only get you in the door for an interview; don’t sweat them too much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Be personable and professional during the interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Write a cover letter to express your interest in whatever you’re applying for; people in science tend to love it when others express interest in science.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
For more information about the Department of Biology<\/a>, visit our website<\/a>, contact our office<\/a>, or follow us on Facebook<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Annika Sharlow Destinee Saunders Smaldino lab researcher: January 2018 \u2013 June 2021 Current work I currently work for an energy risk management firm called ACES Power in Carmel, IN, as a Senior IT Vendor Coordinator. The college experience with research participation My research aided in my understanding of higher-level concepts that I learned in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3227,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[17,58,11,23],"tags":[54,15,20,594],"class_list":["post-3222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-biology","category-humanities","category-immersive-learning","tag-alumni","tag-biology","tag-immersive-learning","tag-researchlab"],"yoast_head":"\n
Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"College of Sciences & Humanities\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BallStateCSH\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"wpengine\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@BallStateCSH\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@BallStateCSH\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"wpengine\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"wpengine\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/457bf04d6c62eff0169d84330898082f\"},\"headline\":\"Smaldino’s Lab Alumni\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1219,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/12102824\\\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Alumni\",\"Biology\",\"Immersive Learning\",\"researchlab\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Alumni\",\"Biology\",\"Humanities\",\"Immersive Learning\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/\",\"name\":\"Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/12102824\\\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00\",\"description\":\"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/12102824\\\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/12102824\\\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707,\"caption\":\"MC-69656 Alumni Magazine Article for CSH on Sep. 9, 2024. Photo by Samantha Blankenship \\\/ Ball State University\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/13\\\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Smaldino’s Lab Alumni\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/\",\"name\":\"College of Sciences & Humanities\",\"description\":\"Home to Ball State University's College of Sciences and Humanities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Ball State University College of Sciences and Humanities\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/assets.blogs.bsu.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2022\\\/09\\\/08143418\\\/csh-avatar.png?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/assets.blogs.bsu.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2022\\\/09\\\/08143418\\\/csh-avatar.png?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1\",\"width\":500,\"height\":500,\"caption\":\"Ball State University College of Sciences and Humanities\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/BallStateCSH\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/BallStateCSH\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/ballstatecsh\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/457bf04d6c62eff0169d84330898082f\",\"name\":\"wpengine\",\"description\":\"This is the \\\"wpengine\\\" admin user that our staff uses to gain access to your admin area to provide support and troubleshooting. It can only be accessed by a button in our secure log that auto generates a password and dumps that password after the staff member has logged in. We have taken extreme measures to ensure that our own user is not going to be misused to harm any of our clients sites.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/wpengine.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/csh\\\/author\\\/wpengine\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities","description":"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities","og_description":"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.","og_url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/","og_site_name":"College of Sciences & Humanities","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BallStateCSH","article_published_time":"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1707,"url":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"wpengine","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@BallStateCSH","twitter_site":"@BallStateCSH","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"wpengine","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/"},"author":{"name":"wpengine","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#\/schema\/person\/457bf04d6c62eff0169d84330898082f"},"headline":"Smaldino’s Lab Alumni","datePublished":"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/"},"wordCount":1219,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","keywords":["Alumni","Biology","Immersive Learning","researchlab"],"articleSection":["Alumni","Biology","Humanities","Immersive Learning"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/","name":"Smaldino's Lab Alumni - College of Sciences & Humanities","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2025-05-13T13:22:51+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-13T13:22:53+00:00","description":"Alumni of Ball State reflect on their experience in Smaldinos research lab that equipped them with invaluable skills.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707,"caption":"MC-69656 Alumni Magazine Article for CSH on Sep. 9, 2024. Photo by Samantha Blankenship \/ Ball State University"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/05\/13\/smaldinos-lab-alumni\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Smaldino’s Lab Alumni"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/","name":"College of Sciences & Humanities","description":"Home to Ball State University's College of Sciences and Humanities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#organization","name":"Ball State University College of Sciences and Humanities","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/assets.blogs.bsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2022\/09\/08143418\/csh-avatar.png?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/assets.blogs.bsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2022\/09\/08143418\/csh-avatar.png?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1","width":500,"height":500,"caption":"Ball State University College of Sciences and Humanities"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BallStateCSH","https:\/\/x.com\/BallStateCSH","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ballstatecsh\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/#\/schema\/person\/457bf04d6c62eff0169d84330898082f","name":"wpengine","description":"This is the \"wpengine\" admin user that our staff uses to gain access to your admin area to provide support and troubleshooting. It can only be accessed by a button in our secure log that auto generates a password and dumps that password after the staff member has logged in. We have taken extreme measures to ensure that our own user is not going to be misused to harm any of our clients sites.","sameAs":["http:\/\/wpengine.com"],"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/author\/wpengine\/"}]}},"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2969,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2024\/09\/03\/chemistry-and-biology-faculty-win-1-2-million-in-grant-funding\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":0},"title":"Chemistry and Biology Faculty Win $1.2 Million in Grant Funding","author":"Nathan Herbst","date":"September 3, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"In addition to teaching students, CSH faculty research their areas of expertise to advance human knowledge and solve problems. Faculty in the Department of Chemistry and Department of Biology conduct research that requires significant investment in staffing and advanced equipment. To secure this capital, our faculty regularly apply for research\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Biology"","block_context":{"text":"Biology","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/biology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Two people in white lab coats and safety goggles. One person wearing blue gloves uses a pipette to add liquid to a flask.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/08\/30120023\/Chemistry-Scholarship-Ball-State.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/08\/30120023\/Chemistry-Scholarship-Ball-State.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/08\/30120023\/Chemistry-Scholarship-Ball-State.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/08\/30120023\/Chemistry-Scholarship-Ball-State.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/08\/30120023\/Chemistry-Scholarship-Ball-State.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1348,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2021\/07\/12\/the-biology-department-is-brimming-with-accomplishments\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":1},"title":"The Biology Department is Brimming with Accomplishments","author":"Ellen Good","date":"July 12, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The faculty and students in the Biology Department are world-class researchers and scholars. We love to share and celebrate their accomplishments. \u00a0 Kathleen L. Foster, Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Kathleen L. Foster and her collaborator from Purdue University Fort Wayne\u00a0have just been awarded an\u00a0NSF-Simons Pilot Project Program Grant\u00a0from the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Biology"","block_context":{"text":"Biology","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/biology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"North Quad Building and text that reads Good News","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100105\/Good-News.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100105\/Good-News.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100105\/Good-News.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100105\/Good-News.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100105\/Good-News.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2147,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2022\/05\/10\/letter-from-two-graduating-seniors-philosophy-and-reliogious-studies\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":2},"title":"Letter from Two Graduating Seniors of Philosophy and Religious Studies","author":"Kathryn S. Gardiner","date":"May 10, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Hello, alumni of the Ball State Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, It seems like only yesterday that Aristotle wrote his treatise Meteorologica in order to understand the weather. With how much rain has fallen here in Muncie, we\u2019ve tried to understand, too, which is all the more reason\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Alumni"","block_context":{"text":"Alumni","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/alumni\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A bronze winged statue of a woman stands on a pedestal between stone columns, framed by purple flowers in the foreground.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2549,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2023\/03\/31\/letter-from-seniors-of-philosophy-and-religious-studies\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":3},"title":"Letter From Seniors of Philosophy and Religious Studies","author":"Thaddeus Lee","date":"March 31, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Hello, alumni of the Ball State Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, As graduating seniors, we have attended Ball State for the entirety of the pandemic, and in our last year, it is exciting that our senior year is once again immersed in community and outreach. Immersive learning continues to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Humanities"","block_context":{"text":"Humanities","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/humanities\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A bronze winged statue of a woman stands on a pedestal between stone columns, framed by purple flowers in the foreground.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3235,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/06\/04\/venturellis-lab-publishes-marine-recreational-fishing-project\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":4},"title":"It\u2019s O-FISH-ial: Dr. Venturelli\u2019s Lab Publishes Mapping Project Over Marine Recreational Fishing Around the World\u00a0","author":"wpengine","date":"June 4, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By Brenna Large In collaboration with the world\u2019s most popular fishing app and The Nature Conservancy, Dr. Paul Venturelli and his team of graduate students completed a project to map marine recreational fishing efforts across the world.\u00a0 This project detailed patterns of recreational fishing in countries, working with over ten\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Biology"","block_context":{"text":"Biology","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/biology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Five people smile for a photo in front of a green plant wall with a neon sign. They are wearing casual clothing and sitting on a red beanbag chair.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/03124724\/venturell_lab.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/03124724\/venturell_lab.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/03124724\/venturell_lab.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/03124724\/venturell_lab.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3260,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/2025\/07\/07\/letter-from-the-chair-of-sociology-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":3222,"position":5},"title":"Letter from the Chair of Sociology","author":"wpengine","date":"July 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Greetings from Ball State! Do you know how much your engagement matters to the Department of Sociology? Thanks to your continued support, the 2024\u20132025 academic year was another outstanding one for our department. Here are just a few of the ways your engagement has helped us advance our mission of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faculty"","block_context":{"text":"Faculty","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/category\/faculty\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A bronze winged statue of a woman stands on a pedestal between stone columns, framed by purple flowers in the foreground.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/06\/18100111\/Letter-from-the-Chair.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/12102824\/24_MC-69656_2062-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3222"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3222\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/csh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Prior to working in a lab, I knew nothing about research or research career options. I thought a degree in biology meant you had to do something in the medical\/health care field. I originally joined the lab to boost my resume to apply to genetic counseling graduate programs. However, after just a few months in the lab, I realized I loved research and quickly changed the direction I took with my graduate education (Ph.D. in biology instead of a master’s in GC). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advice to current students<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As a jaded graduate student, I’m going to be honest. People don’t like to take this advice, including me. My advice to someone applying for graduate school: Mentorship should ALWAYS be prioritized over any other factor when choosing a lab. Join a lab where you will receive good training and mentorship. Mentorship is more important than your actual graduate program\/degree (e.g., cancer vs. immunology vs. genetics vs. biochemistry — doesn’t matter). Be open to different areas of research, don’t be set on a particular field. You might be surprised to find something new you enjoy. Graduate school is about learning how to think. Once you learn how to think, you can easily learn the background of any field and come up with your own interesting research questions for a field new to you. If you have to switch graduate programs to join the lab that will set you up to succeed, SWITCH programs. And NEVER prioritize research interest over lab mentorship and lab culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some people argue that they need to at least be excited about the research they do. With all due respect, they are wrong. Things could be worse than just being a little bored with your thesis project.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Smaldino lab researcher: August 2019 \u2013 June 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n I work for Bureau Veritas as a contract scientist studying pulmonary fibrosis and systemic scleroderma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would not have my current job if it weren\u2019t for gaining undergraduate research experience at Ball State. My lab work helped me to better understand my coursework by applying what I learned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through participating in research work at Ball State, I learned about the biotechnology certificate and enrolled in the program. Because of the biotechnology program and my lab experience, I applied to the BSU and Lilly Co-op program. From there, I was matched with my current lab, where I worked for a year as a co-op student and transitioned into a contract scientist role after the co-op ended. I love my job and am passionate about the research that I do. I would not have found my current job or research niche without my undergraduate research experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I highly recommend the biotechnology program if you are considering research jobs or grad school. I took one BIOT class as a trial run before committing to the program and loved it. I joined Dr. Smaldino\u2019s lab because of my BIOT PCR class and wanted to learn what a research job would entail. The Biotechnology program is a great way to figure out if you\u2019d enjoy research. You meet professors and learn about the research being done at Ball State.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Smaldino lab researcher: January 2018 \u2013 June 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n I work in the post-life department of LabCorp<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was both hectic and valuable. It certainly took up a lot of time, and I was up at weird hours to get both lab work and assignments done. The research differed somewhat from my major, so I couldn’t apply much of what I learned to either. However, it did expose me to a wider range of science than I otherwise would have been, which expanded my view of life and biology considerably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I found my research experience extremely beneficial in interviews. Most of my interviews have involved STAR (situation, task, action, and result) questions, and having a background that involved being in a lot of situations relating to critical thinking and problem solving allowed me to provide answers that never disappointed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Go for it. As for general advice for applying in my field:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. R\u00e9sum\u00e9s only get you in the door for an interview; don’t sweat them too much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Be personable and professional during the interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Write a cover letter to express your interest in whatever you’re applying for; people in science tend to love it when others express interest in science.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n For more information about the Department of Biology<\/a>, visit our website<\/a>, contact our office<\/a>, or follow us on Facebook<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Annika Sharlow Destinee Saunders Smaldino lab researcher: January 2018 \u2013 June 2021 Current work I currently work for an energy risk management firm called ACES Power in Carmel, IN, as a Senior IT Vendor Coordinator. The college experience with research participation My research aided in my understanding of higher-level concepts that I learned in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3227,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[17,58,11,23],"tags":[54,15,20,594],"class_list":["post-3222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-biology","category-humanities","category-immersive-learning","tag-alumni","tag-biology","tag-immersive-learning","tag-researchlab"],"yoast_head":"\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nMeredith Sharlow<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Current work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The college experience with research participation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The impact of lab experience after graduation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Advice to current students<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nMichael Reisinger<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Current work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The college experience with research<\/strong><\/strong> participation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The impact of lab experience after graduation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Advice to current students<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n