After graduation: Ronit is continuing his education at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, pursuing a Ph.D. in Biostatistics.

Hometown: Omaha, NE
High school: Millard West High School
Semester Selected: Spring 2020

What’s your dream job? My dream job is becoming a Clinical Research Physician. This is an overlap between research and medicine that includes normal research and medicine, but also specializes in clinical trials and doing whatever needed to further patient care.

What inspired you to pursue STEM? I didn't always love math... Very early in my life, my parents set a strong precedent for the subject. For example, rather than playing the normal roadtrip games, my parents would print packets of math problems for my brother and I to do. Although it annoyed me at the time, I found myself developing a strong interest in identifying the hidden patterns in math. It wasn't long before I noticed these patterns applying to other sciences, such as chemistry. By the time I was in high school, I was set on going to college for Chemistry and Math.

What is the best project you’ve ever worked on or really admire in STEM? A while ago, I signed up for the directed reading program in the Department of Mathematics. I was paired with a graduate student, Austin Eide, and was given the materials to read into Markov Chains. When working on this, I realized it could apply to gene flow and genetic drift. After working on it with Austin for months, I had the opportunity to present it at a regional conference under the title "Utilizing Markov chains to estimate allele progression through generations". Now, I am working to make it my Honors Thesis and use it to graduate with distinction.

Who is someone (teacher, mentor, role model) in STEM you look up to and why? I look up to Dr. Joshua Brummer. Dr. Brummer was my professor, my supervisor, and my STEM Connect mentor, all during my freshman year. I have had the opportunity to work with him or for him in unique ways, and I learned something new each time. Despite graduating with a PhD in Mathematics, he has knowledge to share in multiple fields. He has helped me in countless ways over the last three years and I will be forever grateful.

What is one piece of advice you would give to someone considering a STEM major? Take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way, regardless of the field. Despite my STEM majors, I stumbled into an advertising research grant that I've been part of for two years. There are countless opportunities on this campus and you can be part of multiple programs. You don't have to restrict yourself to one grant or project... branching out now can help you a lot in the years to come.

What excites you about STEM? I love the unexpected overlaps between fields. Early on, you are shown how chemistry matters in biology and math is the basis for physics, but you are rarely shown the interesting ones. Like using math to understand why cells are shaped the way they are... or understanding how simple redox reactions create the batteries we use on a daily basis. These overlaps are what I want to spend my life studying.