Victoria Noyes

Professional Interview Summary

To gain a better understanding of the process of developing a career in Biology and
research, I interviewed two professors in the field. The first, Sarah Farnsley, is my independent
studies professor. The second is my genetics professor and potential research mentor, Dr. Jose
Barbosa. In the interviews, I asked how they became interested in Biology and their specific
areas of research, what experiences were influential, what advice they would give me, and a few
other minor questions.
Both professors began careers in something other than biology and returned to school to
pursue science. This interested me because I began college as a nursing major and found Biology
to be a much better fit. The most important thing I got from the interviews, however, was to take
advantage of all opportunities available. Sarah specifically suggested hands-on work out of the
country, while Dr. Barbosa suggested field work with variety in subject matter. His idea was to
remain unlimited in my learning. In other words, I should pursue many different opportunities to
discover what I am interested in, rather than focusing solely on what I think I am interested in.
These interviews were helpful to me in that they confirmed that my feelings of
uncertainty pursuing biology at times are normal, and that the various opportunities I am
pursuing now are helping me in the long run, even if they do not all relate directly to my major
and future goals.