Exciting News....I've Been Published!
So I have been keeping a couple of exciting secrets from y'all and this week
I received news that it was finally time to let the cats out of the bag. I have been
published in two places outside of this blog! Where you ask? Well scroll on down to find out!
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I Am A Scientist
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When I enrolled at McPherson College to pursue a science degree I was told I was going
to have to create and complete my own original research project I would then have to
present in a forum that was open to the entire college and public. I about un-enrolled
right then and there no joke. Public speaking?! OH. HECK. NO. However, I didn't
let my fear stop me, only hyperventilated about it for a few months, and now
all these years later I am really glad I stayed enrolled and did the work.
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Trying to decide what I wanted to research was my first biggest hurdle because, well, I am
extremely indecisive. I wanted my research project to be good. I wanted it to be something
that no one at the college had done before. I wanted it to be memorable and I wanted it to be
beneficial. All self made requirements that made for one very anxiety ridden Amy. However, one
day in my genetics class we watched a documentary on epigenetics and I found it to be so
interesting that I knew it was what I wanted to focus on and I made epigenetic changes be
the backbone of my project. Then, after talking with a few of my science professors, I decided
to test epigenetic effects via starvation on these itty bitty (fully grown they are about
1-2mm in length) transparent nematodes called Caenorhabditis elegans (a.k.a. C. elegans).
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Unfortunately I couldn't find my own pictures of the
C. elegans
I was working with for my project so here is a magnified one from
The Hardin Lab at the University of Wisconsin
. Notice how you can see the worm's organs? So cool!
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And so the research began and eventually after years of reading and submitting
proposals and drafts, collecting data, and nearly making myself blind from looking
through a microscope for hours a day it was time to present what I had at the Mac
College forum. I was so nervous I swear I probably lost at least 10lbs in just
sweat (I seriously think public speaking is way more effective than wearing
a trash bag while working out lol), but I made it out alive.
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So you are probably thinking by this point "well that's great Amy, but what does
all of this have to do with you being published?" Well allow me to explain.
While working on my project I was offered the opportunity
to apply for a grant for my research through the Tri-Beta Biological Society and ended up being
awarded one! BUT the grant came with some stipulations of its own. If I was going to accept
this grant then I either had to present my research at the Tri-Beta conference in front of potentially
hundreds of people or submit it to the scientific journal BIOS. The latter was the option that
required a lot more work, but y'all I was pretty sure all that would be left of me would be a
puddle on the ground if I tried to present my research in front of so many people at the
Tri-Beta conference so I welcomed the extra work with open arms and with the help of my
professor Dr. Frye (all I gotta say is thank the Lord for Dr. Frye) we got my research ready for
publication. Now after almost 4 years and 1 massive set back I can finally say
that my research has officially been published in an actual scientific journal!
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You can find the full article linked
if you want to read it.
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When the Interviewer Becomes the Interviewee
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The second publication I want to share with y'all is an interview I participated in
with the magazine ShoutOut SoCal. Last month they reached out to me and asked
to share my story with their readers and not only was I a little shocked that they
wanted to hear from little ole me, but I was also extremely honored. They sent me
a few questions via email to complete and after hours of thought, typing
and retyping answers, and stressing out over absolutely everything, I sent them my responses.
I wasn't sure if what I sent was what they were looking for, but the next thing I know
they are telling me that my interview was published! So if you are wanting to know
more about me, my life story, and how this blog really got its start you can check out the interview here!
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So there's all the tea on some exciting things happening for ya girl. I hope you enjoyed
reading about my scientific research and a little bit about my life in the ShoutOut
SoCal article and I will see y'all next time!
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