PARTICIPANT HIGHLIGHT – Hermela Beyene – 2021 PROGRAM

Home institution

University of Georgia

Year in school

Rising senior

Majors:

Arabic and Biology

What type of research are you conducting during your REU?

“I have been working with STORM, a high-resolution microscopy technique, to obtain images of motor neurons in embryonic Drosophila. These developments would advance our ability to study synaptic dynamics and interactions.”

REU mentor

Dr. Peter Kner

What are you enjoying about your REU experience – and how do you think the experience will benefit you in the future?

“I have enjoyed being able to learn so much about my area of research and having mentors who challenged me to think more critically and always question and understand everything we worked on. As I was able to partake in every aspect of the project I was working on – from brainstorming ideas, to executing the experiments, to writing about my findings – I was able to get a glimpse of what a future in graduate school would look like. I have also enjoyed hearing about what fellow students in the program are working on and learning more about areas of research that I had never been exposed to before.”

What do you like about UGA and Athens?

“Something I have always loved about Athens is how accessible everything is, this is small city that has everything. The locals are very diverse, and I truly enjoyed getting to explore Athens with other people in the program.”

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