Innovation Lab I (Fall 2016)
With my first Innovation Lab, I was able to see some of the troubles facing the Chattanooga community as a whole. My lab instructor was Dr. Drew Bailey and he taught us about the differential access to green spaces in Chattanooga and about the benefits that access to the outdoors can give to the health. We were able to visit different parks around Chattanooga and also talk to various community leaders about the difficulties of planning for different green spaces. I loved taking this class as it allowed me to look at the city of Chattanooga as a whole and broadened my horizons on different aspects of society.
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Innovation Lab II (Spring 2017)
After the first Innovation Lab, we were now ready to implement projects to try to help with the problems we had been learning about the first semester. My group and I designed and implemented a research project utilizing mobile EEG scanners to test the cognitive benefits of walking indoors versus outdoors. Our hope was that this research could be used to give further evidence for more access to outdoor parks and also outdoor prescriptions for patients. We presented this research at the UTC Research Dialogues and it was officially published in the World Leisure Journal in 2018. A copy of that paper can be found here. Being able to actually design and conduct a research experiment was absolutely amazing for my learning. This course gave me a foundation to help prepare me for the rigors of medical research and allowed me to gain experience with teamwork to complete a major assignment.
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Plant Ecology (Fall 2018)
Plant Ecology was one of my favorite courses I have taken while at UTC. The course included a lecture component that was a typical classroom setting and also a lab component where we worked on helping with actual ecological projects. We not only helped build a monitoring plan for the endangered White Fringeless Orchid but we also helped harvest plants for an ongoing research project involving the use of growth chambers. I was blown away by how much work is required of a plant ecologist but it was amazing to actually apply what we were learning in the classroom to real world projects. This class taught me more about the hard work involved in science and I will carry that lesson on in medical school.
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UHON 3565: Darwin and the Science of the Galápagos (Spring 2019)
As a person who not only loves medicine and Biology in general, but also other cultures, this UHON course has been a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. Not many people get to learn about Darwin's visit to the Galápagos and the implications that visit had for the theory of evolution by natural selection, and then actually get to visit the same place on the Galápagos that Darwin did. The trip to the Galápagos was the most amazing and surreal experience I have ever had. I came to feel more connected to not only the wildlife found all around us but also to my fellow humans and the planet we inhabit. I learned a plethora of information about evolution and giant tortoises while also experiencing the culture of the islands. I was able to practice my research and observational skills by observing my pre-assigned animal species: the giant tortoise and also practice my Spanish skills. I now am completing a research paper and poster to present at the Honors College Big Breakfast. I am so thankful for this class and it has only strengthened my resolve to become a doctor that travels the world helping others.