Rachel majored in biological sciences.
As a member of the 2023 Nexus Scholars cohort, Rachel Craig ’24 worked with Mariana Wolfner, Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics. With a few semesters of research experience in the Wolfner Lab, Rachel thought critically about her interest in pursuing research as a career path. “One thing that was really important [to me] was trying to find [out if] I actually enjoy doing research full time,” Rachel said, “I really think [Nexus Scholars] reaffirmed to me that [this was] what I wanted.”
Rachel’s Nexus Scholars project involved studying the female genetic factors that influence the timing of mating plug ejection in Drosophila, or fruit flies.
She enjoyed the unique opportunities presented by pursuing research on a full-time basis in a personalized program, as opposed to a research role during the academic year. “What was nice about the summer was that I had more time to think scientifically and look [at the] big picture [of] the project,” she said. “Nexus Scholars was a lot more focused on what is more exciting about this. It didn’t matter if you did or didn’t have results. [I had the] opportunity to present what was exciting to me, and what I learned.”
Now a second-year Ph.D. student in neuroscience at Rockefeller University, Rachel studies behavior and genetics and is enthusiastic about pursuing work in either academia or industry in the future. As a word of advice to the current Nexus Scholars, Rachel recommends handling stress or fear of making mistakes with patience and kindness for oneself. “I would definitely say take a deep breath. Things [can] seem really intense in the moment,” she said, “but at the end of the day, the goal is just to see what you like about research and try things out.” She highlighted the “trial-and-error” nature of research, and that “you’re still having a very successful research experience even if you don’t have a groundbreaking result.”
Beyond the lab, Rachel looks back fondly on her summer in Ithaca as part of the program: befriending her fellow scholar in the Wolfner lab, celebrating the Fourth of July on Seneca Lake, and visiting the Farmers Market.
