Biological Sciences Blog

Tag: Human Biology

Swift Strides of Science: Human Biology Student Outpaces Opponents in the Canal Run

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Ingrid Seagren
Ingrid Seagren, Canal Run Winner and Human Bio Major

Ingrid Seagren competed in the Canal Run 5K, winning the women’s category and finishing 5th overall. She is going into her sophomore year pursuing a major in Human Biology with minors in pre-health and German. After she graduates, she plans to go to medical school and eventually become a physician. Plus, Ingrid is very active in the local community: 2023 Strawberry Fest Queen candidate, Michigan Tech Cross Country and Track and Field runner, and outdoor enthusiast.

Ingrid has volunteered with the Let’s Eat Community Meals through her church. As a high school student, she was a member of the Interact Club and was involved in numerous service activities, such as making Veteran’s Day Baskets and hosting Fun Days for elementary school students.

Ingrid is also a good student. She was named to Michigan Tech’s Dean’s List in both the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters and was recognized as a member of the Fall 2022 GLIAC Academic All-Excellence Team. As a high school student, she was a member of the National Honor Society.

In her free time, Ingrid enjoys Nordic skiing, waterskiing, hiking, and spending time with friends and family. Congratulations to Ingrid on her running, community and academic accomplishments!

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Biological Sciences in the Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

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Thank you to all of the Biological Sciences students that presented and shared their research at the 2023 Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium!

Overall Awards

First Place – Leah Harazin and Nathan Ostlund: “Stability of Terephthalate Degrading Microbial Consortia for Plastic Upcycling”

Second Place – Haley Marchese: “Sympathetic Activity to the Heart is Increased in a Mouse Model of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy”

Third Place – Grace Gonzalez: “The Gut Microbiome of Fish and Its Relevance to Antimicrobial Resistance”

Special awards for research affiliated with the Great Lakes Research Center

First Place — Leah Harazin and Nathan Ostlund: “Stability of Terephthalate Degrading Microbial Consortia for Plastic Upcycling”

Second Place — Grace Gonzalez: “The Gut Microbiome of Fish and Its Relevance to Antimicrobial Resistance”

Third Place — Tessa Tormoen: “Using DNA Metabarcoding to Evaluate Dietary Resource Partitioning Between Two Sympatric Tilefish”

Congratulations to all participants!

Tessa Tormoen

Haley Marchese

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Student Stories: Kate Meister, Human Biology Major, Future Physician’s Assistant

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Kate Meister sees her best path to becoming a Physician’s Assistant through the Biology department. She is a senior studying Human Biology. One of the degree requirements is to complete a capstone. She chose to do an undergraduate teaching experience with Travis Wakeham. Kate is passionate about biology and education, so she and Travis are also collaborating with Steve Elmer (KIP) and others across Michigan and Indiana to bring back PhUn (Physiology Understanding) Week. Kate also loves to play basketball. We had a chance to learn more about Kate and her experiences at Michigan Tech.

Lighthouse on the water with a sunset background
Kate’s favorite lighthouse at Breakers Beach

Why did you choose to major in Human Biology?

My major is Human Biology and I have a minor in Pre-Health Professions. I chose this major as it complements my plans to become a PA. The courses and experiences that I have been lucky enough to be a part of prepare me everyday to become a Physician’s Assistant. 

Why did you choose to study Human Biology at Michigan Tech?

I chose to study at Michigan Tech because of the tight-knit community, second-to-none education, the culture of the MTU women’s basketball program, and the pure location. This community is so supportive and proud of the university and of the women’s basketball program. The curriculum, especially in human biology, pushes you to become the best student you can be. The MTU women’s basketball program is a winning program historically, and the culture is so strong. Houghton is an organic area, and I have loved getting to know the UP in my time up here. 

What do you love about Michigan Tech?

I love the support I feel at Michigan Tech. I feel so supported by the faculty and classmates, in the classroom and out of the classroom. Our professors know how to push us as students, but they also care about us as humans rather than just students. 

Why did you choose to participate in women’s basketball?

Women's basketball team jumping and hugging on the court
Kate and team celebrate a victory against Grand Valley State

I chose to participate in basketball because it has always been a dream of mine to play collegiately. I love the sport and the relationships that I have made with teammates, coaches, staff within the athletic department, and community members. 

How does basketball round out your educational experience?

Being a member of the MTU women’s basketball team means that we not only push ourselves to become better at our game, but to become the best version of ourselves off of the court as well. Our organization is heavy on giving back, whether that is through volunteer opportunities that we take on as a team or through inspiring the next generation of huskies through our kids camps. 

What did you enjoy most about being involved in basketball?

I enjoy the relationships that I have made the most when it comes to picking my favorite part of basketball. I have met some of the most amazing people through basketball, and I have made lifelong friends. Being a student-athlete at Michigan Tech is not always easy, but having best friends that go through it all with you makes it much easier and so memorable. 

Kate and friends sitting by a campfire during sunset
Kate and friends enjoying a campfire at Breakers

What advice would you give to undergraduates looking to get involved in student organizations?

One piece of advice that I would give others that consider joining a student organization is to look at every opportunity as an experience, or as a chance to learn something or someone new. Being a part of an organization means a community of people that have similar goals, motives, and passions as you do, and that feeling is so inclusive. 

Do you think playing basketball helps you with your major of human biology?

Learning more about the human body through my degree has helped develop me into a better athlete. Understanding the body on a molecular, cellular, anatomical, and physiological level has given me a deeper understanding of my overall body and athletic performance. 

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2021 Provost Award Winner Says Research, Clinical Care Go Hand in Hand

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Thomas Basala was the recipient of the 2021 Provost’s Award for Scholarship. He graduated in May with a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology.

Basala is spending the summer as a lead intern at the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation. He will stay there for the rest of this year as a research associate. He plans to attend medical school.

Thomas Basala
Thomas Basala, 2021 Provost Award Winner

The Provost’s Award for Scholarship recognizes a student who embodies Michigan Tech’s scholarship value statement: We inspire world-class scholarship through academics, research, and continued learning. It is awarded annually to a rising senior who has demonstrated excellence not only in academics but also in research, levels of intellectual curiosity, creativity, and communication skills.

Each department is invited to nominate one undergraduate for the award. In 2021, Basala was the Department of Biological Sciences’ nominee.

“Thomas is one of the most conscientious, reliable, and appreciative students I have met,” says John Durocher, adjunct associate professor of biological sciences. Basala worked in Durocher’s lab.

Basala says winning the Provost’s Award caught him by surprise. “There are so many talented students at Michigan Tech,” he explains.

A student in the Pavlis Honors College, he worked in the Clinical and Applied Physiology Lab throughout his years at Michigan Tech. He received two research grants while he was an undergraduate: a Michigan Space Grant Consortium young investigator award to study how nocturnal blood pressure relates to indices of cardiovascular risks such as arterial stiffness; and a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) to investigate the efficacy of pre-sleep meditation on sleep in young adults. “They were both very enriching to me,” he says.

Basala presented his meditation research at the 2022 Experimental Biology conference in Philadelphia. Additionally, he presented work on the impact of decentering—the ability to dissociate from emotional feelings—on nocturnal blood pressure patterns at the 2021 Experimental Biology conference. Both abstracts were published in the FASEB (Federation of Societies for Experimental Biology) Journal.

He fell in love with research under Durocher’s mentorship. “He taught me the minute nuances of doing human research,” Basala says. ‘He helped me understand what it means to be a well-rounded researcher and active community member. “

Basala wants to become that kind of clinician/researcher. “I want research always to be part of the patient care I do,” he says. “Research and clinical care inform each other and, in many cases, should not be separated.”

Basala is from Stevens Point, Wisconsin. During his time at Tech, he served as president of the Triangle STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fraternity, a lieutenant with Michigan Tech EMS (Emergency Medical Services), and co-coordinator for the Global and Community Engagement Conference.

This blog post initially appeared in the Fall 2022 Biological Sciences Newsletter. Read this article and others like it today.

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