Home town: Flagstaff, AZ
College: The College of Idaho
Research: Identifying maternal immune correlates of protection against congenital cytomegalovirus
Career Goals: Considering industry research or publishing career options
Why Duke: The students and faculty that I interacted with during my interview visit were so welcoming, and I knew that with Duke's reputation for excellence and the wide variety of research topics and faculty in Pathology, I would be able to find a lab matching my research interests in infectious disease and a mentor who would meet my needs as a student. Things have worked out quite well in that respect, so I think it was a good decision.
Why Durham: Durham is pretty similar in size to the places I lived growing up, which was nice for me because I moved from across the country and so many other things were different. Plus, Duke's location is convenient for several reasons: the cost of living is much more reasonable than in the big cities where other top-tier universities are located, there are so many nice hiking trails and outdoor activities close by, and the variety and quality of restaurants in the area is amazing.