Student and Alumni Profiles and Awards

Kelsea McClurkin

Kelsea is a member of the Woynaroski Lab and was selected for a National Institute of Health (NIH) Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) award. The NIH MARC program is intended to develop a diverse pool of undergraduate students who hope to pursue research-focused higher degree programs in biomedical sciences. Kelsea was born on Maui and is currently a double major in Neuroscience and Child Development at Vanderbilt. She is a valuable member of the Woynaroski Lab and is working to extend the lab’s reach to populations who are historically underrepresented in autism research over the course of her MARC scholarship. Once she finishes her training in the lab, she plans to obtain an MD-PhD, blazing a trail for other Native Hawaiian women who aspire to pursue Stem Careers and use her knowledge and skills to serve the people of Hawaii.

Carlos Benitez-Barrera, Ph.D. ’20

Post-Doctoral Fellow, Callier Center for Communication Disorders, University of Texas

“My Ph.D. at Vanderbilt was a crucial experience in my career as a researcher. Every single experience I had shaped my career and the research that I currently develop. All the classes I took, the relationship with my mentor, all the students I mentored, my teaching experiences, conference presentations, and obviously all the research projects I developed (including my dissertation) defined who I am today as a researcher and academic.”

To read the full interview, click here

M. Dawn Nelson, Ph.D. ’94

Professor, Central Michigan University Division of Audiology

“While at Vanderbilt, I was trained to help identify and solve problems within audiology. I was mentored to focus my thoughts and to develop areas of expertise. I was also exposed to international leaders in the field as well as state-of-the-art clinical practice which I found to be inspiring. Ultimately, I was introduced to and given an opportunity to work with world-class investigators in an environment that would further develop my research skills.”

To read the full interview, click here