Morgan Bair Vaughn completed this interview in 2017 when she was a fourth year graduate scholar in the Dyer Group. Having recently graduated, Morgan is now an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Oglethorpe University.
Q. What made you decide to apply to Emory?
There were a few factors . The first is that the chemistry program is one of the top ranking programs in the country. Additionally, Emory offered opportunities that would help me gain the experience I need for my desired career after graduate schoola school that offers advanced degrees. Important! Some schoo... More. For example, the Dean’s Teaching Fellowshipa monetary award provided to support a student’s education... More is an award that provides support for students to teach their own class for a semesterrefers to the defined academic period during which single co... More in their last year at graduate schoola school that offers advanced degrees. Important! Some schoo... More. Currently, I’m teaching a section of Chem 150, which will give me valuable teaching experience beyond a teaching assistantshipfinancial aid offered to a graduate student that is continge... More. Finally, Emory is in the Southeast near my family. I am close to my family so staying close to them geographically was important to me.
Q. How did you choose Emory over other schools?
Weighing the pros and cons of each school can be difficult, but the one thing that pushed me to accept Emory over other schools is that there were multiple professors at Emory that I was interested in working with. I narrowed down my labs of interest after visitationan opportunity to travel to the campus of a program that has... More weekends, and Emory was the only place where I could see myself in more than 1 or 2 groups. The piece of advice that I heard over and over again from professors and graduate students alike was not to go to a school where there was only one professor I’d want to work for. There is no guarantee that you will get a position in the lab, even if the professor likes you. Things happen; professors move, lose fundingBasically, money. Specifically, in a chemistry grad school c... More, or can only accept so many students into their lab in a given year. Additionally, at Emory first year students do a series of research rotationsa structured program used by some STEM departments to allow ... More to learn what it is like to work in a few different labs. Student tend to start rotationsa structured program used by some STEM departments to allow ... More with a particular lab as their top pick, but often their top choice changes throughout the rotationsa structured program used by some STEM departments to allow ... More as students realize that they prefer certain areas of research, or they like the environment and culture of a particular lab, or they like the mentoring style best of one professor. It is important to go to a school where you have options and a chance to explore them prior to making a final decision on which lab you join.
Q. What was the most challenging part of the application process?
I found the writing the Statement of Purpose to be the most difficult part of the application process. (Hey! We can help with that.) When I was applying to graduate schoola school that offers advanced degrees. Important! Some schoo... More, I wasn’t sure what research area I was interested in pursuing. I had bioorganic and organic synthesis research experience from undergrad, but I also enjoyed all of my chemistry classes. All areas of chemistry seemed interesting to me! So, deciding which professors I was interested in working with was quite a challenge for me. Ultimately, I picked professors from all different divisions. This isn’t necessarily a strategy that I would recommend, but it worked out because I was able to explain why I was interested in each research groupa collection of people and resources engaged in a shared res... More. That is the important part, explaining why you are interested in a group and how your previous experience will be helpful.
Q. Now that you’re in grad school, what have you done to be successful? What do you think successful grad students have in common?
I think the most successful graduate students are the ones who start graduate schoola school that offers advanced degrees. Important! Some schoo... More with a goal in mind and know why they are pursuing a PhD. The reasons for going to graduate schoola school that offers advanced degrees. Important! Some schoo... More can vary, from wanting to become a professor, patent lawyer, industrial research and design scientist, or simply to gain a very high level of knowledge in a topic of interest. Having a goal provides focused motivation and allows students to take advantage of opportunities as they arise. Starting graduate schoola school that offers advanced degrees. Important! Some schoo... More, I knew that I enjoyed teaching and envisioned working at a primarily undergraduate institution (PUIacronym for "Primarily Undergraduate Institution". Refers to... More). Since being in graduate schoola school that offers advanced degrees. Important! Some schoo... More, I’ve learned that there are many other options for education besides the traditional classroom. Now I am considering a much wider range of career options from medical science liaison, to science communication and writing, in addition to teaching at a PUIacronym for "Primarily Undergraduate Institution". Refers to... More or community college. To learn more about these opportunities I attend events on campus with Emory Alumni such as a breakfast with science writers and a Q&A session with high school teachers.
Knowing your goal is important, but so is actually completing the work required to earn a PhD. To that end, I urge students to treat getting a PhD as a marathon and not a sprint. The research necessary to write a dissertationthe written work that represents the culmination of a studen... More cannot be done all at once; it takes time. The way I’ve approached it is to find a nice comfortable pace to work at, one that I’m making good progress in the lab, yet I can sustain for many years. When a big deadline or yearly report comes along I can push a little harder when necessary for a short while. Then, I go back to the same pace as before. Often, I see students in crisis mode around yearly reports, frantically trying to complete as much work as possible, only upon passing, they drop down to doing almost nothing. I don’t like to do that; it is a very stressful way to operate! Work on your project every day, bit by bit. Just like science as a whole, occasionally there are leaps and bounds, but most of science happens incrementally, bit by bit.
Q. Is there anything you wish you had known before applying to graduate schoola school that offers advanced degrees. Important! Some schoo... More?
I wish I had known how helpful visitationan opportunity to travel to the campus of a program that has... More weekend would be to make a final decision about which school to accept. [Note: Emory Visitationan opportunity to travel to the campus of a program that has... More Weekend is by invitation only and will take place in February.] When deciding which schools to apply to, be open minded. It is difficult to know the culture and environment of a school just by looking at the website. Pick several schools where there is some research you are interested in and where you wouldn’t mind living for several years. After visiting, I had a much better idea of what each school was like. If you can’t attend visitationan opportunity to travel to the campus of a program that has... More weekend, I highly recommend contacting the school to ask about speaking with a few of the graduate students to get their perspective. I also wish I had known that lab websites are often out of date. While the overall research area of a group doesn’t change too much over the years, the current individual projects may be quite different than what’s posted online.
Q. Do you have any tips for students starting the application process?
Start now, don’t procrastinate! Applications take time and professors need advance notice to write reference letters. Conversely, you do have to actually submit the application. It is good to be detail oriented, but you must be able to let go.
