The Perspectives That Divide Us - Rockhurst University

Nicole SchweppeThe weather has cooled, but four Rockhurst students continue tofind meaning in the enriching experiences they had last summer.Spending countless late hours and summerweekends in a laboratory studying fruitflies isn’t the average college senior’s ideaof a good time. But Rockhurst senior NicoleSchweppe is anything but average.Schweppe, a macrobiology major, was oneof eight students nationwide to be acceptedto the prestigious Summer Scholars Programat the Stowers Institute for Medical Research.For eight weeks, Schweppe worked on geneticsresearch in a world-class laboratory, where shequickly learned the quirks of life as a researcher.“Research is not an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. job,”Schweppe said. “Your best work may be at9 p.m. or 2 a.m. For me, the prime time towork is sometimes on the weekend.”Schweppe worked under senior researchassociate William Gilliland in the lab of therenowned investigator Scott Hawley, who usesfruit flies to study how chromosomes pairand segregate during meiosis. At the conclusionof the program, she presented the resultsof her research to the Stowers community.How well did she do? Schweppe parlayedher success in the summer program into aninternship as a predoctoral researcher in thesame lab this fall, where she is learning touse different protocols and new experimentalprocedures.“I am learning a different way of thinking,”she said. “Research teaches you to be reallyanalytical. With research, answers don’t comefrom a book — they come from your brain.”Schweppe will graduate in May, and is inthe process of applying to medical school.“I have always wanted to be a doctor,”she said. “I have been waiting to pursue thispassion for a long time, and I’m excited thetime has come.”Nicole Schweppe internsunder renowned investigatorScott Hawley, right.Ro c k h u r s t4w i n t e r 2007 15