The Road To Harvard: Faculty-Mentored Research Nets Big Results

Breadcrumb

October 6, 2014

Hayden Schmidt and Erica FradingerDiving into the fray only weeks after graduation, Hayden Schmidt ‘14 began a Ph.D. program in biology and biomedical science at Harvard University this summer. His first rotation involved working in the laboratory of Dr. Dennis Selkeo, co-director of the Center for Neurologic Disease and the Vincent and Stella Coates Professor of Neurologic Diseases at Harvard Medical School.

The biology and chemistry double major was well prepared for his entry into post-graduate work having taken full advantage of the opportunities to conduct faculty-student research at Whittier College. As an undergraduate, he worked closely with biology professor Erica Fradinger on collaborative research projects, which produced fruitful results.

Schmidt is second author on a research article in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry and the first author on a manuscript that is under preparation for submission to the Journal of Applied Toxicology.

Schmidt’s research related to the developmental effects of pesticides and the evaluation of novel antidotes for pesticide poisoning was conducted in collaboration with fellow students and faculty mentors. And in the fall, he attended the Society for Neuroscience Meeting in San Diego along with Fradinger and fellow researcher Jonathan Gregg ’14 to present their research findings.

“I think this beautifully showcases the exemplary work done by these talented undergraduates and shows the strong outcomes from faculty-mentored research here at Whittier College,” said Fradinger.

At Whittier, Schmidt received various fellowships—including the Murphy and the Fletcher Jones Undergraduate Fellowships—to sponsor his research, which also included a summer research internship at the University of California, San Diego.