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Student Perspectives:
My Experience as a CINDE-TTU Scholar
Written by Kate Willis-Ureña,
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On June 6th, I received a very exciting email. I had been selected for the 2023 scholarship competition organized and sponsored by CINDE Biomaterials Hub in Costa Rica in collaboration with Texas Tech University (TTU). Among over a hundred applicants, ten undergraduate students got the chance to travel to TTU’s main campus in Lubbock, Texas and learn about their groundbreaking research. Being selected from such a competitive pool for the scholarship program’s first iteration was an enormous honour.
As the excitement settled in, the significance of the selection became apparent. I was surprised to discover that the entire cohort comprised ambitious, talented, hard-working young women! Although unintended, women stood out within the selection criteria, not by design of the scholarship, but as a product of their own merit and their role in the biomaterials ecosystem. This reinforced in me the importance of diversity and inclusivity in the scientific community. Meeting and spending time with these bright young women and forming valuable connections was extremely rewarding.
Our group of 10 biomaterials researcher-innovators represented interests ranging from biopolymers to bioherbicides, which opened up opportunities for cross-learning driven by our mutual interest in bio-innovation. I hope this first cohort inspires other women in STEM to apply for these initiatives and empowers them to break down barriers in the traditionally male-dominated STEM fields.
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Stepping on campus, a wave of excitement and nerves washed over me. The days that followed did not disappoint. From tours of state-of-the-art laboratories to engaging seminars by renowned professors, the program exposed us to the latest breakthroughs and ongoing research in biomaterials. All the professors and researchers at TTU welcomed us warmly, and we enjoyed engaging in insightful discussions about their topics of interest. The agenda was thoughtfully crafted and extremely well-rounded, showcasing the varied areas of interest and expertise of each scholar over the course of the week.
Pictured: Students meeting with Davis College Dean Dr. Clint Krehbiel
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I highlight a few of the seminars that illustrate TTU’s multifaceted mindset. At the Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance (IGCAST), we explored how genetically modified cotton could become more drought resistant in response to climate change.
At the Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute (FBRI), we saw how residues from the cotton production process could be used to create novel biomaterials as plastic alternatives. These initiatives provide different approaches for sustainable production using an important local crop, where engineered cotton supplies the precursors for biomaterials.
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Later, at the Medicine, Mechanics, and Manufacturing Design (M3D) Lab, we discovered how 3D printing using these biomaterials could be applied to a wide range of creative solutions—including 3D printed strawberry-flavored mashed potatoes! Finally, at the Innovation Hub, we engaged in a bio-entrepreneurship workshop and learned the principles of ‘innovation to commercialization’ and to develop and sell our innovative bio-business ideas. Despite the different research areas, the common framework between these examples demonstrates TTU’s active pursuit of a bio-innovative future.
My scholarship journey at TTU has been nothing short of transformative. The network of inspiring mentors and fellow scholars motivates me to contribute to this field and drive change. For Costa Rica, this means propelling the country’s bioeconomy by training young talent and encouraging them to bring new ideas back to their individual projects.
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I am immensely grateful to the IBD Lab of the Inter-American Development Bank Group (https://bidlab.org/en) for funding this program, the CINDE Biomaterials Hub (https://www.cinde.org/), especially Ms. Carola Medina and Mr. Jonathan Calderon for leading this initiative, and TTU [the Costa Rica campus (https://www.depts.ttu.edu/costarica/) and the main campus in Lubbock (https://www.ttu.edu/)] for co-organizing, and everyone else who made this opportunity possible. I would like to thank all the professors and researchers who took the time to present their projects and answer our questions. Thank you, Dean Clint Krehbiel, Provost Ronald Hendrick, and special thanks to Dr. Jyoti Sharma for hosting us and orchestrating this initiative. I’m sure the scholarship will also be career-defining for many of the scholars, and I urge other bright scientists to apply if there is another iteration of the program in the upcoming years. I hope to inspire others, especially young women in STEM, to pursue their passions with enthusiasm and determination and to make a positive impact on the world through bio-innovation.
About the author
Kate Willis-Ureña is a final year undergraduate student in Biotechnology Engineering at the Costa Rica Institute of Technology. She has worked as lead research assistant at Hemoalgae and as Wet Lab coordinator for the 2022 Costa Rican iGEM team. Starting this fall, Kate will be conducting her final graduation project at the Ignea Lab at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-h-willis/
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/katewillisurena
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