Wagner College is, for good reason, nationally renowned for its learning communities programs. As a double major in microbiology and economics at Wagner College, I had the opportunity to participate in two senior learning communities, one for each respective major. This was a challenging and exciting experience, through which I was able to cover more in-depth material about my subjects of study. I was also able to apply the skills I obtained from previous course work in developing new and innovative skills that will be essential for my graduate work at Oxford University.

For the economics major, I completed a capstone course on “Methodology and Research in Economics,” taught by Professor Mary Rose Leacy. This course explored the foundations upon which the discipline of economics was founded, as well as the ways in which economic problems are addressed by researchers and practitioners of the discipline. The designated project for the class involved the exploration of an issue in economics and the formulation of a hypothesis for the issue. It was for this project that I came upon a declining labor-force participation rate among young adults in the United States. It was a problem that I had never heard or thought about, but I discovered it to be one of serious concern because young adults — individuals between 16 and 24 years of age — gain a significant amount of their skills for future implementation in their youth. Generally, this implies that in the future, young adults will become more competitive in the labor market as skilled workers. However, I could not discern if the declining number of young adults in the labor force was occurring due to individuals devoting themselves to school for longer periods or if there was another aspect to this issue.

Researching further, I found that education only accounted for a small percentage of young adults leaving the labor market. Remaining intrigued, I asked the chair of the Economics Department, Professor Jayne Dean, to assist me in this topic for an Honors Program research paper. Following two full terms of additional research and econometric modeling, I made a new report on the issue for my senior honors thesis. In my research I implicated the increasing labor-force competition from older workers (55 and older) and from new immigrants as a factor that is driving down labor-market-participation rates of young adults.

In addition to my work in the economics senior learning community, I undertook a three-term research project with Dr. Roy Mosher for my microbiology learning community. This was research that was completely different from any that I had done previously. It differed in the sense that it was scientific research that involved the application of practical laboratory skills in addition to critical thinking. The project, which I summarized in a paper for the senior reflective tutorial in microbiology, involved the study of antibiotic production of the bacterium Streptomyces venezuelae. My particular area of study expanded on previous knowledge regarding the regulatory process of producing the antibiotic jadomycin B in Streptomyces venezuelae. The research involved the utilization of my previous laboratory knowledge as well as the development of new skills, such as DNA extraction and amplification in polymerase chain reactions. Overall, the purpose of this study was to contribute to the ways in which jadomycin B’s production could be augmented for industrial study and production. For patients who develop cancers and contract antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, my study is very important, because jadomycin B has been found to have antitumorgenic and antimicrobial properties that could help millions of individuals once it is in clinical use.

As part of the learning community in microbiology, I also attended a capstone class that was in the style of a journal club. Each week, students presented a scientific peer-reviewed paper on the latest research in various aspects of microbiology. It was an exhilarating course, as it facilitated scientific discourse between the students and the instructors, Dr. Kathleen Bobbitt and Dr. Roy Mosher. I learned a great deal of information in addition to my previous coursework in the microbiology major.

The senior programs in both of my majors have been invaluable experiences for me, as they have not only educated me on topics I previously hadn’t explored, but they have also allowed me to focus my career objectives. Next year I will begin a master of science program in integrated immunology at Oxford University. I chose this program based on the strength of the research in immunology at Oxford, most of which I read about in my microbiology capstone course. Additionally, as the program is taught in conjunction with the internationally renowned John Radcliffe Hospital, I will be able to observe the structure of the United Kingdom’s National Health Service, which runs the hospital. This will allow me to utilize my economics background, and it will be essential for my career in preventative medicine, which I will be pursuing upon completion of my master’s degree.