Category: Features

  • Bridges Across Worlds: International Voices at the Tri-I

    Bridges Across Worlds: International Voices at the Tri-I

    —

    by

    New York City has long been a beacon for those seeking education, opportunities, and new horizons. As artist Benny Cruz poetically declares, “New York is the end of your past and place of rebirth,” a sentiment that resonates deeply with the countless newcomers who arrive in this city seeking not merely an address change but…

  • The Myth of Apolitical Science

    The Myth of Apolitical Science

    —

    by

    The Rockefeller University has a singular mission: to “do good science.” This statement, given by President Richard Lifton at an annual meeting with the Student Representatives Committee (SRC) on May 8, 2024, seems, at first glance, to be an innocuous paraphrase of the Rockefeller University mission statement. If you parse it further, however, it reveals…

  • Trying to Survive as a Scientist Under Shifting Presidential Administrations

    Trying to Survive as a Scientist Under Shifting Presidential Administrations

    —

    by

    The contentious 2024 U.S. presidential election has had a resounding impact on the social state of the U.S. and broader communities. In a country that seems to be more divided every day, fueled by rhetoric from both sides of the aisle, it is difficult not to question what effect the political environment will have on…

  • Introducing the multitalented Jazz Weisman

    —

    by

    Jazz Weisman’s desk is in the far-right corner of Gaby Maimon’s lab at Rockefeller University, located on the third floor of Flexner Hall. You can recognize his desk based on the myriad of seemingly unrelated items on display: a series of intricate circuit boards and half-assembled custom electronics, a 3D-printed iPhone charging station, a cheat…

  • Interview with Hsuan-An Chen

    —

    by

    Hsuan-an (Sean) Chen is a joint postdoctoral researcher at Rockefeller University and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He is currently working in the Charles M. Rice Lab, a lab focusing on virology and infectious disease, at Rockefeller University. He provides an expert cancer biology perspective on the pathology caused by the chronic Hepatitis C Virus…

  • ChatGPT is Changing the Way We Do Science

    —

    by

    I started relying on ChatGPT in 2022, when my PI bought a premium account for the lab. I had used the free version in the past, but for $20 a month we gained early access to the latest models and never had to wait for server availability. It didn’t take very long for me to…

  • The Moment I Became a Scientist Was When I Realized That I Should Stay at the Table

    —

    by

    I was born and raised in a remote small town in southwest China where transportation was inaccessible, and the economy was underdeveloped. People made a living by planting rice and corn or working as migrant laborers. My hometown of Baiquan, situated on a plateau, was surrounded by towering mountains with no end in sight. From…

  • Avery-McCarty-McLeod experiments: The 80th anniversary of identifying DNA as the molecular basis of heredity

    —

    by

    The simple but bold 68th Street entrance to the Rockefeller campus was erected in honor of the man who in many ways embodies the scientific and social spirit of the institute. The inscription on one of the piers guarding the entrance reads, and is a homage to the seminal work done over many decades by…

  • Science Saturday: Where Curiosity Meets Community

    —

    by

    On September 28, the tenth annual Science Saturday STEM festival brought together students, educators, volunteers, and families for a day to celebrate the wonders of science. Hosted by Rockefeller University’s RockEDU Science Outreach department, the festival again demonstrated how science can be a powerful connector across generations, disciplines, and communities. With over 800 attendees, the…

  • Rockefeller Reimagines the First-Year Curriculum

    —

    by

    In late August, the newest graduate student cohort arrived at Rockefeller University. But most did not set foot in a laboratory until October. Instead, they played the role of an “experimental group” in a reimagined first-year curriculum running throughout September. Prior first-year programming at Rockefeller continued until winter, running in parallel with laboratory rotations and…