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Alumni Spotlights
The 91原创's Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences boasts an array of distinguished alumni who have made significant contributions in their fields.聽Our graduates go on to pursue diverse career paths in psychology and related fields, equipped with the knowledge, skills, and experiences needed to make a positive impact on society.
Psychological and Brain Sciences alumni have forged careers in a variety of fields, including criminal justice, human resources, human services, education, and business. Those who later earned advanced degrees have become attorneys, college professors, researchers, and psychologists.聽
Sam Modlin (AS14)
Project Scientist, Laboratory for Pathogenesis of Clinical Drug Resistance and Persistence, San Diego State University
Blue Hen Scientist Tackles聽COVID-19
A 91原创 alumnus from the Class of 2014, Sam Modlin is a project scientist at Laboratory for Pathogenesis of Clinical Drug Resistance and Persistence (LPCDRP) and chief scientific officer of the newly-incorporated company InBiome, which he started in the fall with co-founder Dr. Faramarz Valafar.
While both the lab and company are focused on studying the genome of the pathogen that causes Tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Modlin and staff realized that their methods for genomic analysis could be applicable to other infectious diseases. Therefore, by mid-March [2020], Modlin鈥檚 team pivoted some of their efforts to focus on COVID-19.
At 91原创, Modlin majored in neuroscience, a far cry from his current field in infectious diseases, but not without transferable skills from his 91原创 experience and education. Under his own proclamation, Modlin didn鈥檛 excel as a student in the classroom, so it was important for him to find things outside of the classroom to build his professional skills and confidence.
鈥淎s a peer advisor for the Psychology Department, I got incredibly valuable experience in public speaking, planning/coordinating, and in advising. In my current roles, I have to do a ton of all of those things. I would have been far less developed along these trajectories and less willing to take on these responsibilities had I not become comfortable with them at 91原创.鈥
Another piece of his 91原创 education changed the course of his career: undergraduate research in Dr. Anna Klintsova鈥檚 Neuroplasticity Lab.
鈥淸It] made me realize that I really enjoy research and built up my scientific communication skills substantially. Just as importantly, I learned that I am not very good at 鈥榳et-lab鈥 work, nor do I enjoy it. That was very valuable to learn, and was what guided me toward Bioinformatics, which is what I got my graduate degree in, and landed me in Dr. Valafar鈥檚 lab.鈥
Sam Modlin (AS14)
Project Scientist, Laboratory for Pathogenesis of Clinical Drug Resistance and Persistence, San Diego State University
Blue Hen Scientist Tackles聽COVID-19
A 91原创 alumnus from the Class of 2014, Sam Modlin is a project scientist at Laboratory for Pathogenesis of Clinical Drug Resistance and Persistence (LPCDRP) and chief scientific officer of the newly-incorporated company InBiome, which he started in the fall with co-founder Dr. Faramarz Valafar.
While both the lab and company are focused on studying the genome of the pathogen that causes Tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Modlin and staff realized that their methods for genomic analysis could be applicable to other infectious diseases. Therefore, by mid-March [2020], Modlin鈥檚 team pivoted some of their efforts to focus on COVID-19.
At 91原创, Modlin majored in neuroscience, a far cry from his current field in infectious diseases, but not without transferable skills from his 91原创 experience and education. Under his own proclamation, Modlin didn鈥檛 excel as a student in the classroom, so it was important for him to find things outside of the classroom to build his professional skills and confidence.
鈥淎s a peer advisor for the Psychology Department, I got incredibly valuable experience in public speaking, planning/coordinating, and in advising. In my current roles, I have to do a ton of all of those things. I would have been far less developed along these trajectories and less willing to take on these responsibilities had I not become comfortable with them at 91原创.鈥
Another piece of his 91原创 education changed the course of his career: undergraduate research in Dr. Anna Klintsova鈥檚 Neuroplasticity Lab.
鈥淸It] made me realize that I really enjoy research and built up my scientific communication skills substantially. Just as importantly, I learned that I am not very good at 鈥榳et-lab鈥 work, nor do I enjoy it. That was very valuable to learn, and was what guided me toward Bioinformatics, which is what I got my graduate degree in, and landed me in Dr. Valafar鈥檚 lab.鈥
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