Molly Grace, B.S. 2012

Departmental Lecturer, Department of Biology, University of Oxford – United Kingdom

2012 Major: Biology

How has being a Biology graduate from Duke helped shape you personally and/or professionally?

"In the 10 years since I finished my undergraduate degree at Duke, I have completed a PhD, become a researcher and lecturer at the University of Oxford focusing on ecology and conservation, and I chair a working group on species recovery for the International Union for Conservation of Nature. I love being a scientist and feeling like I am contributing new knowledge and ideas that can help us understand and conserve nature, and the wonderful thing about doing a Biology degree at Duke is that I already felt like a scientist when I graduated. There are so many different ways that Duke trained and prepared me to conduct research: from the wonderful field-based classes where we interacted with organisms ranging from mosses to lemurs; to work-study in the greenhouses and in animal behavior labs that gave me a chance to get to know Duke researchers as people; to getting to design and conduct my own research both in study abroad and in a senior thesis; to taking advantage of undergrads being allowed to enroll in graduate classes in the Nicholas School. As an undergrad at Duke, I wasn't just being taught about biology- I was experiencing it for myself."

What advice would you give students in Duke's Biology programs? 

"The classes might feel hard at times. But that's because you're learning things that matter, and that will prepare you for your future- whether that future is in biology or not. Try to enjoy the challenge!"

Molly Grace