Q&A with Alumnus Sam Smith
Sam Smith just finished his Ph.D. at Brown University in the lab of Sohini Ramachandran. He spent 2016-2017 as an undergraduate researcher in the lab of Antonis Rokas. He is now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Texas, Austin, in the lab of Arbel Harpak. Sam took time for a Q&A – some responses are included here and the rest can be found by following this link >>
How did you find your way to Vanderbilt?
I grew up in Nashville and went to elementary school at Eakin, just about a block or two from campus. Vanderbilt has always been a part of my life. Both of my parents are alums of the Divinity School. I chose to come to Vanderbilt because of that intimate knowledge of the university that was born of proximity and I have been so grateful for that opportunity.
What was your favorite academic and non-academic experience at Vanderbilt?
My favorite academic experience was the Evolution course that I took with Antonis Rokas and Dan Funk. In Antonis’ half of the section I got my first taste of how mathematical modeling can be used to understand evolutionary phenomenon. The course was incredibly challenging but rewarding in the way it reshaped my thinking around what pursuits in population genetics can look like through a research lens.
My favorite non-academic experience has to be the friendships that I formed while I was on campus. They are lifelong friendships that superseded backgrounds or current interests – many of those friends were with me when I got married over the summer and I talk to them almost every week.
How did your experiences at Vanderbilt prepare you for graduate school?
I started in the Rokas Lab as an undergraduate research assistant the summer after my Sophomore year (2016). Antonis created an environment of curiosity that I became enamored with quite quickly. I also think that he put so much intention into scientific communication with the lab which really helped me understand what other lab members were talking about and minimized imposter syndrome. Additionally, Antonis really invested in the work that I was doing by reading drafts and offering feedback on presentations. That investment helped me identify the elements of scientific communication that I wanted to work on as I entered graduate school.
What is your favorite part about research and why?
My favorite part about research is the intellectual liberty that it facilitates. It offers the unique opportunity to transition from learning foundation knowledge to applying that knowledge to open questions. I also believe that it becomes more rewarding and exciting the longer that you are involved in a particular field because you begin to establish connections between questions that you may have initially believed to be unconnected.
What would be an ideal career and has it changed since you were in college?
I would love to start my own research group at a university in the next five years. I find research to be an exercise in long-term gratification that requires a lot of resilience, but the extent of that resilience is minimal compared to the joy of making a new discovery or breakthrough. In the short-term, I find teaching to be so rewarding and allows me to think about things differently each time I explain them. It is also refreshing to be reminded of the goals of students and rewarding to watch them achieve those goals. I remember Antonis telling me once that he wanted to be the best teacher that he could be (he is a phenomenal one), and I think his commitment to that excellence undoubtedly contributes to his success as a researcher as well.
What was your best/favorite experience from your PhD work?
My favorite experience has been learning from my peers and advisor, Sohini Ramachandran, at the Center for Computational Biology at Brown. I came in with a cohort of individuals and they have taught me so much about not only content, but what it means to be a good friend and collaborator. Second to that, I had the opportunity to teach the introductory course on biostatistics at Brown in spring of 2021 to 58 undergraduate students. It was such an affirming experience to be able to teach and a refreshing look at what the balance of research and teaching can look like. I felt flattered to hear that my advisor and the students had nominated me for a teaching award and was validating that they took something from the class. Finding out that I will receive the award this year was just the cherry on top!