Nayanna Mercado-Soto (She/ Her/ Hers) is a 24-year-old born and raised in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. She graduated from the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez with an Industrial Microbiology bachelor's degree and a teaching certificate. Currently she is a first year PhD student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Microbiology Doctoral Training Program. She studies Aspergillus fumigatus host-pathogen interactions using zebrafish as a model organism. Nayanna is passionate about education, science, and outreach. Follow her on Twitter: @Nay_MMS

PREP: A Non-Traditional Route To PhD

Discover Nayanna Mercado-Soto’s non-traditional path to pursuing a PhD in Biomedical Sciences by participating in a Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP). Read about how this program helped her gain research experience, improve her communication skills, and prepare for the grad school application cycle.

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90 and Thriving: Dr Bronwyn Herbert’s Later-in-Life PhD Kept Her Feeling Younger

At ninety years old, Dr Bronwyn Herbert has completed her PhD at the University of Queensland, Australia. The PhD Place had the pleasure of interviewing her across the globe to share her inspiring story with our readers! Drawing on her extensive career in social work and her wealth of life experience, Bronwyn promotes the joy of lifelong learning and showcases the power of resilience that every PhD student can seek to emulate.

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Office 216

Discover how a graduate student’s temporary office space serves as a metaphor for their sense of unbelonging throughout their academic journey, and how they find solace in making the most of the temporary joys that come their way.

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