Praneetha Thutika

Why you chose your major

In 9th grade, in high school, I started getting exposed to new clubs and had to do many AP and IB classes. When being exposed to these classes, I have found out my interest in the STEM field. In STEM, I have shown lots of interest in chemistry and biology, so I am pursuing a major in Cellular Biochemistry. I have also volunteered at hospitals such as CHI Lakeside and Methodist Women's Hospital, which sparked my interest in cellular biochemistry. I have chose my minor as Computer Science because in high school, I have done an internship at UNO with the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center. In this internship, I have explored many coding languages, virtual reality, augmented reality, and helped repair items that were in the lab such as a hologram and oculus quest 2.

Favorite and/or most impactful course

The class that has made the biggest impact on me would be Calculus 1 because this class showed me a new way to learn material and apply it.

Research or internship experience

During my time at the UNL, I have had the privilege of working on bird research under the guidance of Dr. Shizuka in the Shizuka Lab under the National Science Foundation. My current research at the UNL involves feedback between thermal physiology and social foraging dynamics between birds such as golden-crowned sparrows, fairywrens, and shorebirds. In this lab, I take the blood sample of the bird and do DNA extraction with it. This research experience has helped contribute to my growth as a researcher because research involvement hones effective communication skills, enabling the translation of complex scientific concepts into comprehensible information.

Other involvement

I am the president and founder of the UNL Chapter of the Global Medical Brigades Club. Medical Brigades provide pre-med students with the opportunity to gain experience in a medical clinic setting while making a tangible impact on global health. We will be going to countries virtually or in person and helping out others by participating in medical clinics in countries such as Honduras, Panama, Guatemala, Ghana, Belize, and Greece. I am also in clubs such as Campus Red Cross, Friends of Médecins Sans Frontières, Badminton Club, Biochemistry Club, Psychology Club, Pre-Health Club, American Medical Student Association, MedLife, and NU Meds.

Why you chose Nebraska

I have decided to come to Nebraska because I have lived here since a long time.

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