Claire Pfeffer
Claire Pfeffer
Class Year
’19
Current home
Lafayette, Indiana
Major(s)
Biology
Claire Pfeffer ’19 is an advocate for getting to know Carthage professors, who gave her advice, reviewed drafts, and provided her with opportunities to publish her work — an accomplishment unheard of for many undergraduate students.
“The entire Biology Department has helped me throughout my time at college by pushing me to succeed and guiding me. I have kept in touch with them, and they continue to support me, even though I am no longer at Carthage.”
Ms. Pfeffer continues her education as a graduate student in the interdisciplinary life science program at Purdue University.
How did Carthage prepare you?
“Carthage provided me with so many opportunities throughout my four years that have made me stand out from my peers. Participating in the Celebration of Scholars all four years gave me a lot of practice in presenting. I was also able to present at outside conferences including Midstates Consortium and the Wisconsin Space Conference.
“I did research under many different professors including Professors Amareshwar Singh, Deborah Tobiason, and Andrea Henle, allowing me to develop my passion for research. In addition, I was able to publish three different review papers during my time at Carthage, which is relatively unheard of for undergraduate students.
“All of these opportunities gave me an advantage when applying to grad school and confirmed that this was what I wanted to do with my life. When talking to others about my experiences at Carthage and about the Biology Department, it quickly becomes obvious that I have a breadth of knowledge and hands-on experience that is rare.”