Bachelor of Science in Biology

• Graduation Year: 2008

After completing her undergraduate degree in biology at the University of Evansville, Kristina Stemler went on to finish graduate school at Washington University (St. Louis) School of Medicine and receive her PhD in Developmental, Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology. She is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Her research focuses on mitigating the off target side effects of chemotherapy to improve cancer patient quality of life during treatments.

Kristina valued the relationships she built during her time in the Honors Program at UE. She explains, “The interactions I had with different people from a variety of majors and backgrounds helped shape my life and career direction. Even though many of us were in different majors, we studied together and knew we could all learn from each other. It was mentally stimulating, but also a lot of fun, because we could also goof off together as friends.”

As part of her honors project, Kristina was awarded the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica to do field research on leaf-cutting ants. She notes, “It was a great feeling to already start to contribute to the scientific community as an undergraduate.” Kristina's love for research science began at UE and has continued into her career. “The dedication and meticulous, inquisitive planning that was required in my course work prepared me to be open-minded in my own work.”

Kristina recommends the Honors Program experience to future students. “The Honors Program can teach you to be fearless in your education, but it will also open your eyes to the experiences of others and make you more compassionate. The course work will challenge you to unlock your creative energy and become someone who will change the world!”