91传媒 senior selected for elite research internship in Tokyo
Contact: Sarah Nicholas
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擜 91传媒 senior biological sciences and Asian studies double-major will use her skills in each subject area this summer during a selective internship through the University of Tokyo Research Internship Program.聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽
Sara H. Tyrrell of North Augusta, South Carolina, leaves June 11 for a five-week internship under the direction of Hirokazu Tsukaya, a Department of Biological Sciences faculty member at the University of Tokyo.
Tyrrell is one of only 20 students selected from an international pool of more than 600 UTRIP applicants.聽聽
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 believe it when I got the e-mail,鈥 Tyrrell said. 鈥淭he University of Tokyo is so highly acclaimed. Going to graduate school in Japan has been my dream for a while now.鈥
At the University of Tokyo, Tsukaya researches mechanisms of leaf morphogenesis and the biodiversity of leaf forms, a topic Tyrrell would like to continue studying after college.
鈥淚 want to research how to make crops more resistant to climate change, climate-related disasters,聽pests聽and diseases, and/or develop agricultural methods that are environmentally sustainable,鈥 Tyrrell said, adding that she also would like to research how to increase yield and nutritional value.聽鈥淏asically, I want to work with other scientists聽on realistic solutions for mitigating the climate-related global food shortages of the future.鈥
Last year, Tyrrell joined the lab of 91传媒 assistant professor of biological sciences Ying Wang to learn more about biological sciences research.聽 Wang said Tyrrell has wanted the University of Tokyo internship for a long time and worked very hard to prepare her scientific knowledge and Japanese language skills.
鈥淪he excels not only in the classroom, but also in laboratory research,鈥 Wang said.
The University of Tokyo is the 鈥渂est university in Japan and one of the leading universities in Asia,鈥 Wang said of the institution that ranks among the top 40 in the world.
鈥淭here are 16 Nobel laureates affiliated with the university, demonstrating their research strength,鈥 Wang said. 鈥淚t has a unique cultural environment that will provide valuable experiences for Sara to have a successful career in STEM-related fields.鈥
Through the internship, Tyrrell said she hopes to 鈥済et my foot in the door for graduate school abroad鈥濃攑referably at the same institution, in part because she speaks Japanese.
Tyrrell has taken eight semesters of the language with Fumiko Joo, an 91传媒 assistant professor in the Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures.聽
鈥淪he鈥檚 a fantastic teacher. She has been helping me with things like the nuances of how to be respectful and teaching me vocabulary she thinks will be helpful in the lab. I鈥檓 not fluent yet, but I鈥檓 hoping my time there will sharpen my skills,鈥 Tyrrell said.
Joo said Asian studies is an excellent gateway to the world for 91传媒 students.
鈥淎 wide range of industries, from manufacturing to information technology, in Asian countries shows a strong desire to hire American graduates who have an understanding of Asian cultures and fluency in Asian languages,鈥 Joo said.
鈥淪ara has been seeking a chance to combine her interests in Japanese language and culture with biology, and UTRIP is exactly the chance,鈥 Joo said. 鈥淣o doubt that this will be a great asset for her future career.鈥
91传媒鈥檚 College of Arts and Sciences includes more than 5,300 students, 300 full-time faculty members, nine doctoral programs and 25 academic majors offered in 14 departments.聽Complete details about the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Biological Sciences or the Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures may be found at聽, or .
91传媒 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at聽.聽 聽