I served as EIC of Synapse from Fall 2016 to Summer 2019. I wanted to serve as the EIC because I’m passionate about science communication and wanted to help other students find their voice and hone their writing skills.
While initially I was interested in science-related stories, my tenure became more defined by campus news and politics (perhaps not surprising given the political landscape during those years).
One of the pieces I’m proudest of was the story “Sexual Harassment Process Troubles Complainants” in which survivors of academic sexual misconduct at UCSF graciously shared their stories of difficulties with the system when reporting their experiences and emphasized the need for institutional change.
The delicate subject matter and numerous sources made this a challenging piece to write, and I’m so thankful to Sylvie Sturm for her journalistic expertise, advice, and guidance shaping the story.
After the article was published, changes were made to the faculty guidelines for the BMS graduate program and student efforts led the professor named in the piece to exit his summer post at the Marine Biological Laboratory. It was amazing to see something published in Synapse lead to positive change!
Graduate school was hard, but Synapse allowed me to feel a sense of accomplishment and purpose even when things in the lab were failing. Serving as EIC helped me become a better communicator and allowed me to get to know the wider UCSF community.
I am so proud to have been part of Synapse and am excited to see it continue to flourish!
