Hi all,
Just a few moments ago I interviewed my principal investigator, Dr. Warren Grill. While I did take some notes, I did not record the interview so this is merely a summary of the discussion rather than a transcript.
Dr. Grill completed his undergraduate studies at Boston University as a biomedical engineer major, before getting both a masters and PhD from Case Western Reserve University. Entering college he was thinking that industrial employment would be in his future, and it wasn’t until the summer after his junior year that he started seriously considering academia as a career path. He hoped to spend that summer at an internship with a company in Cape Cod and asked his mentor for a letter of recommendation. His mentor, however, never submitted the letter. As consolation, he invited Dr. Grill to come work in his lab that summer; this experience ended up having a profound effect on the direction Dr. Grill’s life would take.
He greatly enjoyed his experience that summer in the lab, and has been doing research ever since. After receiving his PhD from Case Western he stayed there for fifteen years, five of which he spent on a research team before receiving his first teaching position, which he held for 10 years. At the end of his 10th year he was offered his current position at Duke, which he has held ever since.
When asked whether he enjoyed teaching, Dr. Grill said that he did and remarked jokingly “anyone who doesn’t shouldn’t be in this position.” He explained that what he likes most about his job is the freedom it allows. He gets to do what he loves all day, without the confines of a typical job. When asked what he disliked most about his job, he answered that by far the worst part of the job was the administrative elements, which he could easily do without.
Finally I asked Dr. Grill what advice he would give to someone in my shoes, an undergraduate interested in science and research. He said he had 2 pieces of advice: the first was to make connections. Science is a collaborative effort and a job that requires one to interact constantly with people, so start making connections and forming relationships as early as possible. His second piece of advice was not to get too caught up in “what’s next.” He explained that people frequently get so absorbed in what is coming next that they forget to appreciate the moment, and this is a big mistake.
I’d like to thank Dr. Grill for the opportunity to work in his lab, the time he took to sit and talk with me, and the advice he gave me.
Matt
