Crystal Koroza Miller, ’04, graduated with a B.S. in neuroscience and English. She went on to study neuroscience at Case Western Reserve University, where she completed her Ph.D. in January 2011.
Of her decision to attend grad school, Miller says, “I decided to pursue graduate school because of my experiences in the Neuroscience program at Muskingum. I had originally had a difficult time deciding on a major, but once I discovered neuroscience, at the intersection of biology and psychology, I was sold on learning more about the molecular mechanisms of the brain.”
Miller currently works at The Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, where her current research involves assessing the contribution of inflammation and the immune system on the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease and tauopathies.
Miller chose Muskingum for its small class size and the promise of faculty interactions, as well as for the beautiful campus and extracurricular activities available. Looking back, she says, “Muskingum actually exceeded my expectations. Even though Muskingum is a bit remote, the ability to be involved in a club for just about anything was great. I was able to live with new friends in the Lighthouse, a program house on Lakeside; helped to found Lambda Chi Omega; and took part in a number of departmental clubs and honoraries.”
Of her classroom experiences, Miller says, “I am so thankful for the encouraging and devoted faculty I was able to have throughout all four years at Muskingum. Unlike larger schools, I repeatedly had the same professors for different classes. I could see how this may have been a problem if they were not good teachers, but I was lucky to have them as mentors, friends, and good teachers.”
Miller advises students considering graduate study in the sciences to “Find out exactly what the requirements are at each stage of progression, how many of the faculty have funding and room to take a student and think about what you'll do once you have the degree you are seeking. If you think you might want to teach - choose a school where you can do some TAing! Also check out the graduation rates and average time to your degree. Science isn't like Law School - it can take quite a few years to get results, get published, and graduate!”