HONORS STUDENT SPOTLIGHT - EDDIE VARGAS

Name: Eddie Vargas

Major(s): Neuroscience and Cognitive Science

Minors: Biochemistry and Spanish 

Year in school: Senior

Hometown: Tucson, AZ

Clubs/Organizations: President of Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Ambassadors, College of Science Ambassador, Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Diversity Board, Former Border Latino and American Indian Exposure to Summer Research (BLAISER) and UBRP student! 

Leisure Pursuits: I love hiking and going to Tucson's best food trucks with my friends. Sonoran dogs are a Tucson staple everyone has to try at least once! 

Research Projects: I currently work in Dr. Julie Miller's laboratory in the Department of Neuroscience. We are studying the vocal symptoms of Parkinson's disease using the zebra finch songbird as a model! I am looking at the molecule and cellular mechanisms of a Parkinson's-linked protein in the zebra finch brain and correlating it to how much the bird sings. 

Plans after graduation: I will be applying to medical school after graduation!

FOCUS QUESTIONS

What is something you have done during your time at UA of which you are especially proud?

Teaching and mentoring are two of my biggest passions. I love helping other students and helping them feel integrated into the community. Being an NSCS Diversity Board member has allowed me to do that by mentoring first-year students who are underserved feel welcome into our NSCS community! I have also loved being an Instructional Manager for Dr. Hidalgo's General Chemistry class. Being involved with students and teaching chemistry has been such a fun experience and I love working with everyone on the team to make it happen. I'm equally proud of both! 

What message do you have for other Honors students on finding their own success?

Find something you absolutely love and go at it with full force. Don't be afraid to try new things, and find faculty members to work with who you really connect with. Just as importantly, be kind and use your strengths to make our University of Arizona community a better place! 

ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE

"Eddie is an absolutely exemplary, once in a lifetime, student. He is a first generation college student and a first generation American. Eddie is the epitome of what it means to be a young scholar and member of the community. For his excellence in community engagement, Eddie serves the NSCS program, the College of Science, and the greater Tucson community. Eddie serves NSCS through being an NSCS Ambassador. He participates as a part of the subcommittee for peer mentoring and dedicates COUNTLESS hours to helping this program succeed. Eddie is a College of Science Ambassador and is always giving lab tours (even virtually now) to prospective students. Eddie is also serving his community by spending his little free time by volunteering in hospice facilities in Tucson. He is an absolute leader in his communities, both big and small. Eddie also sits on our NSCS Diversity Board and is a great and active member. On top of all of this, Eddie is in Dr. Julie Miller's research laboratory working with the Zebra Finch model to investigate Parkinson's Disease. He is a GREAT contributor to the lab and is completing his honors thesis in this lab as well. I can't say enough good things about Eddie. He is a DELIGHT of a person, an amazing young man, and he is absolutely deserving of this spotlight."

– Rachel Ridlen, Academic Advisor

**********

To nominate a peer for Student of the Month, please click HERE and complete the submission form. All nominations are subject to Honors College faculty review, approval, and editing for publication.