Global Grant Scholar Update
Anna McCartan, from Leawood, KS, is pursuing a MS degree in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the University College Cork in Cork, Ireland, and is representing District 5710 very well.
Here is Anna’s April report in her own words:
“Hi Mr. Graham,
Thank you for the good wishes for exams. I have my first round starting this week (last week of April) and will wrap up next week, then begin my summer research project. In the meantime, I had some time off for Easter break. I was able to spend part of the time studying and part of the time visiting Berlin and Amsterdam. The timing worked out very well to be able to see the Keukenhof, a beautiful tulip garden that only blooms about 2 months a year!
Back in Cork, I’ve been enjoying the beautiful weather and taking lots of walks around the river (where I recently spotted some baby geese). I was also able to return to the Cork City Rotary Club meeting this week, now that classes are over. The guest speaker this week was a lecturer from the UCC Architecture department. He gave a presentation on R&H hall, a former grain silo at the Cork Docklands that was recently taken down to make way for a new development. His discussion of the building’s history (which touched on how the grain industry changed with imports of new grain types from the American Midwest and the onset of steamboat shipments) was very interesting, and many club members shared how their own experiences have intersected with the building.
I also wanted to update you directly about my next steps here in Cork. As I mentioned in the last update, I recently received my thesis project—this opportunity is fully remote, as both of my project supervisors are based outside of Cork. My current housing extends until June 13th, so I am planning to begin the project in Cork, and then return to the US once my housing expires and complete the rest of the research from there. This timing should work well all around because the next Rotary service event is scheduled for June 10th, so I can help out with this event and check in with both Cork clubs before I head back.
The only thing I’m still not sure about is whether I should be back in Cork in mid-October to defend my thesis, but I should get more clarity on that part once the project officially starts.
All the best, Anna McCartan”
Thanks to District 5710 leadership for funding the Global Grant Scholarship program. It is always exciting to have an excellent scholar studying abroad and representing District 5710.
