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During Iva Veseli’s first year at ������̳, her adviser pointed her toward Jean-François Pombert’s lab, where she conducted research in computational biology for three years.

Her research included sequencing the DNA of six bacteria that had never been sequenced previously. An accelerated master’s student, Veseli was also able to graduate in four years with a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. She utilized her interdisciplinary experience in biology and computer science to pursue a career in bioinformatics research.

"The [accelerated master’s] program was something I really wanted to do because it’s very versatile,” Veseli says.

Veseli was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program scholarship while working in Pombert’s lab, which she has used to pursue her Ph.D. in the biophysical sciences at the University of Chicago. She conducted research in genomics and computational biology with Pombert since her first year ������̳.

“Iva has the perfect combination of intellect, curiosity, perseverance, and ethics to succeed in research,” Pombert says.