Michael "Mikey" Bergman, ‘17
Why did you choose to come to UMR? I knew when I applied that I wanted to go into biomedical research to pursue a Master’s or PhD. UMR described an opportunity to be part of a novel, interdisciplinary program with a degree that could be customized to the specific career track that the student wanted. To top that, there was also the support to actually achieve this which was evident even from my first visit. Jen Hooke honestly was the first person I really met from UMR. She made me feel like this was definitely the place for me, and later was even my Student Success Coach and helped me navigate all sorts of things that were curricular, extracurricular, and personal. (I might be biased, but she’s the best). I saw that the curriculum for the BSHS degree required a lot of classes I wanted to take right off the bat, like organic chemistry. I recognized the rigor of the program and was drawn to that. I also really appreciated the interdisciplinary projects and the collaborative opportunities through multiple courses – much of which was also highlighted early on instead of having to wait for upper-level coursework. I thought, “This place will prepare me for exactly what I want to do, and the kind of scientist I want to be."
What did your Capstone experience at UMR involve? I still talk about my Capstone experience. For my Capstone, I might’ve been a bit ambitious. It incorporated: (1) Independent research on HIV capsid viral assembly and computational design of a peptide-based vaccine that should be highly immunogenic and prompt long-term immune memory for treatment. I had the opportunity to present this at UMR’s end-of-year research symposium (back when it was just 6-10 posters at the end of University Square). (2) Research at Mayo Clinic under Dr. Marina Ramirez-Alvarado to study amyloidogenic proteins using recombinant cell expression and biophysical characterizations, as well as modelling aggregation pathways – work that I presented at an international conference in New Orleans that year (3) Engagement with the local art community, as I was a part of a council of people that prepared a proposal to acquire “The Castle” on Broadway for a collaborative art space. (4) I studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark and took classes through DIS as well as at Copenhagen University and the Danish Technical University. This experience was focused specifically on exposing students to biomedical research especially common practices in industry. I learned about things from drug development and biologics-based therapies, how to design and engineer cells for expression of specific products, as well as advanced creative writing and existential philosophy. As part of the program, we also visited several scientific and cultural sites in Europe. One example is when we visited the Roslin Biocentre where Dolly the sheep was cloned and resides (with her children!). Outside of school trips, I also go the opportunity to explore Berlin, Barcelona, Prague, Italy (Rome, Florence, Venice), and the southern coast of France. Additionally, I chose Denmark very specifically for my study abroad experience. As a member of the LGBT+ community, growing up in the Midwest I often felt isolated or disconnected from my peers. I felt that I just had very different life experiences and interactions. While studying abroad, I was hosted by two men who had been married for a couple decades if I remember correctly. We went to Copenhagen Pride together my very first weekend! I also was part of a local group that got together once a month to discuss sex and gender in scientific articles – how cool is that? Lastly, I also connected with the LGBT+ community socially. There was a group of us who were all studying abroad together but came from across the US. I even had a Danish boyfriend while I was there and he introduced me to more of the community both in Copenhagen and outside. I experienced a lot of reverse culture-shock when I came back to the states, and had to find my way through that in Spring 2017 when I returned to UMR with most of my friends and classmates gone (also on their own experiences) and having lost the amazing support network I just built abroad. All of these experiences have deeply affected my development, how I think, how I approach research and work-life balance, and the person I am today. And that point right there – that was my Capstone!
How did your Capstone experience prepare you for your future in what you’re currently doing? My Capstone involved a decent amount of research experience, all of which taught me skills and prepared me to go into a PhD program. But perhaps equally importantly, my Capstone experience helped me develop a deep sense of self and the ability to critically reflect (thank you Yuko!) which has served me incredibly well. This was especially valuable when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and we all had to quarantine during possibly the most demanding or difficult part of my program. My Capstone and my UMR experience also prepared me to be a critical and interdisciplinary thinker, which I use almost daily. I have found some novel approaches to my thesis project precisely because I know how to pause, reflect and find ways forward even when things seem impossible.
What are you currently doing? I graduated with a PhD in Chemistry & Chemical Biology from Northeastern University and currently a Scientist at Sanofi.
Was there a faculty member that positively impacted your time at UMR and how?So many of them! The most influential would probably be, in no particular order: Kelsey Metzger, Marcia Nicohls, Jennifer Wacek, Michelle Nelson, Peter Larsen (now works for MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center), Cassidy Terrell, Rachel Olson, Yuko Taniguchi, Shanna Altrichter, and Adele Norris (now teaches at University of Waikato in New Zealand). They have all supported me in incredible ways along my journey. The ones who shaped me the most were Kelsey Metzger, Marcia Nicohls, Shanna Altrichter, and Yuko Taniguchi.