Kristine Knoll
Biology major from Fergus Falls, Minnesota
Describe MSUM
“My favorite phrase is ‘diamond in the rough,’ especially the bioscience program. It’s not as big as the U of M, but our bioscience department can’t be beat. The professors are amazing, they care about students, and the research opportunities are unlike any other for undergraduate students.”
MSUM’s strengths 1. Small campus. “The benefit is you get to know so many people.” 2. Bioscience department. “It’s amazing. There are so many
opportunities to get involved and the facilities are fantastic.” 3. Profesesors. “They are my mentors and my friends.”
Cool project
Kristine conducts research with Dr. Ellen Brisch in collaboration with Bee Wisenden. “We’re researching the concentration levels of estrogen in the Red River and what effects it may have on us as a population.” Estrogen’s feminizing effects have been hypothesized to be linked to testicular and breast cancer.
Great trip
Kristine recently presented her research on “Risk-sensitive information-gathering by zebrafish following the release of chemical alarm cues” at the 44th annual meeting of the Animal Behavior Society in Burlington, Vt.. The University helped pay for this “amazing experience. It was attended by international researchers, professors and graduate students. It was a great way to have my research critiqued by fellow scientists, many of them well known.”
Lessons learned
Kristine had an unfortunate experience in the lab, which left her feeling pretty sad for a while. “I was doing a side experiment with guppies, exposing them to water from the Red River and control water, to see if anything happened to the males. Unfortunately, I put the guppies in distilled water, which I quickly learned makes their
bodies hypertonic and water diffuses through the skin and they explode. I was horrified and felt horrible!”
On growing up
“Prior to coming to MSUM, I didn’t have much confidence and didn’t feel like I had many talents. Since deciding on a biology major I’m much more sure of myself. I realize biology is my calling, and I know I’m good at it. My public speaking skills have advanced quite a bit from gaining that confidence, and doing research has helped me to think more critically.”
Goldwater scholar
Kristine has a 3.863 GPA and was among 317 students from across the nation selected to receive a $7,500 award from the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. The scholarship
covers tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to $7,500 for each of the next two years. She was selected from a field of 1,110 national scholars and was one of nine Minnesota students to receive a
Goldwater award this year.
Her advice to new freshmen:“Go to class! Lectures and class interaction will help more than you can imagine.”
Other tips: Use acronyms and flash cards for study tools, attend supplement instruction sessions, and work hard.
Favorite TV show
“‘Sex and the City’ because it’s so witty. I own all of the seasons on DVD. I also like raunchy reality shows like ‘Flavor of Love’ and ‘I Love New York.’”
What book are you reading?
Right now Kristine is reading “Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature’s Most Dangerous Creatures,” written by a parasitologist who claims, “parasites may outnumber free-living species four to one.” “I’m a true science geek.”