Former ASU Honors Student Accepted into Graduate Program at Cornell University and a Summer Research Program in Japan

Talyia Griffin (’22), a graduate of Albany State University, has been accepted into the Graduate Program in Biology at Cornell University, which will begin during the fall 2023 semester. At Cornell, she will receive a fellowship that will fund tuition as well as provide housing and a yearly stipend. This summer, before she begins the Cornell program, she will conduct summer research in Japan. 

The National Science Foundation’s International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) in Japan is a nine-week program that focuses on novel behavioral elements in zebrafish and Medaka through the use of CRISPR technology. Participants will be mentored by international scientists, and the program will run from early May to late July.

Talyia said, “I am incredibly honored to attend such a prestigious institution with faculty who are already invested in my career goals. As an IRES Japan student, I am experiencing both a new culture and skill set as the research pertains to molecular biology. While this is challenging, I am making great strides to refine the techniques and my understanding of them.

I also get to practice a third language. Living in Okazaki has given me the opportunity to use conversational Japanese. While it’s not perfect, I am able to move about the city with little issue. So far, this has been a phenomenal experience to be able to be a part of an international program with a great cohort of other exceptional scientists.”

While at ASU, Ms. Griffin consistently maintained a 4.0 GPA and routinely conducted summer research at prestigious universities. During the summer of 2021, she participated in the Summer Research Program in Biology (BSG-MSRP-Bio) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). During the program, student participants had the opportunity to conduct research in state-of-the-art laboratories, participate in weekly meetings with MIT faculty, and attend weekly academic seminars.

During the summer of 2022, Talyia was accepted into the Evolutionary Medicine Program at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). While there, she examined the pertinence of antibiotic development and the intensity behind developing drugs to properly address bacterial evolution. Due to Griffin’s participation in the program, she was eligible for the graduate fellowship at UCLA. 

Dr. Florence Lyons, Director of the Velma Fudge Grant Honors Program initiated the partnership between UCLA and ASU. She stated, “Talyia is an incredible student and researcher, which is the reason that she was offered tuition-free fellowships at UCLA as well as Cornell University and Purdue University. Cornell University is fortunate to have a student of her caliber enrolled in their graduate program.” 

Once Talyia receives a doctorate degree from UCLA, in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, she plans to become a microbiologist for the United States Department of Agriculture.