Naomi O.

Sophomore, BS in Biochemistry (Pre-Med)

Growing up in Ghana, Naomi was drawn to the health sector. She envisioned herself as a surgeon and teacher. The challenge was a lack of role models. “We had arts kids and we had science kids,” she says, “but there weren’t a lot of professional women in STEM fields.” Not a problem at WPI. Naomi’s found mentors and role models in research labs and professional seminars. And she loves how WPI’s project-based curriculum fits her learning style. “Almost everything includes team-based problem solving—just like the real world. Very few undergrads outside of WPI get to work this way every day.”

Hometown

Accra, Ghana

Faculty Mentor

Elizabeth Jacoby, Assistant Director, Academic Advising

Achievements

Crimson Key Tour Guide
International Student Council
Quantitative Neurotechnology Lab Group member

Interests

Alpha Phi Sorority
Education Psychology Lab volunteer

10 am

No need to start the day too early. Great dissection of Milton this morning in our Literature of Sin class discussion.

12 pm

Brought my lunch out to the quad. Sunshine and free coffee from the Interfraternity Council—they’ve always got something going on.

3 pm

Three-hour Experimental Chem lab flies by. Testing pesticide levels on fruit with two of my best friends/lab partners.

7 pm

Finished running a Psych Lab study, now homework. I like to study when everyone else is sleeping, and I love to sleep in.

The way we learn at WPI is a very big part of the experience. The method matches what happens in the real world.

Helping run Psych Lab studies really rounds out my experience. We examine cultural bias, learning patterns, race and gender issues—knowledge that will make me a better doctor.

The seminars for women in STEM are invaluable. I just learned how to argue successfully for a raise.

One of my favorite things about WPI is the quality of the people. It’s not limited to just professors and classmates—all the staff people here truly love helping us make the most of our opportunities.