Twin Biology Majors Net Prestigious Fellowships

Biology apparently is destiny, at least for twin sisters April and Kim Barnum, Fordham College at Rose Hill juniors, both of whom are biology majors, and both of whom spent the summer in Germany on prestigious DAAD RISE fellowships.

Barnum & Barnum studied at Universität Bayreuth under the German Academic Exchange Service (in German, Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst—DAAD) Research Internships in Science and Engineering (RISE), which gives undergraduates the chance to work with doctoral students for a summer, including the opportunity for hands-on experience in the field and laboratories.

Donna Heald, Ph.D., associate dean for science education and director of pre-health professions advising at FRCH, called the juniors "amazing students and delightful people."

Kim Barnum is in the pre-medical program at Fordham and plans to medical school. This summer she researched “Selective Use of Plant Provenances: A Potential Tool for Climate Change Adaptation?” Her major area of interest is biogeography.

April Barnum plans to minor in chemistry. This summer she conducted research on the microbially catalyzed formation of thioarsenic species during the dissolution of arsenic-sulfur minerals. She also presented at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) last week in Washington, D.C., a rare honor for an undergraduate.

Both April and Kim blogged about their experiences in Bayreuth (see links above). In the image above, the pair are preparing to descend into an old mineral mine in Seiffen. April is on the right. The Sisters Barnum will be joined at Fordham by their younger brother, Ricky, who will be entering Fordham College at Rose Hill as a freshman in September.