Jacob Hetzke

Hometown: Coatesville, PA

Scholarships and/or Academic Awards: Dean’s List

Hobbies: Playing piano, hiking, and boating

Extracurriculars: FIS Club and Neuman Club

One interesting fact about you: In 6^th grade, I got hit in the face with a baseball twice in 24 hours and made two stops to the emergency room.

Q&A with Jacob

• What are your favorite things about being in this major?
  • I like the friends I’ve made, and I like solving puzzles with science.
• What is the most interesting thing about your major?
  • I like finding out how different people are genetically. A few loci narrow things down to a few million.
• Why did you want to pursue this major?
  • I used to watch Bones and then I found out it was nothing like bones and then found it they were similar. I like that it combines mystery and science, like your own Sherlock Holmes.
• How have your professors and/or staff helped you be successful?
  • Iyengar and Professor Moroose helped me with being a teaching assistant and mentor ships. They also helped me figure out my career path and summer internship.
• What skills and/or knowledge have you gained that you feel will help you be successful in your future career?
  • I learned so much – the basis for genetics, the whole process of how DNA works, and how to express that in laymen terms.
• What are your career goals?
  • Once graduated I would like to go to graduate school and gain practical experience in DNA Analysis. After that, I would like to teach down the road.
• What is your favorite place on campus?
  • People watching in the Lair or the study place in the Oglebay stairwell.
• What is your most memorable moment at WVU?
  • My most memorable moment is the first time I got the wings at Mario's Fishbowl.
• What is your favorite class and why?
  • My favorite classes so far are Forensic Biology and Biological Evidence. Forensic Biology because it’s what I will be doing and Biological Evidence because it’s fun and involves trial and error.
• What experience or class taught you the most?
  • In Molecular Genetics we learned about SNPs. I also have liked learning how one change makes a difference or being able to distinguish one person from another and learning how different forensic biology labs function.
• Why did you choose WVU?
  • I chose WVU because it was the best program I could find for what I wanted to do, I knew I wanted to go to a big school, and when I toured, Dr. Venter told me about the program and showed me all of the labs.
• What advice would you give to an incoming student in the same major?
  • If you’re expecting what it’s like on TV, it’s not. Once you get past the benchmarks, it’s a lot more interesting.