Denison's Laura Romano's STEM career started with a leaf collection
GRANVILLE – Sometimes it’s the small, seemingly insignificant, things that change a life. For Laura Romano, an associate professor in the biology department at Denison University, it was a leaf collection. Really, a bunch of leaves – and a teacher who recognized talent when he saw it.
It all started in a small town a few miles east of the Shenandoah River, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northwest Virginia.
“As a kid,” Romano recalled, “I spent most of my time outdoors, whether in the woods behind our house or in the cornfield across the road. I grew to appreciate the beauty of the natural world.”
“Then in high school,” she continued, “I had an awesome teacher who encouraged me to pursue biology after noticing my enthusiasm for the task of preparing a leaf collection (that earned an A+ despite the accidental inclusion of poison ivy).”
That was enough. After graduating from high school, Romano majored in biology and minored in anthropology at the College of William and Mary. There, during her last semester, life took another turn.
“I was mesmerized,” she said, “as I observed invitro fertilization and how an egg then divided to form an embryo consisting of 2 cells that became 4 cells, and so on…until it was a tadpole!”
“I decided,” she continued, “I wanted to understand the molecular mechanisms responsible for this remarkable transformation of a single cell into a functional organism. My advisor told me I should apply to graduate school, which I had never heard of.”
She worked for a year and then attended the University of Arizona, where she earned a Ph.D. She also completed three years of post-doctoral training at Duke University.
“As a kid, I never dreamed I would become a teacher,” she said, “because I was incredibly quiet. But in graduate school I realized I was pretty good at giving presentations, able to explain the most complicated biological process or concept to a general audience with a bit of a creative touch!”
Romano said her career is now a mix of teaching, research and service, both on- and off-campus. She is, for instance, president of the Granville Education Foundation.
“I love when students stop by my office or lab seeking advice,” she said, “because I’m always eager to help them out with issues, whether academic or personal. Also, I really appreciate the opportunity to model what it means to be a ‘lifelong learner.’”
Much of that has to do with her rural childhood, she explained, when she “lacked friends and family members who understood the career trajectory of a scientist and could provide me with much support/guidance.” That experience, she added, now makes her “more attentive than many others to those in a similar situation.”
“I’m now drawn toward opportunities,” she said, “where I can assist them as an instructor, advisor and/or mentor.”
“I’m not one to sit around and debate issues,” she concluded, “but rather go ahead and just quietly tackle them.”
About the series
This story is part of an ongoing Business Advocate series about women in STEM careers. If you have a story suggestion, email advocate@newarkadvocate.com.