News Article

TOWSON, Md. – Phoebe Calkins has been fascinated with the biology of animals from an early age. That interest was fueled while working at the Academy of Dog Training in Delaware from 2018-2020. She discovered how the lessons from her high school biology class were put into practice by the doctors working on the animals.

“I started researching all the topics based around biology and really liked what I found. That’s when I decided to focus on cellular biology research as a career goal,” said Calkins, a 2021 Cecil College graduate who was accepted into the cellular research program at Towson University.

In her first year at Towson where she has junior status, Calkins’s skills were quickly recognized while researching E. coli’s small protein complexes. Following that investigation, she was accepted into Towson University’s Research Enhancement Program, which allows students to perform independent real-world research. This spring, her work in the lab research this semester, it focuses on identifying pathways that upregulate the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) involved in septic shock.

“I find this type of research fascinating as I am looking into the molecular response that precedes secondary infection during septic shock. My goal is to earn a Ph.D. in biology and eventually work as a scientist focusing on cellular biology. Performing research is the most important thing you can do if you plan to go to grad school. The graduate programs review your research when determining admissions,” said Calkins.

Calkins’ academic career began as a homeschooled student accepted into the Early College Academy (ECA) program at Cecil College. ECA enrolls students in ninth grade, providing them the opportunity to complete their high school diploma while simultaneously earning an Associate of Arts degree in General Studies from Cecil College.

“I had always planned on enrolling at Cecil College at some point, but the ECA programs provided an opportunity to enroll early and gave me classroom experience through my high school years because I was homeschooled. It also allowed me to complete all my core requirements, and now I can focus on my major courses that left, which is nice,” said Calkins. She added, “The structure of the ECA was nice because it gradually introduced me to college course work and succeeding in college. The cohorts were great because I was able to form bonds with my classmates.”

The biology program at Cecil College also provided Calkins with skills that directly transferred to her research at Townson University. Exposure to the College’s cutting-edge technology enabled her to be ahead of the curve in all of her science classes.

“I have noticed that some of the skills I have developed at Cecil, the seniors at Towson don’t even have. I definitely experienced how the skills have transferred to my work at Towson. It has been extremely helpful,” said Calkins, who credits the faculty at Cecil for encouraging her to strive beyond her comfort zone of what she can accomplish. “The faculty at Cecil gets the credit for helping me be where I am today. Professors (Christine) Warwick and (Heather) Cadogan introduced me to the scientific topics and skills that have helped me immensely. Professors (Clarence) Orsi and (Christopher) Gaspare went out of their way to ensure my research papers expressed my research findings in the format necessary to be understood.”

This benefit of this assistance was evident in Calkins’ academic performance at Cecil College. Every semester, she was on the President’s Academic List, a member and vice-president of the Alpha Alpha Theta chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, a nominee for the All-Maryland Academic Team, recipient of the Donald M. Thomey Outstanding Student Award, and she graduated with high honors.

“I am excited and looking forward to the path I am on. If I were to advise someone in high school, it would be to put yourself out there and go beyond your comfort zone. Get involved. Do things you enjoy doing and apply to programs that seem out of reach. You never know what you will be accepted to or what interest you will find. Keep an open mind with what you are doing,” said Calkins.