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Dr. Bala read “Comet” by Dr. Carl Sagan when she was probably in middle school. The book captured her imagination and she was fascinated by astronomy. Over time her curiosity led her to physics and ultimately becoming a Professor of Physics at Roanoke College, VA.

On our podcast, Dr. Bala joins us on our podcast to talk about her background in academia, Physics and Research, Importance of doing UG Research, About CCL and commitment to UG Research, and finally Advice for High Schoolers.

In particular, we discuss the following with her: 

• Dr. Rama Bala’s Background
• Academia
• Importance of UG Research
• About CCL

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Introducing Dr. Rama Bala []
• Hi Fives - Podcast Highlights []
• Professional Background []
• Why Physics? []
• Choosing Academia []
• Academic & Research Experiences []
• Getting Students to do Research []
• Benefits of UG Research to Students []
• UGR & Career Trajectory []
• Founding CCL []
• What is CCL []
• What’s Next? []
• Advice for High Schoolers []

Our Guest: Dr. Rama Bala, President and CEO, Chance to Change Lives, Pittsburgh, PA. Dr. Bala  has more than 25 years of experience working in academia, most recently as Professor of Physics at Roanoke College in Virginia. Dr. Bala has taught at Stanford University, Harvard University, Georgetown University, and James Madison University. 

Memorable Quote: “I think research really exposes students to develop a new and unique way of thinking when there are no answers, they’ve got to discover for themselves.” Dr. Bala.

Episode Transcript: Please visit Episode’s Transcript.

Similar Episodes: UG Research

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