IUPUI freshman, biology preprofessional major

Before arriving at IUPUI, Olutope Omosegbon became involved on campus during the summer as a researcher at the Indiana University Institute of Psychiatric Research. The 18-year-old’s goal is to receive training in medicine and work in the health sector of the economy. To accomplish her goal, Omosegbon is a biology preprofessional major and is living with 29 other young women with similar goals in the Women in Science House at IUPUI.

“During my first year, I want to make sure that I am on the right track toward medical school, and I want to be as involved with the campus as possible,” Omosegbon says.

The Women in Science house opened in fall 2005 to 30 IUPUI students in the School of Science. It immerses Omosegbon and the other residents in an environment that is conducive to learning with an emphasis on the particular needs of science students. Omosegbon, who graduated from Pike High School in Indianapolis, says she selected IUPUI “for the fantastic scholarship programs that it has to offer.”
Omosegbon is part of the IUPUI Diversity Research Scholars Program, conducting research with biology professor Dring Crowell. She was named one of the top 50 black high school seniors in the United States by Ebony magazine in June 2005.

While at IU, Omosegbon plans to become a member of the Honors Club, Biology Club, and any cultural clubs that IU has to offer. Culture is important to Omosegbon who was born in Sokoto, Nigeria, and has lived in London and Canada. “These different places with their multiple ethnicities—ranging from Ojibwa Indian and Hausa-Fulani to Malaysian and European—have  shaped my way of life and my relationships with peers, teachers, elders, and family members,” says Omosegbon. “I have learned how to respect other cultures while gaining insight into the changing circumstances of the world's diverse communities."