In Part 1 of the Working 1:1 video series, Emily Lin ’09 and Drew Cressman (biology) discuss how they worked together to research crucial immune system proteins in the Summer Science Program, and how Drew is now helping Emily apply to graduate school in molecular biology.

Emily Lin

After attending a science-focused high school, Emily Lin came to Sarah Lawrence thinking, "No more science," concentrating on psychology instead. But she took Drew Cressman's genetics class, and "I fell back in love with science," she says.

Emily signed up twice for Drew's summer internships—during which she spent 10 week experimenting with proteins and studying the molecular regulation of the immune response. "I got to play around with many new things, learning techniques I'd never used before," Emily says. "I had so much fun isolating proteins and subcloning and then doing experiments."

When her initial don, a social psychology professor, went on sabbatical, Emily asked Drew to take over. According to Drew, who teaches molecular biology, genetics, and cell biology, transferring is no big deal: "Half my donees are students who started in other first-year studies and migrated to biology."

Drew helps Emily craft a program by advising her on course selection and graduate studies possibilities. As her current seminar instructor, he also counsels Emily on her conference work—developing an educational game to teach cell biology. But their relationship, while intensive, is far from formal. "We meet as don and donee, but not on a set schedule," says Emily. "Mostly I just poke my head in and ask if he has time."

Drew Cressman

Drew holds a B.A. from Swarthmore College and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. He has a special interest in the molecular basis of gene regulation and the control of gene expression, specifically focused on the control of antigen-presenting genes of the immune system and the subcellular localization of the regulatory protein CIITA Drew is the author of papers on mammalian liver regeneration and CIITA activity, and the recipient of grants from the Irvington Institute for Biomedical Research and the National Science Foundation. He has taught at SLC since 2000.