Zala Čok Email & Phone Number

I used to dislike cooking. What does cooking have to do with my career in biology, you might ask? As soon as I drew the parallel between a laboratory procedure and a minestrone soup recipe, cooking became my favorite pass-time. Organization, focus, and the ability to strictly follow a set of rules when needed and listen to one’s gut when necessary helped me both in my private and professional life. Whether out in the field or behind a laboratory bench, biology has always had my heart. This love story was confirmed by my first internship, sophomore year of college. During this internship in plant genomics at the University of Minnesota, I learned how to operate NIR machinery, code in Perl, and analyze data in R-Studio. Simultaneously, I perfected my pasta pesto recipe. My internship at the Grossman lab was likely one of the most formative experiences I've had. It has taught me how to clearly communicate with my supervisors and teammates, and, most importantly, how to be flexible - sticking to plans is one of my best qualities, but field work, especially in Minnesota, does not understand the word ‘plans’. I accomplished my first soil aggregate stability with minimal supervision, and I became acquainted with soil and biomass grinding. Excel became my best friend, and my data analysis skills improved dramatically. When not at work or in school, I took up baking. I was never good at making pie crust. I think it’s because it requires no deviation from the recipe whatsoever. Many tasks that I was in charge of during that internship were the same. Consequently, thoroughly following laboratory procedures is now something that I have mastered and I know can replicate in all my future jobs. Funnily enough, I can now make perfect pie crusts. Junior year of college, I took some computer science courses and discovered a new passion. It was something completely new, very different from my usual recipes. I made a Choose Your Own Adventure game in Python, and developed an Android App that would allow Macalester College students to explore locations nearby, while also providing a forum where students could share their own experiences of various places in the Macalester Groveland area. I am definitely a newbie in software development, but I hope to pursue it on the side of biology. Only having one dish for lunch is, after all, pretty boring:)