Influential Woman · Research
Sara Peterson
Graduate Research Assistant, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC
Her Story
About Sara
Sara Peterson is currently a PhD candidate at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC, pursuing a doctoral degree in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology. She first became involved in research in 2015 while pursuing her undergraduate degree when she worked as a undergraduate research assistant. After her undergraduate degree she wanted to continue her education and training so she pursued a masters degree. After completing her master's degree in 2018 she transitioned to full-time job as an engineer in research in industry for nearly 5 years. Sara serves on the executive board and as volunteer coordinator for the Shadow a Scientist organization at UNC, which organizes lab visits and outreach for underserved and rural students from across North Carolina. She previously contributed to similar efforts through the GE Girls Club while employed at GE, bringing underserved students into labs for educational sessions. Sara emphasizes that her career success stems from the mentorship and generosity of time from colleagues, friends, and advisors throughout her journey, and she remains committed to staying in research to solve challenging problems that can improve lives, whether in academia or industry.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sara
01What do you attribute your success to?
I really think back to the mentorship. I have not done anything I've done alone. I've learned everything from people's generosity with their time. It's the friends along the way, everyone I've had the chance to work with and learn from. So much of the success has been because people have been generous with their time.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I once read the phrase, "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are" and it has really stuck with me. Sometimes, we time, energy, resources, etc to go above and beyond. And that version of best is going to look very different than another version of best when we don't have those same things. As long as you're truly doing your personal best, you will continue to learn and grow.
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