Featured Scholar: Gurneet Kaur
“My name is Gurneet Kaur and I am currently a fourth-year, pre-optometry student in the Smittcamp Family Honors College at Fresno State. I am majoring in Biology and minoring in Psychology and Physical Science. My Biology major and Physical Science minor have prepared me for my future career as an optometrist by providing me with a strong scientific foundation for my future studies. My minor in Psychology has allowed me to gain a better understanding of human behavior and I hope to apply this knowledge when providing vision care to my future patients.
“I have been an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Hawker’s research lab since September 2022 and I have been an honors student in the Biology Honors Program since Spring 2023. When I was exploring Fresno State research labs online, I came across The Hawker Lab which focuses on using plasma to modify the surface chemistry of polymers to control their interactions with the biological environment around them. As a pre-optometry student, I wanted to join a research lab where I could work on a research project with potential applications to the field of vision. I shared my research interests with Dr. Hawker during our initial meeting and I immediately knew I wanted Dr. Hawker to be my mentor because of her enthusiasm and encouragement for my idea to create my own research project with potential applications in vision care.
“With Dr. Hawker’s guidance, I have created a research project focusing on analyzing the surface chemistry and surface roughness of nitrogen plasma-treated silk fibroin films for corneal epithelial tissue regeneration. As of now, we have successfully fabricated a silk fibroin film library with systematically-varied surface roughness and surface chemistry. In the future, we hope to analyze corneal epithelial cell attachment on these silk film surfaces to measure their efficacy for corneal epithelium regeneration. I have presented my research at the American Chemical Society (ACS) Fall 2023 Conference in San Francisco, LSAMP/RISE Poster Session at Fresno State, and SACNAS 2023 Conference in Portland. We are also hoping to publish a paper on this research project in the near future.
“During Summer 2022, I also had the opportunity to participate in the Eye-Q Vision Care Clinical Internship. I worked closely with and learned from many different optometrists, ophthalmologists, and ophthalmic technicians. Some of my daily tasks included assisting with patient history-taking, OCT scans, visual field testing, and pre-injection and post-injection eye drops. I interacted with a diverse patient population and I saw optometrists diagnosing and managing ocular diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and retinitis pigmentosa. This experience taught me that optometry was more than only glasses and contacts. I learned that optometry encompasses life-changing experiences with the potential of preserving the precious gift of vision.
“I also received the 2022 Risa Rodemeyer Global Cultural Scholarship, which is a generous scholarship that Smittcamp scholars can apply for. This scholarship gave me the unique opportunity to study abroad in Spain in Summer 2023. I was able to improve my Spanish skills by completing a Spanish Language course at Cervantes Escuela Internacional in Malaga, Spain. I also learned more about Spanish culture by participating in activities, such as touring a palace in Granada, taking flamenco dance classes, trying new foods, and venturing into local caves.
I also had the opportunity to travel to Tangier, Morocco for a weekend and immerse myself in new experiences, such as riding a camel on the beach and exploring the vibrant traditional markets of Morocco. Participating in this study abroad program provided me with a chance to learn more about diverse cultures around the world while facilitating personal growth and offering new experiences.
“I am also the Co-President of the Pre-Optometry Club at Fresno State. The mission of this club is to promote the field of optometry and assist pre-optometry students on their journeys towards becoming optometrists. In Spring 2023, we were able to work together with HCOP, the Pre-PA Club and the Pre-Pharmacy Club to organize and plan a trip to Marshall B. Ketchum University for their Discover MBKU event. We have also held optometry school admissions workshops for pre-optometry students. We also work on maintaining strong connections with local optometrists and vision clinics.
“I am happy to announce that I have been accepted into the UC Berkeley School of Optometry! My decision to apply to Berkeley Optometry was influenced by their emphasis on providing a high-quality education and an intensive clinical experience through small class sizes and renowned faculty. As a Smittcamp scholar, I have been able to thrive in the challenging yet supportive academic environment cultivated by the Smittcamp Family Honors College. I knew I wanted to attend an optometry school with a similar environment, so I can push myself towards becoming a competent optometrist. I also loved Berkeley Optometry’s emphasis on community outreach to provide vision care to underserved patient populations both locally and internationally. Since December 2021, I have been volunteering with the Tzu Chi See 2 Succeed Program, a local non-profit mobile vision clinic, and I have definitely seen the positive impact of community vision outreach programs on the lives of underserved patients. I was also impressed to hear that Berkeley Optometry is one of the world’s leading vision research institutions. This further piqued my interest because I have had a rewarding undergraduate research experience and I knew I wanted to get involved in research as an optometry student as well.
“I am truly thankful for all of the opportunities the Smittcamp Family Honors College has provided me throughout my undergraduate journey! This program has allowed me to evolve both personally and professionally through everything it has to offer.