"Currently, I am final year PhD candidate at the Engineered Biomaterials Research Lab at the University of Vermont. My PhD research is on cultivated meat, which is the process of creating meat from animal cells instead of from whole animals. Ever since I learned about this field, I have been obsessed with cultivated meat, so much so that I decided to pursue a PhD in it and got a chance to present my research at some of the best conferences in the world and was featured on the UVM home page with an article on my research (https://www.uvm.edu/news/ovpr/cultivating-meat-sustainable-future). However, I have always wanted to learn how this kind of research is done in the real world. Hence, this summer, I decided to move to California to do an internship at one of the best cultivated meat companies in the world called Prolific Machines (https://www.prolific-machines.com/). This was truly a dream come true, as I got a chance to work with some of the most renowned scientists in my field. At my internship, I worked in the materials and bioprocess engineering departments and got the unique opportunity to strategize the company's next product with the executive team, including the CEO, CTO and the CSO. Most of my work revolved around the lab, so in this photo, I can be seen taking a short break from my lab work, standing in front of a blank background. As the company's technology is super secret, I could not take a photo with any equipment in the background. I am really grateful to have been awarded this opportunity and would like to thank UVM and especially Holly Fosher in the Career Center for helping me during my application process."