Sarah Shibuya, a 2025 biochemistry/molecular biology and biomedical engineering alumna, now is conducting grant-funded doctoral research in neurobiology. It’s work that she hadn’t even considered when she began her undergraduate studies at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
She credits Rose-Hulman’s strong sense of community and encouragement for putting her on a path she hopes will one day pay dividends for the treatment of cardiovascular disorders.
Shibuya began her career at Rose-Hulman focused on a biomedical engineering major, but an internship opportunity she learned about through the Institute’s faculty added to her interests.
“It was really encouraging that professors wanted us to be curious and go pursue new opportunities,” she said. “And if it’s something that’s different than what’s in a biomedical engineering major, go for it.”
That internship required her to work in a lab devoted to cancer research. Shibuya was hooked. She returned to Rose-Hulman with a desire for additional academic opportunities in biology and biochemistry. Her professors encouraged that interest, working with her through independent studies. She added biochemistry/molecular biology as a major.
“I had amazing examples of great mentors at Rose-Hulman,” she said. “They really pushed me to be better in my academics and to make good decisions for myself and my future. I think that impact has really helped me and encouraged me to pursue that type of career.”
Now a doctoral student at the University of Notre Dame, Shibuya received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship to help fund her studies. She’s focusing on how the nervous system supports other organs.
Receiving the fellowship—and following the academic path that led to it—wouldn’t have been possible without the support she received as an undergraduate at Rose-Hulman, Shibuya said.
“I really believe there’s nothing else like Rose-Hulman out there,” she said, “Specifically with STEM-focused education and the amount of support and community that’s there to really help students grow and thrive in their own way and pursue what they’re really passionate about.
“Rose really gives room for students to figure out who they want to be and what they want their future to look like. It’s a fantastic place to be.”