Name:
Sofija Djukic
Organization:
University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History
Position Title:
Undergraduate Research Assistant
> About:
Sofija is a rising senior at the University of Florida(UF), double majoring in Biology and Psychology with a minor in Entomology. After graduating from UF, Sofija plans to attend medical school. She is excited to continue working on Biotechnology research throughout her career.
> BACE and Career Path:
Earning the Biotechnology Aptitude and Competency Exam(BACE) credential helped Sofija get ahead in her classes, especially in labs like Microbiology. Sofija worked as a Teacher’s Assistant for two semesters and taught other STEM students how to do common procedures tested on the BACE such as pipetting, using a centrifuge, and plating bacteria. The BACE credential also helped Sofija acquire her position as an undergraduate research assistant at the Florida Museum of Natural History working with lice in the Mammals Lab.
> Job Description:
Sofija’s day-to-day responsibilities include making gels, loading samples and running gels, and using nanotechnology to measure DNA quantities in louse samples. She is also responsible for maintaining a clean workstation and staying organized while labeling the thousands of specimens she works with each day.
> Best Thing About The Job:
Sofija shared that the best part of her job is collaborating with people from a wide range of backgrounds and levels of laboratory experience. She enjoys how everyone supports one another in different areas to keep the lab running as efficiently as possible.