Peer Academic Coaching for Biology

Ariana Tucker '24 - PAC Captain

Major: Neuroscience

About me: I love reading, hiking, and hanging out with friends! I am passionate about neuroscience and fascinated by how the nervous system controls essential physiological functions, as well as emotions and higher-level thinking.

Why PAC: The PACs helped me tremendously through both introductory Biology classes, and Intro to Neuroscience. In particular it was helpful to have someone with a different perspective talk through concepts with me. I hope I can help other students as the PACs previously helped me!

Favorite class and why: My favorite class has been Intro to Neuroscience. It gave me great foundational information about how the brain communicates, and processes sensory information.

Academic advice: Figure out what study and learning strategies most effectively help you understand the material. Also, keep track of what things are the most confusing and then ask lots of questions!

Zaye Buanno '24

Major: Biology  

About me: I have been interested in biology since middle school when I first began doing experiments in the lab. Since then, I have enjoyed going more in detail in various fields of biology. In my free time, I enjoy watching movies and listening to music. I also take ballet classes at Skidmore and enjoy dance and exercise.

Why PAC?: PAC has been a great resource for me throughout my time at Skidmore. It is great for anything from studying for exams to just going to have a set time to complete homework. I hope I can provide support for students with a wide range of needs as a Peer Academic Coach.

Fav Class and Why: My favorite class so far at Skidmore has been microbiology. The lab section was especially interesting because we were able to learn about the microbes that are present in everyday life elements such as the air we breathe and the water we drink.

Academic advice: Time management has been especially helpful to me because it allows me to plan out when I will complete assignments and allows me to account for any time I may need to ask questions. PAC is a great resource for this!

Ashley Buick '25

Major: Biology (intended)    

About Me: I love all STEM fields, but biology, particularly ecology, has always been a favorite of mine. In my free time, I love to hike and bike. I also enjoy painting and am trying to take as many studio art classes as I can!

Why PAC?: PAC was such a great resource for me in my freshman year, especially before an exam! I hope I can help someone in the same way other students have helped me.

Fav Class: I really enjoyed Bio 107 lab, even though I don't like molecular & cellular biology. Not only did it give me lots of hands-on experience with lab equipment, but it also helped me learn data collection, analysis, and presentation, which are just as important as lecture material.  

Academic Advice: Drawing diagrams of important processes and concepts has been my most effective strategy for learning and understanding (especially on a whiteboard!). Also, take advantage of office hours!  

Tyler Davis '26     

About Me: Biology has always been my favorite in the sciences, especially Evolutionary Biology
and Animal Behavior. I like to travel, listen to music, and rock climb in my spare time.

Why PAC?: PAC is a great way to connect with other students interested in the same research
and Major as I am. It also allows me to support other students with material I am passionate
about and return the support I received from PAC in the past.

Fav Class and Why? My favorite class has definitely been Evolution. The material was very engaging for me as it isone of my favorite topics in Biology. Learning about the diversity of Evolution’s application and
how it connects with other fields of Biology was also cool. The current professor also gives a lot
of examples (mostly bird-related).

Academic Advice: The best academic strategy I can recommend is to set a definitive goal for
each class and then make a staircase of steps you need to take to achieve it. This strategy is
effective at motivating because now that you have taken time to understand your steps, it’s
harder not to follow through. It’s also a constant work in progress that will help you improve as
you find more effective steps to reach your goal.

Becca Horger '25

Major: Biology (intended)    

About Me: I love spending my time outside and any activity that comes with it. I love biking, hiking, playing basketball and for the times I'm inside, reading and drawing. My love for biology has come from wanting to explore how things work from a macro level down to a micro level.

Why PAC: PAC is an amazing resource that I have been taking advantage of since I first got to Skidmore. I think having your peers help with what you are confused on is very valuable. Chances are they had similar questions at one point and can now explain it in relatable terms. 

Favorite Class: My favorite class would be Bio 107. I loved this class because it goes deep into the micro level of how living things work, which I find fascinating.

Academic Advice: Speak up when you don't understand something. Whether it is going to your professor, coming to PAC, or asking a classmate, don't keep your questions to yourself. You will learn so much more and have a deeper understanding of the material.

Jack Lubitz '26

About me:  I’m definitely a very scientifically-minded person, and I’ve had a deep interest in evolutionary biology for a long time. My hobbies include reading, hiking, and playing sports (especially table tennis and soccer).  

Why PAC?:  I think PAC is a wonderful resource, whether you’re struggling with new concepts, blocking out time to do homework, or looking for a study group—for that reason I’m really excited about the opportunity to contribute! I also take a lot of enjoyment in helping people learn and figure PAC is a great way to exercise that.

Favorite class and why?:  I absolutely loved Organismal Biology. I was captivated by the wildly different forms of life which were discussed, and the course made very clear how extraordinarily complex systems and mechanisms operating within and between organisms can simultaneously be very beautiful.

Academic advice:  I see a lot of people copying presentation slides word for word into their notebooks, but in my experience, your time is better spent really listening closely to the professor and trying to understand the concepts in the moment, stopping only to jot down key details (This especially applies if the professor’s slides are accessible after class!). This, in addition to asking lots of questions, has saved me a lot of time understanding the content in the long run.

Thomas Tao '25

Major: Biology   

About me: I am a truly bacteria lover, especially adoring Pseudomonas spp. and E. coli (WT). In the classroom and lab, I believe I am a wild E. coli. As a microbiologist, I spent most of my day in McDevitt’s lab for my fantastic environmental microbiology projects. I believe bacteria (probably their relatives, archaea) are the most magical thing in the world—they can reduce metal and plastic contaminations. If you see me in the lab, please feel free to say hi, bacteria, except when I am talking to my bacteria! I studied heavy metal & antibacterial resistance, the urbanization of raccoon dogs, the urban influence on avian foraging, parasitology on common yellowthroat, tick-borne cellular pathogens, Anasplama sp. genetic variant, E. coli molecular evolution, and endocrinological osmoregulation. My integrative mind is always open to all disciplines to embrace biological questions!

Why PAC: PAC has a lot of biology (maybe… bacteria?) lovers! At least they are not afraid of me, a coli! I love to talk to the various cell(s) or virus, including Homo sapienswho loves the most magical thing in the world—biology. 

Favorite class and why: I love all biology courses, including organismal biology and molecular foundation of life, taught by Corey Freeman-Gallant and Sylvia Franke McDevitt, my favorite teachers at Skidmore. They are my Dumbledore in the magic world.

Academic advice: Be a biology lover, fascinated by every rewarding moment, no matter what grade you get! Be energetic like E. coli—they can adapt and survive in many conditions! Enjoy the journey in the world of magic! Also, I believe life science is a hands-on experience, for example of my favorite “spells”, WB, FISH, ELISA, PCR, molecular cloning, NGS, and mutagenesis (CRISPR Cas system & site-directed). In other words, if we are a wizard without practicing or creating the spell, we must be squibs. Therefore, I do enjoy being a TA in introductory biology labs to create spells with my fellow wizard.