Thomas M. Ryan Scholars<\/a> program, which awards select students full four-year scholarships along with mentorship and professional networking opportunities. The program is supported by a $35 million gift from Thomas M. Ryan \u201975, Hon. \u201999, and his wife, Cathy Ryan, to strengthen neuroscience education and support high-achieving students.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAs a Ryan Scholar, Marses chose molecular neuroscience for its strong alignment with pre-med requirements and its focus on the intersection of brain science and medicine. \u201cI liked that the science classes were focused more on humans and medicine,\u201d she says. \u201cMolecular specifically aligned very well with pre-med requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At URI, several professors helped shape her academic experience, particularly through courses that asked her to think critically about the ethics and practice of neuroscience. In a neuroethics course, taught by Dr. Jessica Alber, Marses was introduced to complex questions around informed consent and research ethics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Lisa Wyandt\u2019s clinical neuroscience course offered a more interactive, applied approach. \u201cIt was so hands-on and so engaging,\u201d she said. \u201cIt felt like more of a conversation than being lectured at.\u201d With guest speakers, collaborative learning, and active participation, she credits the course with deepening her understanding of the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Outside the classroom, Marses gained extensive hands-on experience through a neuroscience research lab led by Dr. Nicole Logan. She assisted with participant studies, EEG data collection, and neurological analysis. \u201cWe were able to see actual participants come in,\u201d she said. \u201cI helped put on EEG caps and analyze that kind of stuff, which was cool.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She also participated in neuroscience research methods coursework that included lab-based experimentation, such as staining mouse brain samples. These experiences helped her connect theoretical knowledge to real-world application, something she considers essential preparation for medical school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marses has also gained significant clinical experience outside the University. She currently works for an eyelid and facial plastic surgeon, where she assists with patient care and surgical procedures. \u201cWe see about 40 to 50 patients a day,\u201d she said, noting that her role includes both clinical visits and surgical assistance. \u201cOn Wednesdays and Thursdays, we actually get to assist in the surgeries, which is so cool.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Expanding Horizons<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nBeyond academics and clinical training, Marses credits the Ryan Scholars program with broadening her horizons. In addition to financial support and mentorship, it provided opportunities for networking and international study. She spent a semester in Florence, Italy, fully funded by the scholarship. \u201cI was able to take classes that were fun,\u201d she says. \u201cIt felt like I was able to have the full experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Marses, the most meaningful part of her time at URI has been the way it blended academic challenge with personal growth. \u201cIt felt like more than just getting good grades and getting involved to be a strong med school applicant,\u201d she said. \u201cIt felt like I was becoming a better version of myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On campus, that same sense of fulfillment also came from getting involved. Over her four years, Marses served as vice president of her sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha, joined the tour guide executive board, and helped lead URI\u2019s chapter of the National Marrow Donor Program, which recruits students to join the national stem cell donor registry. She also found a close-knit community among the seven students in her Ryan Scholars cohort.
Looking back, she encourages prospective students to remain open-minded about their college choices and experiences. \u201cKeep an open mind,\u201d she said. \u201cYou never know what you might be interested in! URI is what you make of the experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Marses, that mindset has defined her time at URI. What began as an unexpected scholarship interview has become a foundation for a future in medicine \u2013 and a college experience she says she would not trade. \u201cI\u2019m so grateful for the opportunities that URI gave to me,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Through research, clinical experience, and a transformative scholarship program, molecular neuroscience major and Ryan Scholar Angela Marses has shaped her path toward medicine at the University of Rhode Island.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1089,"featured_media":21596,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21595","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1089"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21595"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21595\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21599,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21595\/revisions\/21599"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}