Rice University senior Isabella Bourtin begins most mornings the same way lately: with GRE vocabulary and practice problems spread across her desk. A health sciences major at McMurtry College, Bourtin is preparing for graduate school while finishing a packed final year that blends research, upper-level coursework and time with friends.
On a recent weekday, that rhythm carried her from early studying to the lab of biosciences professor Michael Gustin where she has worked since her freshman year.
“I’m part of a few labs, but this one is my biology lab,” Bourtin said. “I love what I’m doing, and it’s just so much fun that I’ve decided to keep it.”
Her afternoon schedule reflects the direction her interests have taken. Bourtin attends HEAL 313, which focuses on professional development in the health sciences, followed by PSYC 362, a cognitive neuroscience course that connects biological systems with human behavior.
“My freshman and sophomore years, I thought I was premed, and then I started getting into clinical research,” Bourtin said. “I realized, ‘Oh my gosh, I love psychology research. I want to do this forever.’”
Now as her senior year unfolds, Bourtin said she is focused on the next step: applying to clinical psychology doctoral programs and building on the research foundation she developed at Rice.