By Lily Rutherford
Through the generous donations of alumna Carolina Naar, (Ph.D. Food Science and Technology ‘07), the Smith Center was able to host two student interns from the Universidad de los Andes. Naar is passionate about building collaborations between UTIA and her home country of Colombia. Having completed her bachelor’s degree at UniAndes, it seemed natural to help establish the connection between her two alma maters. We’re excited to highlight the experience these two students had while at UT and share the impact of these internships.
Juliana Fernanda Castañeda Lopez is in her final year of undergraduate education. She is double majoring in biology and microbiology and is especially interested in studying topics related to frogs and insects.
Furthering her research experience, she is volunteering in a research group that studies vector borne diseases in Colombia. To finish her thesis for microbiology, she is also participating in another research group focused on insects. Her thesis project concentrates on pests related to corn.
Luckily, it just so happened that this internship opportunity through UTIA suited her studies.
Lopez described the coincidence of how she discovered the program, saying it was introduced during a research group meeting she was absent from, but that she went out for lunch with a friend later who told her about the opportunity. After researching what the program had to offer, she decided to submit her application.
Fast forward to her acceptance to the program and her eventual arrival at UT. Hard at work for all the opportunity required, she gained significant experience while in the medical veterinary entomology lab led by Rebecca Trout Fryxell, professor of entomology and Smith Global Leadership fellow. This lab is housed in the entomology and plant pathology department. Lopez worked as a Student Training Network Intern in the VectorEd program funded through the CDC. She got to conduct team science and her own research, network with other interns in the Ohio River Valley, as well as learn from professionals in the discipline.
After participating in this group, Lopez emphasized how enjoyable she found the aspects involving teamwork. Learning from different members of the lab, experimenting with data analysis, completing field work, and experiencing a new type of workflow than she was used to were facets she appreciated.
She explained a few of her favorite accomplishments from the program.
“I wanted to learn about the taxonomy of mosquitos, how to rear mosquitos, and how to look for them in the field. I was able to do my first poster at an academic conference, and that was challenging for me at the beginning because I didn’t know how to do that.”
Lopez used her poster and took part in the Summer Research Scholars Symposium hosted in Hodges Library. Presenting on campus at an academic event exposed her to future presentation experiences and helped her learn through teaching others.
In addition, she learned valuable lessons about the possible future requirements of her career.
“I learned it is important to be flexible. If I want to be a biologist, I have to be flexible with the places I stay or things like being uncomfortable with the heat when in the field.”
Lopez also commented on the overwhelming yet exciting reality of figuring out life in a new country. She said being able to form relationships with people from other countries with different backgrounds had a positive impact on her. Learning to work in a new lab was challenging since she didn’t know how everything worked, but she emphasized that it was a good opportunity to learn from her mistakes.
Summarizing her experience living in Tennessee, she named local spots like Capybara Coffee and Worlds Fair Park as highlights from her time in Knoxville.
In all, Lopez’s participation in this program helped her experience different aspects of her career in new ways. From living in a new country to learning new skills in a medical veterinary entomology lab, she was given an entirely new perspective on her field.
Stay tuned to learn more about our other UniAndes intern and hear from Carolina Naar about the importance of small acts of giving in achieving a global impact!
Join us to learn more about the global engagement taking place across the Institute at the 2025 UTIA International Showcase on Thursday, September 11 from 12:30 – 2:30 pm on the first floor of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Building. This event will include a highlight of Herbert College’s study abroad programs, the chance to vote on our top International Photo contest submissions, a silent auction item that supports study abroad opportunities, and not just a FREE Capybara Coffee tasting, but also Italian ice! Stop by to celebrate another year working to #GrowGlobal at UTIA!