Vivian Tomkovicz

Class of 2011, B.A. in Psychology

Where have you worked and/or studied since you graduated from USC?

After I graduated, I moved back to my hometown of Iowa City, Iowa to pursue medical research. I work as a research assistant in the departments of Internal Medicine and Molecular Physiology and Biophysics at the University of Iowa, and my project focuses on cellular mechanisms underlying inherited hypertension. I have a wonderful boss and awesome coworkers, and I really love participating in research. I have also taken post baccalaureate pre-medical courses at the University of Iowa, and will be applying to medical school in the near future.

What was the most beneficial thing you did as a student at USC to prepare you for post-graduation?

My degree in Psychology really helped solidify my future career goals. I was lucky to find a job immediately after graduating, and I believe the research I did at USC during my undergraduate years contributed to that success. I had always been interested in neuropsychology, and during my junior year at USC, I actively pursued research in a neuropsychology lab. I worked with Dr. Hanna Damasio in the Dornsife Neuroscience Imaging Center as a research assistant for two years. My work at USC not only helped me realize I wanted to attend medical school, but also gave me substantial research experience.  I contributed as a co-author to a journal article published in Aphasiology, as well as to a poster project which was presented at a Neurobiology conference. My mentors in the lab allowed me to work with independence, and opened doors to other opportunities: such as shadowing an epileptologist at LA County Hospital, attending neurology lab meetings at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, and observing neuropathology and radiology procedures.  I could never fully express my gratitude to my mentors at USC—they truly were outstanding teachers and were always looking for ways to help me achieve my post-graduate goals.

What course did you enjoy the most?

It is very difficult to pick just one course as my favorite.  I really enjoyed Introduction to Forensic Psychology with Professor Jasmine Tehrani because learning about the intersection of psychology and law was fascinating. I also enjoyed Songwriting with Chris Sampson because it was so different from any experience I expected to have at USC and provided a great creative outlet.

If you were an undergraduate again, is there anything that you would do differently?

If I could redo my undergraduate years, I would be more proactive early on in terms of getting to know professors, pursuing research, and making use of the career advising services provided by USC.  I also might have considered earning a double major or minor in another appealing subject area, such as psychology and law or Spanish. I really wish I took an astronomy class, too!

Have you won any awards, accolades, etc. after you graduated from USC?

I earned the “Making a Difference Award” from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for my volunteer work on a surgical in-patient unit.  I am also co-author on a journal article published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry, as well as co-author on another manuscript awaiting publication. In April 2014, I will attend the Experimental Biology Conference in San Diego to present my research project titled, “Differential Role of Epithelial Na+ Channel Lysines in Nedd4-2 Regulation.”

I have to give a shout out to my dad and my sister—two fellow Trojan alums! Fight on!