From a young age, Dr. Katelyn (Barnhart) Ponder ’12 wanted to understand the inner workings of the living world. At Keuka College, experiential learning helped her translate that natural curiosity into a career at the cutting edge of genomics.
Genomics is the study of all the genetic material in a living thing – made of DNA or RNA – so scientists can see the whole picture of how it works, grows, and changes over time.
Dr. Ponder, who grew up west of the Finger Lakes in Wyoming, N.Y., discovered Keuka College when she was a junior in high school and a friend encouraged her to visit.
“I fell in love with the lake and the campus, and it felt like a place where I’d be known by name, not by number.”
There was another attraction.
“The Field Period® program was also a major factor in my decision,” she said.
Like every KC student in every major, Dr. Ponder had the opportunity to design and complete four real-world learning projects that helped bring her interests into focus.
As a first-year Biology major, Dr. Ponder embarked on a Field Period research trip to Kenya, where she studied coastal forests and colobus monkeys. From there, it was clear she had a gift and a passion for research.
With the encouragement of her advisor, Dr. Tom Carroll, she spent the next two summers in university laboratories, gaining specialized technical skills and contributing to important studies in the field of molecular biology.
“Dr. Ponder was an ideal student – hard-working, positive, and respected by all her classmates. We’re all very proud of her accomplishments.”
At the University of Rochester, she got her hands on state-of-the-art lab equipment like DNA amplifiers and identified two different proteins in baker’s yeast that can repair damaged genetic material.
Then, at the University of Louisville School of Medicine – under the keen mentorship of KC alumna and past trustee Dr. Carolyn M. Klinge ’79 – she coauthored a peer-reviewed journal article revealing how certain proteins work together to activate cancer-fighting genes in cells.
“As an undergraduate researcher, Dr. Ponder worked closely with Ph.D. students and postdoctoral fellows, and it was a joy to have her in the lab.”
These experiences further catalyzed Dr. Ponder’s love of laboratory research, and after graduating from Keuka College with top honors, she entered a doctoral program at Emory University. Her dissertation proposed a promising two-drug treatment for multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer that affects more than half a million people worldwide.
Shortly after earning her Ph.D., Dr. Ponder joined forces with two Emory colleagues – a biophysical chemist and a business strategist – to establish North American Genomics in Decatur, Ga. With Dr. Ponder as its Chief Genomics Officer, the company provides genotyping, sequencing, and other genome analysis solutions for a broad array of applications, from plant breeding to environmental protection to biomedicine.
For Dr. Ponder, the search for answers is never-ending.
“We’re always looking for new technology and more advanced testing techniques to deliver accurate and timely data,” she said. “I’m really interested to see how innovations in AI will change how we analyze data and how we can harness those insights.”
And her advice to aspiring scientists?
“Always be open to new opportunities.”
It’s a big world. As a student of the natural sciences at Keuka College, you’ll find out what makes it tick. Start exploring today.
