Matthew Warren
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI USA
"The moment you recognize you are significant in your own way is the moment you discover who you are and why you took the road you are traveling today!"
Career Roadmap
Matthew's work combines: Science, Environment & Nature, and Teaching / Mentoring
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Lemoore High School
Bachelor's Degree
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
West Hills College Lemoore
Bachelor's Degree
Animal Sciences, General
University of California, Davis
Graduate Degree
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Auburn University
Doctorate
Nutrition Sciences
North Carolina State University
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Postdoctoral Trainee:
Bachelor's Degree: Any bachelor's degree
Graduate Degree: Recommend doing a master's degree
Doctorate: Any doctorate degree
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
I was accepted into the Marine Biology program at University of California-Santa Cruz but chose to attend junior college in my home town because I did not think I was mature enough to leave home yet.
2.
Graduated from my junior college and transferred to UC Davis as an Animal Science major. Moved away from home for the first time in my life and began to discover who I am and what I wanted to be.
3.
Succeeding at UC Davis with a high "C" average. I was inspired by my nurturing professors who treated me with respect and were willing to talk to me. I decided I wanted to be a professor some day!
4.
Graduated from UC Davis, took a big step traveling across the country to Alabama for graduate school. I was scared but the experience was positively breathtaking as I learned more about myself!
5.
Started my PhD in Nutrition at NC State University. It was nothing like I expected and I had depression issues because I did not fit in with my department. My advisor and I had a poor relationship.
6.
The most important meeting in my PhD program: My advisor and I met to discuss expectations. This was a turning point of my PhD and everything started to go positive. I eventually got a teaching award!
7.
Defended my PhD on March 16, 2020! It took twelve years, a journey across the United States, and meeting an astonishing number of people, but I made a significant dream into reality!
8.
I moved to Madison, WI, in May 2020 to work as a postdoctoral trainee at the University of Wisconsin-Madison! My next step will be applying for tenure-track faculty positions in a few years from now!
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
Your GPA and GRE scores don’t meet our minimum standards for admission. If one or the other was just below our minimum there could be some wiggle room but with both below our standards, I’m afraid that you won’t be admitted.
How I responded:
You are a marvelous person! Focus on who you are, strive to stay optimistic, and remember the journey is more important than the end goal. We all come from various backgrounds and situations. I met extraordinary people with phenomenal achievements. However, I stopped comparing myself to them because I have my own achievements and goals. The moment you recognize you are significant in your own way is the moment you discover who you are and why you took the road you are traveling today!
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
My journey has never been easy but it has been very fulfilling so far! My greatest hurdle was overcoming the barriers that come with being the trailblazer in my family with higher education. I have many supporters who give me courage to keep going!