Rebecca Tietze

Rebecca is a University Scholars alumna from Corpus Christi, Texas, who concentrated in Biology and Piano Pedagogy and graduated last spring. During her first year at Baylor, she lived in Memorial Residence Hall and has since pursued graduate studies, applying to Biology MS and PhD programs across Texas. On campus, Rebecca was actively involved in the BRH Choir, a Christian choir organization that sings at churches near Waco—as well as Freshmen Engagement in the Honors Residential College, and she attended First Woodway Baptist Church.

Her favorite reading list book was Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. For her undergraduate thesis, she researched the genetic variability in toxin production within a species of cyanobacteria. Beyond her coursework, Rebecca broadened her academic and global horizons through several notable experiences: she spent a semester abroad in Dublin, Ireland, where she conducted research at University College Dublin and traveled to 14 different countries, and she completed a summer internship with the Baylor College of Medicine researching the inflammatory effects of bile acids on the liver in cell culture and piglets.

Reflecting on her undergraduate journey, Rebecca shares this encouraging advice with new students: “The University Scholars program can be tough, but it is also so rewarding!”