Toby Liss(2002 TA: 2006)

College/Degrees

University of Pittsburgh, BA Linguistics, BS Ecology & Evolution

Employer/Job Title

Teach for America 2008 Corps Member;
KIPP Academy Middle School (Houston, TX) 5th grade science
teacher

Accomplishments

Graduated Magna Cum Laude
Honors College student and scholarship recipient
Phi Beta Kappa
Tel Aviv University – worked in the lab of Dr. Danny Chamovitz. And Ph.D. student Yair Halimi on the role of Arabidopsis CSN in cell
cycle regulation.
USDA Forest service field technician during the summer of 2007
Research published:
S. J . TONSOR, C. SCOTT, I . BOUMAZA, T. R. LISS, J . L. BRODSKY and E. VIERLING. Heat shock protein 101 effects in A.
thaliana: genetic variation, fitness and pleiotropy in controlled temperature conditions.

Testimonial

PGSS had a profound impact on both my academic and social life. I would not have made the decision to pursue degrees in the sciences or experiences in undergraduate research had I not attended PGSS. The sense of communityand kinship I felt there with the other students and the unwavering appreciation for learning and collaborative efforts that thrives in the PGSS community is unlike that in anything else I’ve ever experienced. The program has deepened not only my love for the sciences, but for quality education as well. I returned to PGSS as a TA because of the inspiration I felt there as a student, and I believe the same is true of the other returning employees. Today, as a corps member of Teach for America, I teach 5th grade science in Houston, TX. I work for a charter school called KIPP Academy, part of a national network of college preparatory charter schools that serve low-income students. It is as a direct result of participating in PGSS that I followed these paths and became the person I am today.