Page 7 - BUZZ Magazine - Issue #5 Summer 2023 | University of Rochester

WATCH ON PBS THIS SUMMER
Human Footprint

LISTEN ON APPLE PODCASTS
Photo: Day's Edge Productions The Biology of Superheroes

JUNETEENTH REAL CONVERSATION
uofr.us/realconversations

BLACK ALUMNI NETWORK
uofr.us/BlackAlumniNetwork

WHAT SPARKED YOUR INTEREST WHO IS YOUR BIGGEST ROLE MODEL?
IN COMIC BOOKS? I have many role models, but I have to say that my
As a graduate student, I was drawn to mother is the most important one. She has always
“Superman vs. Muhammad Ali” in a bookstore encouraged me. When I was a kid, she told me
window in Harvard Square. I was intrigued and that people can take just about anything from you.
had to find out who won the battle. That launched They can take your money, your power. But, she
my interest in comic books. After an intense day said, once you learn something, it’s yours—you
working on my dissertation, I really liked reading get to keep it. And she underscored that you can
comic books and escaping into another world. actually give away what you know and still keep
One night during that time, I had a dream that your knowledge.
combined science and superheroes, which led
me to start the Biology of Superheroes podcast
with Arien Darby ’07, a fellow comic book fan and
friend I met at Rochester.

Photo: Day's Edge Productions 7