Krista Freeman describes herself as “an interdisciplinary scientist working at the crossroads of physics, biology and chemistry.”

How did she arrive at such an exciting intersection? For this National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, the path led straight through Cleveland State University.

“The Honors Program and physics department at CSU paved the way for my success,” said Freeman, who graduated as the University valedictorian in fall 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in physics (honors) and a minor in mathematics.

She’s currently pursuing a Ph.D. in physics at Carnegie Mellon University, where she performs research on physical virology.

Check out CSU’s ENGAGED blog for the rest of the story.