From studying E. coli to riding horses, Stefanie Eben says she has found the perfect mixture of academic and personal fulfillment at the University of Illinois.

Eben, a microbiology PhD student in the lab of professor James Imlay, spoke with MCB's communications team about her love of microbiology and what led her to the program. This spring, throughout the PhD recruiting season, we will be talking more with students about what brought them to Illinois, their research interests, and how they spend their free time outside the lab.