Angela Gao

As a kid, I drew cartoons and comics nonstop but relegated it all to a hobby when I was told that art was no way to have a career. I settled for my other love and received a B.S. in biological sciences from the University of California, Irvine. I learned throughout my time in undergrad that the most satisfying part about science, aside from the science itself, was being able to coerce other people into seeing its magic. I did this often by making little cartoon drawings to simplify more complicated ideas and shoving them into the hands of roommates and friends. After exploring different kinds of science communication, I realized that my art hobby definitely did not have to be a hobby and I landed at BVIS with a mishmash of brilliant artist scientists who also didn’t exactly fit one profile or another.

Since starting at BVIS, I’ve stuck my hands into several cadavers, learned about visual learning and thinking, and joined a band named after an anatomy mnemonic for the muscles of the posterior compartment of the leg. Right now I’m just starting to explore the different opportunities in the graduate program, including modeling, animation, illustration, programming, and a variety of other things I’ve never even thought I could be doing. I am stepping out of media that I’m comfortable with and into new ones and it feels a bit like learning a new language (in some cases it literally is learning a new language). It’s daunting but I’m also terribly excited. I’m lucky to have really excellent classmates and faculty who are happy to help me navigate through.

The future is honestly still fuzzy right now but I think it would be neat to help integrate new media and 3D technology into science and health education in a more seamless and accessible fashion. Also, I’ve never stopped making comics; it’s my secret dream to make science comics for kids who might not otherwise have any interest in it and bring them closer to a discipline that thrives on new and diverse ideas.