Ethan Hobbs
Ethan Hobbs
Class Year
’18
Current home
Boulder, Colorado
Major(s)
Physics and Mathematics
Current Position
Ph.D. Student at University of Colorado-Boulder
Carthage alumnus Ethan Hobbs graduated in 2018, majoring in both physics and mathematics. He is a graduate student in the University of Boulder-Colorado’s Interdisciplinary Quantitative Biology program, where he learns to solve biological problems by cross-training in quantitative sciences. His first year requires him to rotate in labs across disciplines, including mathematics, mechanical engineering, and ecology labs, to learn new ways of thinking.
While at Carthage, Mr. Hobbs received the John Hay Presidential Scholarship, Marie and John Sladek Scholarship, and was a Pi Mu Epsilon Honors Society member.
Mr. Hobbs highly values the time he spent at Carthage forming mentorships with his professors.
“I had wonderful mentors in Professor Haley Yaple and Professor Jean Quashnock, who helped guide me through my time at Carthage,” Mr. Hobbs said. “I spent a lot of time in Prof. Quashnock’s office talking about science, career paths, and life. Dr. Yaple’s connections led me to a summer research experience at Harvard, which completely changed both my career aspirations and research interests. I would not be where I am today without their mentorship.”
What have you enjoyed most about your career?
“I have loved experiencing the diversity of ideas inherent in an interdisciplinary program. I am part of a group of students who come from very different academic backgrounds, from biochemistry to pure mathematics, who approach problems in a multitude of ways. It is refreshing to be able to collaborate with them and to learn from their ways of thinking.”
How did Carthage prepare you?
“I had the opportunity to take a wide breadth of classes in both math, physics, and a little bit of computer science, which gave me a very large skill base to apply to new areas of science. The thesis classes in both math and physics had a large emphasis on presenting, which has really helped me understand how to present to diverse audiences. This was important because, as an interdisciplinary scientist, I will have to present all the time.”
What's your favorite Carthage memory?
“The memory that sticks out the most is the trip to Japan I took with the Wind Orchestra. It was a trip of a lifetime that I don’t think I would have been able to take if it wasn’t for Carthage.”
Tips for current Carthage students?
“Reach out to your professors! They might be intimidating at first, but they are a great resource and are always there to help.”