
December genetics graduate Helen Kiser ’24 has made the most of her time here at Clemson – whether she was performing research, going to football games, volunteering or studying with friends at the library.
Originally from Maryville, TN, Helen’s minor was biological sciences, which led her to be a part of Dr. Antonio Baeza’s lab, in the Department of Biological Sciences, where she performed mitogenomic research on marine species.
“In my time being a part of this lab, I’ve been able to publish a manuscript, present posters at many conferences/symposiums, and present an oral presentation this past week at the BioSci Undergraduate Research Symposium.”

In her free time at Clemson, Helen enjoyed trying out a new recipe, painting, finding new hiking spots, spending time with friends and volunteering with the Greenville County Parks and Recreation program Camp Spearhead Weekend Program, which gives fun weekend activities for people with special needs.
“I would say some of my favorite moments here have either been game days or just normal days working and hanging out with my friends in the library (specifically the round tables on “the fifth floor!).”
Helen is currently waiting to hear back from the genetic counseling programs she applied to. Until then, she will be taking a gap semester to take some needed time off and waiting to hear back from the other jobs and grad schools she applied for.
“I want to say a big thank you to everyone part of my Clemson journey for making it as great as it has been! Being an out-of-state student was initially quite daunting, but the tight-knit nature of the department gave me the opportunity to make many friends-for-life!”