“The emphasis on programming with instrumentation and the close connections with industry the Coon lab had were really heartening to me...“

“I learned how to be a mentor from my great mentors and teachers in the program.”

“I applied to UW because they have a top-quality biochemistry program, but it was the visit that really sold me on attending.”

“I learned how to be a self-starter—that no idea is bad, but an idea has to carry weight and momentum to be carried through to see it to the end.”

“I fell in love when I visited and had to come.“

"My time in the lab prepared me to look deep into the data to see what conclusions can be drawn when the results are unexpected."

“I’m tremendously excited for the next stage and at the same time tremendously appreciative for all the opportunities I had in the Coon lab“

“In grad school there’s a general emphasis on process, but one thing that’s unique about the Coon group is the expectation for production.”

“I learned how to see a problem from many viewpoints and to articulate my viewpoint to effectively make an argument for something I feel strongly about.”

“What I really enjoyed about the Coon lab was the collaborations that put you as a student in the position of the driver of a project with outside collaborative colleagues—that made for a really good experience because you had to take on some responsibility to manage the role of communicator towards the collaborators.”

“Altogether, I cannot speak highly enough about what I got out of the Coon lab, its high profile research that allows you to work on the cutting-edge.”

“I was impressed with the lab’s ability to tackle big problems, generate meaningful data, and produce high-impact research that really defines the field.”

“Developing communication skills through mentoring has helped me navigate difficult management situations in my current job.”

“The people are motivated and smart. They drive each other to do well in a collaborative way.”

”I came to the Coon Lab to learn more about how MS could be applied to these biological problems.”

“The training, opportunities, and network the Coon lab provided me factored directly into landing my current position.“

“But I was not anticipating the level of attention to detail in various aspects of our careers and research, which I think may be unique to the Coon group.”

“Taking a research project all the way to the presentation stage, was exceptionally useful.”

“I was involved in some really neat, high impact projects while I was at the Coon lab. If you had asked me at the beginning of my grad school career, I never would have thought that was possible.“

“The research is exciting and high caliber…”

“My research in the Coon group directly prepared me for this, particularly the focus on developing instrument methods...”

“I saw the Coon lab as a place where I could pursue my interest in analytical chemistry instrumentation and method development…”

“The group patents a lot of their ideas, which conveys to students the real-world applications of their research.“

“...the highly collaborative aspect of the Coon Group research does prepare its students to be effective communicators.”

“Josh Coon was a great mentor—he always had my best interest in mind.”

“When I think about what my role is as a scientist, I always go back to what is my role as a scientist in society.”

“I loved the opportunities to collaborate with other research groups and industry researchers.”

"Getting to organize and lead collaborative projects is great experience for probably any job you’re going to get outside of grad school."

“I’ve always been interested in mass spectrometry because it’s conceptually a very simple technique but extremely general and powerful.”

“I was drawn to UW because all of the students I met on my visit seemed so happy, and because there were so many collaborations—not just within the department but also across the university.“

“Especially in the context of the covid-19 pandemic, I found value in the contacts and networking that had built up through the years in the Coon group during my search for postgraduate career—those relationships can get you through and present opportunities that might not have been apparent.”

“Working with Josh Coon and his group gave me a one of a kind opportunity to do cutting-edge proteomics research.“

“I think the most important thing that any Ph.D. program can do for you is to train you to be a scientist.”

“The group has a natural inclination for branching out into diverse research projects and continues to explore new areas.”

“Coon Labs is one of the best when it comes to mass spectrometry.“

“When I was fortunate enough to obtain funding for a post-doctoral traineeship… I jumped at the opportunity to join the Coon Group.”

“...I later realized just how powerful and broadly applicable of a technique mass spectrometry...“

“When I was fortunate enough to obtain funding for a post-doctoral traineeship… I jumped at the opportunity to join the Coon Group.”

“Every day I still think carefully about how to accurately and effectively convey results in scientific and marketing contexts.“

“I enjoy analyzing instrument performance with various types of chemical standards over time.”