{"680019":{"#nid":"680019","#data":{"type":"news","title":"From Lab to Classroom: Ida Su\u0027s Impact on Research and Students","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor research scientist Ida Su, the educational journey is more like a marathon than a sprint\u2014a mindset she\u2019s cultivated as a long-distance runner with seven half-marathons under her belt. This philosophy of slow, steady progress carried her from earning a Ph.D. at the University of Washington to postdoctoral training in Gabe Kwong\u2019s lab at Georgia Tech. Here, she focuses on groundbreaking research to treat cancer and prevent autoimmune disorders. Throughout her studies, Su has earned prestigious awards and published 24 papers in peer-reviewed journals. But like any marathon, her journey has come with its share of challenges\u2014ones that have shaped her resilience and drive.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EOvercoming Cultural and Physical Barriers\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESu, born and raised in Taiwan, has worked hard to overcome cultural differences, a language barrier, and a hearing disability - all while tackling the challenges of completing a Ph.D. During her qualifying exams, Su could not hear or understand what the committee was saying to respond to their questions. At the time, she felt hopeless, but with support from her mentors, Su sought medical help for her hearing disability and her communication improved. By the time she left University of Washington, Su gained confidence in her abilities to navigate cultural and language differences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EInspiring the Next Generation of Scientists\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOvercoming challenges contributes to Su\u2019s strength in mentoring others. During Su\u2019s time as a teaching assistant at the University of Washington, she realized how rewarding it is to teach and mentor students. At Tech, Su is a mentor to students like Rustin Harandi, undergraduate student at Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDr. Su has served as a tremendous mentor to me and has poured much time and soul into mentoring the graduate and undergraduates she oversees,\u201d said Rustin Harandi, one of Su\u2019s mentees. \u201cHer hard work and dedication to her students are seldom acknowledged or rewarded to the extent they deserve. Despite this, she remains tirelessly committed to our growth and success. I am incredibly fortunate to have her as a mentor.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EBalancing Research and Recreation\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the lab, Su\u2019s time is typically spent on experiment planning and execution, mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, attending lab meetings, analyzing data, and reading papers. Occasionally, she writes grant proposals for funding applications and research papers for publication.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen she\u2019s not researching or mentoring, Su enjoys long-distance running, working out with Orangetheory, reading books, and exploring new restaurants and coffee shops with friends.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you would like to hear more of Ida\u2019s story, you can view her experiences in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/postdocs.gatech.edu\/search\/node?keys=Ida+Su\u0022\u003EPostdoc Visibility Project\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERecognizing Ida Su for the Postdoctoral Scholar Spotlight\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Recognizing Ida Su for the Postdoctoral Scholar Spotlight"}],"uid":"36249","created_gmt":"2025-01-28 17:39:06","changed_gmt":"2025-01-29 14:37:03","author":"Sara Franc","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-01-28T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-01-28T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676159":{"id":"676159","type":"image","title":"Ida Su, Postdoc Spotlight","body":null,"created":"1738086516","gmt_created":"2025-01-28 17:48:36","changed":"1738086516","gmt_changed":"2025-01-28 17:48:36","alt":"Ida Su","file":{"fid":"259886","name":"IdaSu_PostdocRecognition_2025-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/28\/IdaSu_PostdocRecognition_2025-2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/28\/IdaSu_PostdocRecognition_2025-2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3218667,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/01\/28\/IdaSu_PostdocRecognition_2025-2.jpg?itok=rTU4jXVl"}}},"media_ids":["676159"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/postdocs.gatech.edu\/events-news\/recognition","title":"Nominate a Postdoc"},{"url":"https:\/\/postdocs.gatech.edu\/events-news\/recognition","title":"Postdoc Spotlights"},{"url":"https:\/\/postdocs.gatech.edu\/news\/myth-vs-reality-essential-facts-know-about-postdocs","title":"Postdoc Visibility Project: Myth vs. Reality"},{"url":"https:\/\/postdocs.gatech.edu\/news\/postdocs-share-lessons-learned-throughout-academic-journey","title":"Postdoc Visibility Project: Postdocs Share Lessons Learned Throughout Academic Journey"},{"url":"https:\/\/postdocs.gatech.edu\/news\/celebrating-postdoc-community","title":"Postdoc Visibility Project: Celebrating the Postdoc Community"},{"url":"https:\/\/postdocs.gatech.edu\/news\/meet-women-leading-postdoctoral-education-tech","title":"Postdoc Visibility Project: Meet the Women Leading Postdoctoral Education"},{"url":"https:\/\/postdocs.gatech.edu\/news\/shining-light-postdocs-yearlong-project-concludes-reception","title":"Postdoc Visibility Project: Yearlong Project Concludes with Reception"}],"groups":[{"id":"249231","name":"Postdoctoral Services"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"69901","name":"Postdocs"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sara.franc@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESara Franc\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECommunications Officer\u003Cbr\u003EOffice of Graduate and Postdoctoral Education\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}