![](https://nyas-dev.cleardev.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Durvan-51.jpg)
PhD student
The Scripps Research Institute
The greatest benefit in joining the Academy was meeting and befriending like-minded people from all around the globe. It has been inspirational to see how the peers I met and I have all grown over the years. I was initially invited to be a young member of the Academy and later chose to remain close because I identified with the academy’s ideals and appreciated the continued impact of its programs on aspiring scientists, problem-solvers, and tactful leaders.