Marie Wei
Marie Wei
Marie’s Bio:
Salvēte/Χαίρετε! My name is Marie Wei, a rising senior at Johns Hopkins University double majoring in Molecular & Cellular Biology and Classics. I feel a great sense of belonging in both academic areas, and I hope to use my voice to inspire people and encourage their devotion to their respective passions.
Translation is the phrase I would use to summarize my life passions. I study translation in biology, which refers to the conversion of mRNA into protein. By utilizing a microscope, I can observe the dynamics of translation in human cells. As someone who embraces the idea of 'seeing is believing,' I believe the best way to produce great science is to interpret what we have observed and pass the inspiring knowledge down in written forms like research papers.
Translation is also what I enjoy the most as a Classics undergrad. I studied Latin throughout high school and have managed to master ancient Greek in college. I love reading Classical texts, and I especially enjoy translating Latin and ancient Greek. While the microscopy images I collected in a lab are data for science, texts written by people in antiquity are valuable data for humanistic thought. I examine this data by parsing out sentences word by word and recording my perception of the material through translation. While varied versions of translation might insinuate distinctive processes of scholarly thinking, the diversity itself is exactly what we need for the history of our era. Therefore, I find Classics a welcoming field for everyone. Whether you are enthusiastic about Classical philology like me or simply interested in observing the evolution of humanity through reading translated texts, you will find joy in the world of Classics. You will become a key member of the field who not only receives the history that gets passed down but also creates a new history that inspires the future.
Marie’s interview:
