ESP Biography



GEORGINA DORMINY, A biology major since tenth grade.




Major: Biology

College/Employer: MIT

Year of Graduation: 2014

Picture of Georgina Dorminy

Brief Biographical Sketch:

As a kid, I was pretty normal. I painted, played the recorder and loved literature. Then Biology hit and I realized it was all I wanted to do (though I still love literature). I love studying human diseases, especially microbial ones, but I have a thing for Marine Biology, too. If you come up to me with a Bio question, you will have made my day!

When I'm not working on homework or I'm not in the lab, I'm a cheerleader, resident Hungarian international student and that person who brings up bacteria in dinner conversations.



Past Classes

  (Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

S8022: Cholesterol! in Splash! 2013 (Nov. 23 - 24, 2013)
Did you know that there is a genetic disease that causes extremely high cholesterol levels, where patients are at risk of a heart attack before their teens? You have probably heard about cholesterol in food, but how does it work on a cellular level? In this cell biology class, we will look at how cells sense and respond to cholesterol, and what happens when these response mechanisms are faulty.


X7144: Treasure Hunt! in Spark! 2013 (Mar. 16, 2013)
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find a long hidden treasure on the MIT campus. In teams, you will work to decipher clues to lead you to the final location. Note: if you participated in Treasure Hunt at Splash, don't register for this one, it will be too similar


S6313: The fishing game in Splash! 2012 (Nov. 17 - 18, 2012)
Come learn about fishing techniques and the environmental effects of overfishing, then try your hand at managing a sustainable fishery with your classmates.


S6314: A day in the life of a coral in Splash! 2012 (Nov. 17 - 18, 2012)
Have you ever seen pictures of beautiful coral reefs? Ever wondered how they are made? In this class you will learn about the biology of coral polyps, the tiny animals that make the coral. You will also learn to use a special technique that scientists use to go back in time and learn about a coral's past.


X6317: Treasure Hunt! in Splash! 2012 (Nov. 17 - 18, 2012)
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find a long hidden treasure on the MIT campus. In teams, you will work to decipher clues to lead you to the final location.


S6577: History of surgery in Splash! 2012 (Nov. 17 - 18, 2012)
Surgery is a high-tech endeavor today, but it was not so even a hundred years ago! Come learn how current neurosurgery evolved from people sticking stakes into each others' heads in prehistoric times, why you're unlikely to get a life-threatening infection when you go to the dentist, and how STDs helped develop plastic surgery as we know it today.


S6601: Deep Sea Biology! in Splash! 2012 (Nov. 17 - 18, 2012)
Ever wondered how deep in the oceans you can find life? What kind of creatures live in crevices as deep as the height of Mount Everest? And how do they get food down there? We'll answer all these questions and more!


S6656: Human Reproductive Physiology in Splash! 2012 (Nov. 17 - 18, 2012)
This fast-paced biology class will explore the physiological basis of human reproduction, focusing the generation of gametes -- sperm and egg cells. We will also discuss other functions of sex hormones in the body, and briefly consider the biology of pregnancy.


S6668: How to read science papers in Splash! 2012 (Nov. 17 - 18, 2012)
When scientists discover something cool, they write a "paper" about it. Papers are different from any form of writing you're likely to have seen before, and knowing how to read them, and read them well, is crucial for understanding current science research. Through examples from biology, we'll see how a paper is structured, and how you can decode it. Examples include, but not limited to, Mendel's paper reporting inheritance patterns, Watson and Crick's paper on DNA structure, and a recent paper on chimeric rhesus monkeys.


H6671: Catholic FAQ in Splash! 2012 (Nov. 17 - 18, 2012)
Did the media attention about the health care mandate spark you curiosity? Ever wondered what the Catholic Church actually teaches about contraception? Sex? Priestly celibacy? Transubstantiation? The Saints? Anything else? And does anyone even follow these teachings anymore? In this class we will explore common questions about Catholic doctrine. Students will be able to choose from selected topics, or pose their own questions.


S4917: Human Reproductive Physiology in Splash! 2011 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2011)
This fast-paced Biology class will explore the physiological basis of human reproduction, focusing the generation of gametes -- sperm and egg cells. We will also discuss other functions of sex hormones in the body, and briefly consider the biology of pregnancy.


S4829: Introduction to Ecology in ESPrinkler Summer 2011 (Jul. 10 - Aug. 21, 2011)
How do we explain the changing numbers of fish every year? How come mosquitoes seem to disappear one year and launch a full-scale attack the next? Why aren't there more rabbits than foxes? How would you go about doing experiments in ecology? Come and find out how to answer your own questions like those above. No prior knowledge necessary, only interest and enthusiasm!


S4536: Deep Sea Biology in Spark! 2011 (Mar. 12, 2011)
The bottom of the ocean. Deep, dark, cold and barren of life, right? Well, there might be more things living there than you could imagine! Come, find out about these freaky organisms and the place they call home.


S4537: Ecology in Spark! 2011 (Mar. 12, 2011)
Do you ever find yourself wondering how a lake turns into a field, or a field into a forest? Why are there more gazelles than lions? Why are there a lot of mosquitoes around one year and almost none the next? In this class you'll learn the basics of ecology using animal and plant examples and find out how to answer your own questions like those above.


S4538: Introduction to Organic Chemistry in Spark! 2011 (Mar. 12, 2011)
There is an entire field of Chemistry devoted to the study of the compounds of a single element: carbon. You have thousands of organic compounds in and around you right now. Life could not exist without these and the reactions they undergo. Organic Chemistry is used by chemists, biologists, engineers, doctors, cooks, janitors... to be honest, everyone. This class is going to be a fast-paced introduction to this vast field.


S4144: Deep-sea biology in Splash! 2010 (Nov. 20 - 21, 2010)
Ever wondered how animals survive thousands of meters underwater? Why would anything want to live there, anyway? With no light, photosynthesis and a very limited amount of oxygen, is the deep ocean really able to accommodate a whole ecosystem? Come and find out!


N4861: AP Biology in Delve 2011-2012 (Sep. 18, 2011)
The AP Biology course is designed to be taken by students after the successful completion of a first course in high school biology and one in high school chemistry. It aims to provide students with the conceptual framework, factual knowledge, and analytical skills necessary to deal critically with the rapidly changing science of biology. The two main goals of AP Biology are to help students develop a conceptual framework for modern biology and to help students gain an appreciation of science as a process. The ongoing information explosion in biology makes these goals even more challenging. Primary emphasis in an AP Biology course should be on developing an understanding of concepts rather than on memorizing terms and technical details. Essential to this conceptual understanding are the following: a grasp of science as a process rather than as an accumulation of facts; personal experience in scientific inquiry; recognition of unifying themes that integrate the major topics of biology; and application of biological knowledge and critical thinking to environmental and social concerns. (from collegeboard.com)


Dissect a rat! in DELVE (Spic)
Ever wondered what the inside of a mammal looks like? Rats are relatively small mammals, but their organs are very ...