Discover how Indiana Wesleyan University equips students for meaningful careers in healthcare, research, and science through Christ-centered academics and mentorship.
When Ella Gearhart arrived at Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU), she didn’t have a plan. She had a passion for athletics, a curiosity about science, and a willingness to explore. What she found over four years at IWU was much more than a degree — she found her calling.
Meet an exercise science major with minors in biology and chemistry. As a student-athlete on the IWU softball team and a pre-healthcare student, her schedule was packed. Yet, she carved out time for one more pursuit that would come to define her academic career: research.
“I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I came here,” Gearhart said. “But I knew I wanted to play sports, and I knew I wanted to find something I could be passionate about.”
That passion began to take shape during conversations with her older sister, also a science major, who shared how exciting and impactful her studies were. That, combined with a natural interest in how the human body works, led her to explore the intersection of exercise science and healthcare. And it was the personal relationships and academic environment at IWU that helped that exploration blossom.
“Every single professor was welcoming,” Gearhart said. “You could just tell the relationships between professors and students were huge.”
In an environment with small class sizes and a tight-knit science department, she found not only access to professors but mentorship that transformed her journey. Her research advisor, Jolie Leonard, became one of the most influential figures in her academic life.
“She’s so intelligent but so down to earth. She gives more grace than any professor I’ve met,” Gearhart said.
With Leonard's guidance, she joined a team working in an HIV research lab – an opportunity that might surprise those who assume such work is reserved for grad school.
Soon, Gearhart found herself doing the kind of work most students only read about.
“We’re studying protein-protein interactions that affect the immune system's response to HIV,” Gearhart said. “In the fall, we’ll be using a non-infectious live virus to test how different constructs affect infectivity.”
It sounds advanced because it is. Through the Hodson Research Institute, she gained real-world experience in molecular biology, learning techniques like kinase assays, protein extraction, and gel electrophoresis.
“With research, you have to know your stuff inside and out,” Gearhart said. “It’s not just reading about lab techniques in class, you’re doing them.”
For Gearhart, it all ties back to a higher purpose.
“Even if we’re not curing cancer, it feels like it matters,” Gearhart said. “Especially at a Christian university, everything we do is purpose-driven. It’s about helping and healing people.”
To any freshman or prospective student considering the Hodson Research Institute, her advice is practical and passionate.
“Start small. Join a lab for a semester, just a couple of hours a week. See if you like it. If you do, Hodson is a great next step. It’s a full-time job, but it’s a great way to ask yourself, ‘Could I do this for my life?’”
Her typical day includes lab prep at 8 a.m., running assays, analyzing data, updating lab notebooks, and creating research posters. Some days are packed; others involve long incubation waits and quiet reflection. But every day, she knows she’s part of something meaningful.
This student’s story embodies what Indiana Wesleyan University is all about: a Christ-centered academic community committed to developing students in character, scholarship, and leadership.
Through mentorship, rigorous academics, hands-on research, and faith integration, IWU helped Ella Gearhart discover not just what she wants to do, but who she wants to become. For her, that makes all the difference.
Discover how Indiana Wesleyan University equips students for meaningful careers in healthcare, research, and science through Christ-centered academics and mentorship.
