Ege Yalcindag

“I am so so grateful for the teachers and students I had the opportunity to interact with daily at the University of Chicago. To my professors–thank you for teaching me to think differently and for being so passionate in your own fields that your enthusiasm was contagious. To my friends--thank you for making me laugh and for helping me grow.”

Biological sciences major and French minor Ege Yalcindag led the Ransom Notes, an all-gender a cappella group on campus, to the ICCA finals this year for the first time in the group’s history. Choreographing two twelve-minute performances, Yalcindag also won a student leadership award for her work as president of the RSO. 

Upon reflecting on her time in the group, she said one of her favorite memories was when two UChicago (and Ransom Notes) alumni got married in Rockefeller Chapel, and the current members of the group including herself had the chance to perform at the ceremony as the bride walked down the aisle. In addition, she enjoyed singing carols for the patients and staff at UChicago Medicine during her time in the College.

When she was not performing, Yalcindag worked in Dr. Sarah London’s neuroscience lab researching the molecular mechanisms permissive of the onset of tutor song memorization in zebra finch songbirds. She was also a member of the College Editorial Team.

After graduation, Yalcindag will be working in a molecular biology lab at Massachusetts General Hospital researching a gene involved in a pediatric cancer predisposition syndrome.