Roger Gu: The Art and Science of Balance

Roger Gu says he spends too much time in the Granoff Music Practice Rooms. With recent piano upgrades, the rooms are especially tempting. Whether practicing piano on his own or playing clarinet in Wind Ensemble, Roger finds that through music he can relax and forget everything else. 

What else, exactly? Roger is pre-med and a member of the varsity swim team. He says the environment at Tufts gives him “the opportunity to explore everything.” He has worked on a different project each semester through the research track of the biomedical engineering major. “The idea of making things that interact with our bodies fascinates me.” While volunteering in the orthopedic post-anesthesia care unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, he sees devices from his biomaterials and device design courses used in medical procedures. “I’ve seen that the things I’m learning are real and adaptable.”

Roger is grateful that he has found the flexibility to pursue a rigorous major, be a varsity athlete, and still have time for music and volunteering. When he was considering colleges, he didn’t know if he could find that equilibrium—until he met Adam Hoyt, head coach of the swimming and diving program at Tufts. “Coach Hoyt was very clear that he understood the balance between being a student and an athlete.” When Roger visited again and met the team, he knew Tufts “is where I want to be.”

The strength of the Tufts community made his 50 freestyle win at the 2019 NCAA Division III Championships even more memorable. “I wasn’t as excited about winning as I was about all the support— so many texts from friends and teammates, emails from past professors, and Facebook posts from team alumni.” Go ’Bos, indeed.