Whether you’re a physicist, engineer, or a mathematician, there are various research projects of which you can be a part; with so many choices, it can seem overwhelming to find the perfect fit for you.

I’m a Mathematics and Psychology double major, so when I wanted to venture into research, I wasn’t quite sure where to start. Since research in the field of mathematics seemed daunting to me, I decided to volunteer at the Psychology Brain Imaging lab that was involved in better understanding the mechanisms of the motor cortex. I am deeply fascinated by the workings of the human brain, so I knew I would enjoy the experience, but I couldn’t possibly predict the true effects of my participation. I started with some regular tasks such as loading human subjects into the fMRI machine and making sure the programs that controlled the machines were running correctly, but I was soon propelled into a different world where I used MATLAB to analyze the data that had been collected. I found myself writing code to accomplish the tasks that my mentor wished to achieve, and I taught myself more and more about the program as required. By joining the lab, I was able to learn more about myself and find something that really suited my abilities and interests.

When I left the position, I was equipped with programming experience in MATLAB, a skill which would help me find an internship at the Center for Energy Efficient Materials (CEEM) a year later. I am now working on hands-on research in compound semiconductor nanocomposites and writing MATLAB programs that can help visualize the activity at the nano-level. Although I’m new to the physics realm, I’m really fascinated by the work that I’m doing everyday, and it’s quickly convincing me to try and fit a physics minor into my already hectic schedule just so I can learn more. Hopefully, I can work up the courage to start research in mathematics (maybe even a senior thesis!); I know that I’m learning skills throughout my journey that will make me better equipped for that project.

An initial hesitation with exploring research may be the uncertainty of knowing whether or not you’ll like your project. My experience has taught me that whether or not it’s something that you decide to spend the rest of your career studying, the skills that you pick up in these opportunities are invaluable. The undergraduate research experience is unique in that one still has the time to change through different projects; it allows the freedom to find your niche in the research community so that your passion and interest are clearly reflected in the work you accomplish. The best way to find where you belong is to get involved in a project that really interests you, and you can learn more about yourself from there. Remember: it’s never too early to start!

My first few months in the CEEM program have been pretty interesting. I am working in Daniel Morse’s lab and I am working on a project where I am looking for certain proteins called reflectins. These proteins are involved in iridescence in the giant clam. Not much research has been done looking at the giant clams, but research has been done in the Morse lab looking at the iridescent properties in squid. The giant clam appears to have similar properties, therefore, I am trying to determine if the giant clam has the same reflectin proteins as the squid.

My first impressions of my research project was that it was going to be quite simple and I was almost expecting it to yield some positive results. However, I ended up running into a few challenges and receiving some results that were unexpected. In doing research, many problems often present themselves and it is very important to be patient and keep working to solve these problems in order to be able to achieve desired results. My mentor had me troubleshoot some parts of the experimental procedure in order to try to figure out what was going wrong. We ended up figuring out that too much of certain reagents were being used and these high amounts were exhausting the substrate that is used to produce the signal I am supposed to be getting as a result of my experiments.  I was getting very faint signals in my experiments and this troubleshooting helped me figure out why this was happening. It was very enlightening to be able to figure out what was going wrong and patience was a very important aspect of determining what was causing these problems.

Working in the lab has been both exciting and challenging so far. It has been interesting to work with a new species I have never worked with before, nor even really thought about before. The subject I am researching was new to me in the beginning but learning about it has made me so interested in it. I think that the research that is going on in the Morse lab is so exciting and new, I love the concept and want to keep doing research to learn even more about this species and its iridescent properties. It is exciting to think about how these properties of the giant clam could be used to make energy efficient materials in the future. Being part of the CEEM internship has allowed me to be immersed in a new subject area of research that I have not previously worked in before. I would definitely recommend for those interested in research to try out working in labs in different areas of study because it could open up a new path that you might not have know that you would be so interested in. 

The CEEM internship has been really great so far, I am excited to see what else is in store for the rest of the quarter.

Looking back to the beginning of the CEEM internship, I was hesitant to start research because I believed only the smartest students can achieve success in research. Meeting graduate students and professors changed my perspective about this. In order to excel at research (or almost anything in life) you have to love what you do. I feel this internship has shown me that I need to focus on what I’m passionate about in my studies instead of worrying about logistics.

The CEEM internship also helped me understand graduate school better. Before this summer, I had vague ideas about graduate school. By attending the skills workshops and seminars, I now understand the application process, what stands out in an application and how to determine if graduate school is right for me.

Being a part of the CEEM internship has shown me how my studies in electrical engineering is applied in research and what a future in research looks like. I am grateful to Professor Mishra, Matthew Laurent and all the administrators in the CEEM program who made this internship a great experience.

With every passing day in the lab, I continue to enjoy myself more and more.  I have come to realize that if you do what you love, it doesn’t feel like work at all.

Earlier this week at the “applying to graduate school” seminar Professors Bullo, Low, and Zhao all shared one thing in common — they LOVE what they do.  Actually scratch that, they not only just love what they do; they LIVE what they do.  Each of the panelists gave personal anecdotes explaining how their job was the best in the world (or so they thought).

To be completely honest, I do not know what I would do without chemistry in my life just like the professors and their respective fields of interest.  CEEM has given me an opportunity that courses cannot — they ability to “live chemistry” — that is, I am able to incorporate chemistry into every aspect of my life.  On one hand, chemistry serves as a basis for me to understand and solve challenging problems that come up during research (work).  On the other hand though, I have come to learn that chemistry can also serve as a framework for me to understand the world around me whether I am at work or home.  I am certain that CEEM gave me this opportunity to both do what I love and live what I do.

When I see the world around me, I see chemistry happening — taking place right before my eyes — and I would not have it any other way.