Angel Lima Hernandez

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Meet Angel Lima Hernandez, a 4th year Chemistry major. Angel is a participant in the California Alliance for Minority Participation (CAMP) program, an NSF-funded program whose goal is to enhance diversity in the STEM fields by supporting students from historically underrepresented groups. We had the chance to ask about Angel’s research experience at UCLA:

1. How did you first get involved in your research project?

Before contacting professors, I participated in URC Research Workshops and Newsletters to understand how to get involved with research. I then contacted professors whose work I found interesting, and Professor Sarah Tolbert kindly responded. Professor Tolbert involved me in my current project, a joint one with Professor Sarah Tolbert and Professor Richard Kaner, which I have been working on since Winter 2023. My project involves studying the inverse Hall-Petch effect in superhard transition-metal diborides.

2. How would you describe your research experience at UCLA?

My research experience at UCLA has been fantastic. I am very happy that I get to work on a long term project that I can call my own. By reading papers, asking questions, and learning from my mistakes, I have been able to obtain a strong knowledge foundation that enables me to excel in my work. The research experience at UCLA has shown me the nuances of a Ph.D program, and has given me the confidence that I can do well in one.

3. What is one piece of advice you have for other students thinking about getting involved in research?

One piece of advice is to identify your specific interests in a field. For example, I am particularly interested in materials/inorganic chemistry. Once you are able identify your specific interests, you can go ahead and search for labs that align with your interests. Then once you are in a lab, you have the curiosity to learn all about your project and push the research forward.

4. Have you attended a conference before? If so, can you describe your experience on preparation, presenting, etc.?

Yes, in August 2023 I attended the Summer Programs for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) Symposium, where I talked about my research over the summer. My overall experience for this Symposium was rewarding. The main struggle during the preparation process was delivering the talk in a calm and professional tone. However, after plenty of practice with the CAMP director Dr. Jorge Avila and my fellow CAMP scholars, the talk ultimately went well. The continuous practice helped me gain a new confidence in my ability to talk science, and therefore my overall ability as a professional scientist in training.

5. What are your future career goals?

My career goal is to become a lead scientist in industry with a Ph.D in Chemistry. I hope to have more of a leadership role while also performing my own research.

Ryan Wong

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Meet Ryan Wong: a sophomore in the pre-Computational and Systems Biology major, an interdisciplinary major at UCLA. This past summer, Ryan was part of the 2023 URC-Sciences Summer Program, a 10-week opportunity for UCLA undergraduates to undertake research with a UCLA faculty and receive professional development through workshops and seminars. We had the opportunity to hear more about Ryan’s research experience at UCLA:

1. How did you first get involved in your research project?

Few other organs in the body are as important as the brain; it controls everything! Isn’t that interesting? So many things can damage it but we don’t have any reliable methods of healing or prevention. That’s why the Geschwind Lab’s research in neurological disorders caught my eye as I looked for opportunities for my sophomore summer. I reached out and quickly found a positive and supportive work environment where I learned about different modern computational techniques and applied them to the research project I’m working on now.

2. How would you describe your research experience at UCLA?

I can only say that it’s been a blast! Conducting research in science is remarkably different from studying science in a classroom. My lab and research have given me a space to freely make mistakes, to grow, and explore topics that I find myself continuing to ask questions about! I’m fortunate to have a great mentor who supports my personal and professional goals, and it’s only allowed me to grow my experience in academia even more.

3. What is one piece of advice you have for other students thinking about getting involved in research?

So many people experience imposter syndrome when they first get involved in research. But it’s important to realize that everyone starts from somewhere. Whenever I face these struggles, I remember that the only way I can grow is by challenging myself, and that I can rely on my mentor to guide me.

4. Have you attended a conference before? If so, can you describe your experience on preparation, presenting, etc.?

As part of my last research program, I presented at a poster presentation among my peers. It’s definitely a nerve-wracking experience and I couldn’t help but compare my project with the others’. Thankfully, my mentors were there to help and support me throughout the way, giving me a fresh perspective on my presentation and helping me anticipate questions. When it finally came time to present, I was no longer nervous and actually realized that presentations are an amazing forum for scientists to share their ideas, meet like-minded individuals, and become interested in the research in and out of their field!

5. What are your future career goals?

I hope to pursue an MD-PhD and one day contribute to improving the health of our communities!