Megan Williams

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Meet recent UCLA graduate, Megan Williams, who majored in Mechanical Engineering. Megan recently published a paper based on her undergraduate research conducted in Dr. Laurent Pilon’s lab in the UCLA Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering. “Effect of dew and rain on photovoltaic solar cell performances” is published in Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells.

Post graduation, Megan has started working at Abbott as a systems engineer in the Cardiac Rhythm Management division. Her R&D work focuses on implantable medical devices that monitor and manage irregular heart rhythms in patients.

 

How did you first get involved in your research project?

At the beginning of my third year at UCLA I wanted to get involved in a research lab, so I looked into different labs within the Mechanical Engineering department and was interested in the ongoing projects in Prof. Laurent Pilon’s lab. Thus, I reached out to Prof. Pilon and we scheduled a meeting with me to discuss my interests further. I expressed that I was especially interested in performing experimental research, so he partnered me with one of his PhD students, Eylul Simsek, and I began helping with their droplet studies.

How would you describe your research experience at UCLA?

I enjoyed my research experience at UCLA. Through my time in Prof. Pilon’s lab, I was able to gain hands-on engineering and research experience outside of the classroom, which strengthened my overall technical skills as an engineer. In addition, I met a lot of people through my work in the lab and gained mentorship from Prof. Pilon and Eylul.

 

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

My biggest piece of advice is to look into different labs on campus and reach out to any professors or graduate students you’re interested in working with! A lot of people are looking for extra help in their labs, so don’t feel afraid to put yourself out there and reach out.

 

What are your future career goals?

Currently, I’m working at Abbott as a systems engineer in their Cardiac Rhythm Management division. So far, I’m loving my new job and I’m very interested in the innovation currently taking place in the medical technologies field, so my future career goals involve continued R&D work on medical devices.

Indya Weathers

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Meet Indya Weathers, a UCLA graduate who majored in Biochemistry. Indya was recently published as first author for her undergraduate research conducted in Dr. Guillaume Chanfreau’s lab in the UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry. “Protocol for High-Resolution Mapping of Splicing Products and Isoforms by RT-PCR Using Fluorescently Labeled Primers” is published in STAR Protocols. 

Indya is now a PhD student in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics at the University of Chicago.

During her undergraduate years, Indya was a part of our CARE Fellows/IMSD program.

 

How did you first get involved in your research at UCLA?

During my transition from community college to UCLA, I applied to the Minority Science Bridges to the Baccalaureate program at the University of California, Irvine. I worked with the faculty. postdocs, and graduate students to learn how to conduct a research project and perform lab experiments. I was invited to present this research at the ABRCMS 2017 National Undergraduate Research Conference where I met scientists and other students interested in biomedical science. My desire for scientific research grew and I decided to join a lab once I transferred to UCLA. During my first year, I applied for and was accepted into the IMSD program funded by the NIH to conduct my own independent project in the lab of Dr. Guillaume Chanfreau. Through the support of my graduate student mentor, Charles Wang, the mentorship of my PI, and the resources provided to me by Dr. Tama Hasson through the IMSD program, I was able to present my work at various research conferences and gain experiences that prepared me for success in my future research career.

 

How would you describe your research experience at UCLA?

My research experience at UCLA was incredible due to the constant support of the URC Sciences department, the resources provided by the IMSD program, and the mentorship of my PI Dr.Guillaume Chanfreau. I was able to work with mentors and successful underrepresented STEM professionals to gain skills in research, presentations, and leadership which helped me prepare for graduate school as well as my future in research as an underrepresented female in science. I was able to present my research at UCLA Undergraduate Research Symposiums to incoming freshmen in programs for underrepresented students in order to inform and inspire them to pursue research in their careers. I was also able to present at the ABRCMS National Undergraduate Research Conference three years in a row on my projects that I was researching. From this work, I was able to publish my first author research paper which was my biggest accomplishment as an undergraduate because it recognized my hard work and potential to become a successful professional in the field. Overall, research at UCLA was one of the most exciting times in my life and set up a foundation for me to excel in my future career.

 

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

There is no such thing as too early or too late to get involved in research at UCLA. The URC Sciences department provides so many resources available that will guide and support you to find the right faculty and students to mentor you. No matter how much prior experience you have had in research, the professors and students will help you learn the concepts that they are studying, many lab techniques, and the skills necessary to become a successful future scientist.

 

What are your future career goals?

I am interested in many potential careers including academia, industry, and other alternative careers in science. In my future career, I want to provide mentorship to underrepresented groups and provide new ways of increasing diversity and inclusion. Not only do I want to become a leader in the field of research, but also an inspiration, resource, and opportunity for people interested in research to have increased accessibility.

 

What are you doing post-graduation from UCLA?

Currently, I am a rising 2nd year PhD student in the department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics at the University of Chicago. I will soon begin my thesis work studying 3-dimensional protein structures, their dynamics, and their functions. I plan to become a leader among my peers in providing broader access to research resources to underrepresented groups in science. I am excited to contribute to broadening the field of knowledge in the biological sciences and make it available and accessible to a diverse group of students.

Amanda Hagen

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Meet recent UCLA graduate, Amanda Hagen who majored in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology. This past Spring, Amanda was awarded the Undergraduate Science Journal’s Best Review Article for, “Modeling Germ Cell Development to Advance In Vitro Gametogenesis.”

As an undergraduate Amanda was a part of Dr. Amander Clark’s lab in the Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology.

 

How did you first get involved in your research?

I first got involved in research at UCLA through the club Environmental Student Network. I was recommended to join the LA Mammals research group my freshman year at UCLA and spent around a year working on a project studying transmission of the bacteria Leptospira among mammals. After switching my major to Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, I decided to pursue different research opportunities. I discovered my love for molecular biology research after working as a summer research associate at UCSB in the Clegg Lab studying macular degeneration using stem cells. The following year at UCLA I joined the Clark Lab where I have spent the past two years using stem cells to study germline development.

How would you describe your research experience at UCLA?

My research experience at UCLA, particularly my time in the Clark lab, has been the most beneficial learning experience in terms of career preparation and growth as a scientist in all my time at UCLA. I had amazing mentors that taught me everything from molecular biology laboratory techniques to scientific presentation skills. Although, above all I found life-long friendship in the fellow scientists working in the lab.

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

My biggest piece of advice for other students wanting to get involved in research at UCLA would be to join the Biomedical Research minor. This program offers many classes that prepare students for research and most importantly help students get into a lab of their choice!

What are your career goals and/or your plans post-graduation?

After graduation, I am moving to Boston to work in the Biotechnology field. I will be joining the company GC Therapeutics as a research associate and will be researching stem cell therapies. My long-term careers goals are to study molecular biology and bioinformatics in graduate school after working for a few years.

Alexa Terrazas

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Meet recent UCLA graduate, Alexa Terrazas who majored in Geology. This past Spring, Alexa was awarded the Undergraduate Science Journal’s Best Physical Science Article for her article titled, “Evolution of Hydroclimates in Southeast Arizona Over the Past 20,000 Years.” She was also awarded the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship to pursue her PhD in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at UCLA this Fall.

As an undergraduate Alexa was a part of Dr. Aradhna Tripati’s lab in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences.

 

How did you first get involved in your research?

I found Dr. Aradhna Tripati’s Climate and Geochemistry Lab by participating in the Sustainable LA Grand Challenge Undergraduate Research Scholars Program. As a geology major, I became interested in using the geological record to reconstruct past climate states (paleoclimate), which Dr. Tripati and her group specialized in. I contacted her in the fall of my junior year and expressed my interest in participating in research.

 

How would you describe your research experience at UCLA?

Overall, my research experience at UCLA has been an extremely fun and positive one. I was able to get both field and laboratory research experience, which has been invaluable to my training as an aspiring earth system scientist. I was also mentored by graduate student Alexandrea Arnold throughout undergrad, which was an incredible opportunity to engage with more experienced scientists and learn how to use the machines in the lab.

 

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

For students thinking about getting involved in research, I’d recommend looking through the different faculty researchers in your department of interest. From there, read a couple of their papers to get an idea of what kinds of questions they are interested in addressing. Lastly, I’d reach out to those faculty members and express interest in their research as an undergraduate student. Getting started is difficult, but once you do, it’s wonderful!

 

What are your career goals?

I plan to further my education in the earth sciences by pursuing my Ph.D. in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at UCLA in the fall of 2021. I was awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship to pursue my doctoral degree and probe questions that interest me in my field in my research. As an undergraduate, I investigated how atmospheric dynamics that influence the water cycle evolved in the southwestern United States since the Last Glacial Maximum, roughly 20,000 years ago, by using geochemical proxies in concert with modeling to see if climate models are capturing trends that are observed in the geologic record. In graduate school, I hope to continue this work and apply our methodology for the LGM to other geologic periods like the Pliocene, which occurred 5 to 3 million years ago.

 

Jasmine Esparza

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Meet recent UCLA graduate, Jasmine Esparza, who majored in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology and minored in Biomedical Research. She is now studying for her PhD at UC Davis. Jasmine was just awarded an NIH T32 Molecular and Cellular Biology Training Grant. She also recently published her undergraduate research, “Defining a role for GPCR/cAMP/Creb signaling in HFSC activation,” in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 

During her time at UCLA, Jasmine was a part of Dr. William Lowry’s lab in the Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology. As an undergraduate, Jasmine was also awarded the Beckman Research Scholarship, a prestigious award presented to outstanding UCLA undergraduate researchers who are majoring in Chemistry, Biochemistry, MIMG, or MCDB, and who are committed to completing an honors or departmental thesis project with a UCLA Beckman Faculty.

 

How did you first get involved in your research at UCLA?

In high school, I participated in the UCLA Biosciences Research Internship where I worked directly with a graduate student, learned the wet lab basics, and presented my findings to UCLA faculty and students. I absolutely enjoyed this program and I knew I wanted to continue doing research in undergrad. Entering UCLA, I was fortunate enough to be selected to participate in a program called Program for Excellence in Education and Research in the Sciences (PEERS). I didn’t know it at the time, but this program truly jump-started my career in research. With the help of networking opportunities with PEERS, I found a wonderful lab that I thrived in. My graduate student mentor, Matilde Miranda, was a role model and constantly supported me. When I decided I wanted to go to graduate school, my PI, Dr. William Lowry, and Matilde ensured I was taking the right steps to be a competitive applicant, such as getting funding opportunities and presenting my research at various conferences.

How would you describe your research experience at UCLA?

I had a truly wonderful research experience at UCLA. I attribute my positive experience with my lab, the Lowry lab. The moment I realized I want to invest my future into research, I made sure to surround myself with a supportive community and take every possible opportunity I could to better myself as a scientist. I changed my major from Biology to Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology (MCDB) since I knew these classes utilize primary literature to supplement and expand on class concepts. I minored in Biomedical Research, where I learned to communicate my science in oral and poster presentation formats. I participated in research enrichment programs such as CARE Scholars, CARE Fellows, and the MSD fellows program offered by the URC. I also was selected as UCLA Arnold and Mabel Beckman Scholar, which I considered my biggest accomplishment as an undergraduate scientist since my research was recognized at the national level. Overall, research kept opening doors for me so I kept going through them. I am grateful for all of the opportunities that I had that made my research experience at UCLA a positive one that I will never forget.

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

If you are thinking of getting involved in research, one piece of advice that I would give is don’t feel like you have to know everything about a lab’s field of research when you are reaching out or just starting. Professors and graduate students will not expect you to be experts in the field. A supportive lab will guide you to gradually learn all the necessary concepts to fully grasp the project.

What is your current research about for your PhD at UC Davis?

I am currently studying how metabolism and epigenetics play a role in gametogenesis, the development of sperm and egg. My project is specifically focusing on how carbohydrate metabolism is regulated to ensure that sufficient metabolites or substrates, such as acetyl-CoA, are produced for chromatin-modifying enzymes to ensure successful sperm and egg development.

What are your future career goals?

I am currently in the process of trying to decide if I want to pursue industry or academia. No matter what path I take, I know I want to mentor undergraduate students in research. Without mentorship and a supportive community, I would not be where I am today. I want to help the next generation of scientists, especially underrepresented minority students. I am excited to see what the future holds.

Andrew Evans

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Meet UCLA senior, Andrew Evans, who is majoring in Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution. He recently published a paper as first-author titled, “Producer–scrounger relationships in yellow-bellied marmots” in Animal Behaviour.

Andrew works in Dr. Daniel Blumstein’ lab in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

 

How did you first get involved in your research project?

In my first year at UCLA, I talked with my academic counselors about being involved in research, and they recommended the PI that would be a good match. I simply sent an email to Dan Blumstein (a faculty researcher) and ended up doing lab work for a quarter before moving on to other data collection based on my initial interests. I just kept doing the work, did it well for a year, and was nice enough that Dan and my grad student mentor, Dana Williams, asked me to join them and the marmot team in the field for the following summer. After working in the Rocky Mountains with them, I started my project on social foraging with some of the data I had helped collect in the field. It really was a matter of me getting in there, sticking to it, and one thing leading to the next.

How would you describe your research experience at UCLA?

At the start, I was able to learn the foundations of research, while observing how my grad student mentors and PI perform their research at the next level up. As I’ve gotten more confident with the process and more friendly with the other lab members, I’ve been able to speak up and contribute more of my ideas to the lab’s work and discussions. So it’s really been an entry-level footing into research work that’s allowed me to see what a career in research would be like. Also a lot of fun, weird stories. I’ve been involved with two labs at UCLA, and both have been fun to work in and fun to tell others about. I guess not many people get to pet baby marmots, chase foxes, and look at computerized dog skulls for hours on end.

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

Know that you’re not supposed to know everything yet. Be confident reaching out, knowing that these researchers are expecting undergrads to reach out, and be comfortable asking questions if things aren’t clear along the way. Be open and friendly. The biggest part of research as an undergrad is getting comfortable in the research process and the surrounding community of researchers. So if you’re simply coming in, doing the work, doing the tasks, and leaving every day without talking to anyone, you’re missing out on the opportunity to make your work more fun, make new friends, and get closer to people who can be helpful resources in the future.

What are your future career goals?

I’m looking to get into a career (and further education later) in natural resources, sustainable resource use, conservation, and restoration. I’m getting my degree in ecology, so I’m looking for a career that uses the principles I’ve been learning about in class to make real efforts at improving our natural world and our relationship to it.

 

Sarah Alkidim

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Meet UCLA senior, Sarah Alkidim, who is majoring in Physics, with minors in Environmental Engineering and Mathematics. Sarah recently published a paper titled, “Distribution of microplastics in soil and freshwater environments: Global analysis and framework for transport modeling” in Environmental Pollution.

Sarah is a part of Dr. Sanjay Mohanty’s SEALab (Subsurface Engineering & Analysis Lab) in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

 

How did you first get involved in your research project?

During my sophomore year, I took my first environmental engineering class and loved it. It took me a couple of months to build up the courage, but I eventually emailed my professor asking if there were any positions for undergraduates open at his lab. At first, I got no reply. This is fine; professors are very busy! I waited a few more months and emailed again, this time getting the opportunity to meet with graduate students at Professor Sanjay Mohanty’s SEALab (Subsurface Engineering & Analysis Lab). After a couple of weeks rotating with graduate students during fall of my junior year, I was directed to a new project that was picking up because it was where I was needed most. I’ve been working with this group ever since on microplastics, which are plastics typically less than 5 mm in size. Lab work focused on quantifying the vertical transport of microplastics through soil, and through this I learned useful lab techniques related to designing and setting up such an experiment. On the other hand, my remote work collecting and analyzing data with my group culminated in a global review of the occurrence and transport of microplastics in terrestrial environments.

How would you describe your research experience at UCLA?

I felt my work was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as most other people might feel as well. Because of these exceptional circumstances, research has been conducted remotely since March 2020. Nonetheless, I feel fortunate to be working with a group that has helped me develop both inside and outside the lab. Writing, reading, and presenting scientific work are all vital parts of successful research and communication, and these are all skills that I have gained at SEALab. In addition, I now have a community of mentors and peers that offer support and value me and my work. Though I don’t have any previous experience to compare to, this was more than I had envisioned for my undergraduate experience at UCLA.

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

In my experience, there can be too much pressure on undergraduates to successfully get into research as soon as possible. I personally had no idea undergraduate research opportunities even existed! My advice would be to go easy on yourself. Take your time and find your interests–these might change as you take more classes. Don’t be afraid to figure it out by reaching out to graduate students or professors from classes to talk about their research! I definitely think I would have benefited more if I had done that. One more piece of advice is try to not be discouraged if you don’t find any opportunities that interest you right away; keep looking for people who can help you, and keep exploring.

What are your future career goals?

Although my research thus far has been in the field of environmental engineering, I am looking to continue my education and research within the realms of physics. More specifically, I want to explore condensed matter physics and am interested in both theoretical and experimental research. One possibility I am considering is focusing on the intersection of fundamental physics and sustainability. I also really enjoy teaching, so these two things have led me to apply for graduate programs in physics.

Kevin Sun

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Meet UCLA senior, Kevin Sun, who is double majoring in Human Biology and Society, and Asian Studies. Kevin recently published a paper titled, “A Mouse Model to Investigate the Role of Cancer-associated Fibroblasts in Tumor Growth” in JoVE Journal.

Kevin is a part of Dr. Hilary Coller’s lab in the Department of Molecular, Cell and Development Biology.

 

How did you first get involved in your research project?

I got to know my research project (and the lab, in general) through the biomedical research minor. Previously I was a volunteer research assistant for a different lab, so I had some research experience. But I wished to have more independence in terms of planning my own experiments and working on them by myself to better prepare myself for graduate school. So I asked the minor’s director, Dr. Ira Clark for advice. He informed me that my PI, Dr. Coller was recruiting undergraduate students back then and briefly introduced the projects to me, which sounded really fascinating. When I met with Dr. Coller, within the short period of time listening to her explaining the projects, I was able to tell that she is really committed to training undergraduate researchers. Her ability of breaking down the scientifically complicated projects and explaining them in a really detailed but understandable way really inspired me. And the active projects at that time fall perfectly on my research interest, which is basic/translational cancer biology. I met with my mentor on the same day and immediately started to work on the day after, which is so far the best decision I have ever made in college. With the help of my PI and postdoc mentors, I spent a quarter or two to learn the skills and complete the training, then started to work on experiments individually or even plan for my own experiments.

How would you describe your research experience at UCLA?

If I would describe my research experience in a couple of words, I would say “rewarding”, “intriguing” and “nerve-wrecking”. My lab works with many clinically relevant projects and many of our studies have clinically applicable significance. Therefore as an aspiring MD/PhD student, seeing any progress in our projects always feels really rewarding and makes me want to go back to lab right away the next day. On the other hand, there are so many unanswered questions in everyday research that constantly intrigue me (which also really stresses the importance of asking questions!). And in terms of nerve-wrecking, doing an important experiment for the very first time by myself always gives me a lot of stress. But again, these experiences are also extremely valuable for my future’s training and being able to do them is a really self-rewarding process itself.

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

I would suggest everyone interested in doing research to read more papers! The ability to read and understand scientific literature is incredibly important, especially if you are planning to go to medical school or graduate school in the future. When you are planning to join a lab, reading some previous papers published by the principal investigator is the best way to catch up with their current research goals and familiarize yourself with potential topics that might come up during the interview with the PI. Reading a lot of papers after joining a lab is just equally as important as before joining a lab. There are numerous techniques that you would not be learning without the protocol papers. And there are also numerous updates in the field everyday that as a scientist you have to keep yourself up with. Therefore, I would suggest other undergraduate peers to learn how to interpret scientific articles and read a lot of them!

What are your future career goals?

Coming into UCLA as a pure pre-med student, my participation in research in the past three years really shifted my goal from just being a physician to a physician-scientist. I find the intersectionality of physician-scientists’ career truly attractive. Therefore in the long term, I see myself going into academic medicine as both a healthcare professional and a basic scientific researcher, likely in areas of cancer biology. And in the short term, I plan to work as a research associate during my gap years and then (hopefully) matriculate into a MD/PhD program.

Yeyang (Benson) Zu

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Meet UCLA senior, Yeyang (Benson) Zu, who is majoring in Environmental Sciences and minoring in Environmental Engineering and Statistics. He was recently published as co-author the papers, “Nitrate removal uncertainty in stormwater control measures: Is the design or climate a culprit?” in WaterResearch and “Biochar Selection for Escherichia coli Removal in Stormwater Biofilters” in the Journal of Environmental Engineering. 

Yeyang is a part of Dr. Sanjay Mohanty’s lab in the department of Civil & Environmental Engineering.

How did you first get involved in your research project? 

I was interested in exploring the water treatment field after finishing C&EE 154, so I approached Professor Mohanty’s research group, named the SEALab, early in the winter of my second year. Professor Mohanty took a chance on me, and he is extraordinarily caring about his lab members. I was assigned to assist a Ph.D. candidate Renan, who is also extremely patient in teaching me experiment design and lab skills. Even though I have pivoted my focus to energy study for graduate school, experiences in the SEALab are the most inspiring research experience I have had at UCLA.

How would you describe your research experience at UCLA?

I am inspired to learn how to design an experiment from reviewing the literature, stating hypotheses, designing experiments, collecting and analyzing data. I appreciate having the opportunity to work with Renan. I studied stormwater treatment systems to improve pollutants removal. In particular, I assisted laboratory experiments that link biochar properties with its bacterial (E.coli) and munition compounds (Nitrate) removal efficiency. My lab skills also get improved by producing agar plates, quantifying the E.coli data samples by using spread-plate methods. Even during the pandemic, I also collected and analyzed over 30 research publications to view the potential impact of different SCMs design and various climates on nitrate removal. Fortunately, two of our research were written in papers and got published.

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

I want to encourage those who haven’t found their passions in science research to reach out bravely. I understand it’s hard to find something you feel very passionate about, but it should not be an excuse for us to not get involved in research. You will find that each research field has its attractions if you study deep enough. Even if you decided to pivot your study afterward, the analysis and lab skills will still get honed. Studying in such a campus with oceans of resources, I highly recommend you do not hesitate to participate in research.

What are your future career goals?

I will continue my energy study at Stanford University for the MS program under the Civil Environmental Engineering Department. I aim to research how to organize diverse energy sources such as coal, solar, and wind, providing the most sustainable and efficient electricity or heat supply. I aim to earn a Ph.D. degree and have my own company in either infrastructure or transportation planning.

Francesca DePrima

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Francesca DePrima is a UCLA senior, majoring in Environmental Science and minoring in Environmental Engineering. She recently published a paper titled, “Distribution of microplastics in soil and freshwater environments: Global analysis and framework for transport modeling” in Environmental Pollution.

Francesca currently works in Dr. Sanjay Mohanty’s lab in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering.

 

How did you first get involved in your research project?

When I first started the introductory course for Environmental Engineering taught by my Principal Investigator (PI) Dr. Mohanty, I had never learned about green infrastructure or its applicability. After hearing about his research on subsurface process, green infrastructure, and remediation in class, I wanted to learn more about the field and went to his office hours to talk more about his work and the opportunities for undergraduates in his lab. I was able to learn about some of the research projects in the lab, and I was particularly interested in the projects centered around studying microplastics as an emerging contaminant. I got involved in projects examining microplastics as a pollutant in stormwater biofilters and the project in which I was recently published as a co-author, a study on the global distribution of microplastics in soil and freshwater environments.

 

How would you describe your research experience at UCLA?

My research experience has been very rewarding. When I first started at UCLA, I was amazed by all the research opportunities available to undergraduates and knew I wanted to get involved with research, even though I did not know what my own interests were until I began taking courses for my minor. From my experience in Dr. Mohanty’s lab, I have not only learned technical skills in lab work and writing scientific research papers, but have also discovered some of my research interests in stormwater remediation that I will be able to take with me to industry and throughout my career. This is particularly because the lab has a large focus on mentorship and in teaching undergraduates.

 

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

Before joining a lab, it is very important to do your research on the work of different labs in departments you are interested in. By looking at some of the publications from the PI or members of the lab, you can learn about their work and get an idea of if it fits with your interests. After finding a lab you want to work in, it is also crucial to continue to show initiative in getting involved in a research project. Additionally, while I would tell other students to find a lab conducting research on something you are interested in or passionate about, I would recommend to jump in and take advantage of the opportunities available even if you are not certain about what you are interested in researching. As an undergraduate, you may not know exactly what you are interested in when first starting research, but through persistence to get involved and gaining experience in a variety of research projects, you can learn where your own research interests lie.

 

What are your future career goals?

After earning my Master’s, I plan to go into industry as a water resources engineer. In particular, I want to continue working with stormwater treatment systems and technology and researching emerging contaminants. Throughout my career, I hope to implement green infrastructure and new stormwater treatment technologies to diversify our water portfolio, more effectively manage our water resources, and work to reduce inequities in access to clean water.