This has been quite an interesting year. My classes have been challenging and my experiences have been stimulating. Every day offers a new lesson that prepares me for my future.
I recently took the time to reflect upon the impact that my REU experience had on my academic year. When discussing summer plans for 2011 and summer memories for 2010, I can't help but think that the REU was a step in the right direction. Many of my peers worked regular, non-career related summer jobs, earned a decent pay, but have nothing to show for it. After my experience, I have been able to share with others the benefit of using one's summer productively, even it isn't used for an internship or study abroad experience. Some students have asked me about what it's like to participate in a REU, and I am pleased to share my views with them- the opportunities for learning, the new experiences, new connections to help expand one's network, and memories that will help direct one's professional career. The REU made me seriously consider research, but I have decided to pursue more industrial related endeavours this summer.
The REU benefited me by giving me something concrete to discuss during interviews since it was one of my most significant college experiences. I was able to talk to my interviewers about the soft skills that I sharpened, such as discipline, time management, and self-motivation. I also discussed the ways in which I participated in the research of a graduate student.
In retrospect, even though I didn't get out of the experience what I expected, I still feel benefited in several regards.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Monday, August 9, 2010
Project Journal
7/1/2010
Moved into dormitory.
7/2/2010
First day orientation. We were asked to introduce ourselves to the room with our name, school, major, and expectations for the program. Everyone seemed pretty down-to-earth so I was less anxious. There are 11 undergraduate students in the program- 3 girls and 8 guys. Over the next 2 hours, we were told expectations, project details, assignments, workshops, and other details pertaining to the program. I was to work by myself on the Power-grid failure prevention project. This made me nervous but I was looking forward to the experience of learning something new. We then had the rest of the day to ourselves.
7/5/10
Today was interesting because I drove back to school from home for my 9:30am meeting with Dr. Lee, the electrical engineer who was to advise me on the project. I went to his office where he was talking to someone else so I read the posters in the hallway which I could barely decipher. They were other projects that students were working on. I then talked to Dr. Lee about what I wanted to get out of the project and shared that I had little experience in engineering. He seemed to be limited in his options since I didn’t have much experience in electrical engineering. He then recommended that I work on a project that’s more relevant to Biomedical Engineering so that I would remain interested after the summer ends. He showed me a “pill camera” which people can swallow and it will take pictures. He said he knew of projects in which people would have to charge the devices inside the human body, non-invasively, using electromagnetic waves and he would see if I could help with those projects. It seemed very interesting to me.
7/6/10
Dr. Lee introduced me to Dr. Mingyu Lu who was working on the projects that Dr. Lee and I had discussed the day before. Dr. Lu then showed me around the facilities. In one chamber, there was a giant dome like structure. When I walked in, I noticed that it seemed silent because the structure was lined with Styrofoam like material for absorbing electromagnetic waves. He shared with me that the structure emulated free space because all waves would not bounce around causing interference. Essentially, it prevented problems that could be caused by outside waves coming in, produced waves escaping, or waves interfering with each other. He said that his team was working with electromagnetic waves by producing circuits and antennas to interact with different objects through different channels. One application was to look for landmines underground. He then showed me model landmines buried in a sandpit. There were 3 non-interference chambers- one small, one medium-sized, and one large one (the dome). We then walked to his office where he shared with me more details and applications of the project. He works with wireless technology, specifically radar, in order to transmit and receive waves, in order to reveal information about an object including its speed, shape, distance, etc. through what we call echo. He explained the difference between wireless communication (remotes, cell phones, GPS, etc.) and radar. He then went into detail about a biomedical application of the project in which a transmitter can be used to charge implanted devices (like a pacemaker) in patients in order to avoid invasive surgery, like replacing batteries for pacemaker patients. He explained why different waves are used for different purposes, light for daytime, infrared for heat, and microwave in situations not involving the other two. He said that they are trying to figure out how to direct energy at a implanted device without damaging the skin or tissue of the patient. Microwaves heat tissue (like a microwave object) and could also damage cells. He explained that microwaves also have some other inexplicable property that caused researchers to have more girls than boys and that improves the taste of wine. His team is working on a solution called beam forming in which several transmitters direct waves at a device from different angles and at lower power so as not to damage the tissue but to eventually combine at the device to produce the necessary power in order to charge the device. This concept is called beam forming and involves the different transmitters interfering throughout the patient to prevent damage yet constructively interfering at the device. Another problem is that the tissue directly around the device could still be damaged and so the beams would have to be very precise. This sounded like a very interesting project and I would like to work on it.
7/7/2010
Repairs were being made to the testing facilities.
7/8/2010
I studied the project background including research completed by assisting graduate student, Vinay Vikram.
7/9/2010
Facilities were still being restored. I continued studying concepts relevant to the project including electromagnetic wave transmission applications in radar for automobiles.
7/13/2010
Antenna testing was conducted in the anechoic chamber yielding inconsistencies, suggesting connection problems.
7/15/2010
I attended a workshop on engineering ethics in which we discussed possible ethical dilemmas. We also shared previous experiences and a variety of approaches to making ethical decisions.
7/20/2010
The planar wideband antenna was tested, yielding expected results, consistent with prior testing. A three-stage testing method was implemented in which two identical antennas were tested, then the newly designed antenna replaced one, and then the two were connected. I observed testing and results.
7/28/2010
All REU participants attended the REU assessment to review program goals and expectations.
7/29/2010
I attended the REU Training and Graduate Studies workshop in which we learned about the benefits of research, how the research process works, ways to be successful while researching, and how to carry out a research topic. . We had the opportunity to speak with student organization representatives to discuss the impact of involvement during college. We also spoke with a group of graduate students, from whom we learned what to expect in graduate school, reasons for pursuing graduate studies, and to hear about their individual experiences.
I then met with Dr. Lu and solidified my understanding of project concepts, including radiation pattern significance and testing methods.
7/30/2010-8/9/2010
I worked on project deliverables including a poster, presentation, reflection paper, journal, and website.
Moved into dormitory.
7/2/2010
First day orientation. We were asked to introduce ourselves to the room with our name, school, major, and expectations for the program. Everyone seemed pretty down-to-earth so I was less anxious. There are 11 undergraduate students in the program- 3 girls and 8 guys. Over the next 2 hours, we were told expectations, project details, assignments, workshops, and other details pertaining to the program. I was to work by myself on the Power-grid failure prevention project. This made me nervous but I was looking forward to the experience of learning something new. We then had the rest of the day to ourselves.
7/5/10
Today was interesting because I drove back to school from home for my 9:30am meeting with Dr. Lee, the electrical engineer who was to advise me on the project. I went to his office where he was talking to someone else so I read the posters in the hallway which I could barely decipher. They were other projects that students were working on. I then talked to Dr. Lee about what I wanted to get out of the project and shared that I had little experience in engineering. He seemed to be limited in his options since I didn’t have much experience in electrical engineering. He then recommended that I work on a project that’s more relevant to Biomedical Engineering so that I would remain interested after the summer ends. He showed me a “pill camera” which people can swallow and it will take pictures. He said he knew of projects in which people would have to charge the devices inside the human body, non-invasively, using electromagnetic waves and he would see if I could help with those projects. It seemed very interesting to me.
7/6/10
Dr. Lee introduced me to Dr. Mingyu Lu who was working on the projects that Dr. Lee and I had discussed the day before. Dr. Lu then showed me around the facilities. In one chamber, there was a giant dome like structure. When I walked in, I noticed that it seemed silent because the structure was lined with Styrofoam like material for absorbing electromagnetic waves. He shared with me that the structure emulated free space because all waves would not bounce around causing interference. Essentially, it prevented problems that could be caused by outside waves coming in, produced waves escaping, or waves interfering with each other. He said that his team was working with electromagnetic waves by producing circuits and antennas to interact with different objects through different channels. One application was to look for landmines underground. He then showed me model landmines buried in a sandpit. There were 3 non-interference chambers- one small, one medium-sized, and one large one (the dome). We then walked to his office where he shared with me more details and applications of the project. He works with wireless technology, specifically radar, in order to transmit and receive waves, in order to reveal information about an object including its speed, shape, distance, etc. through what we call echo. He explained the difference between wireless communication (remotes, cell phones, GPS, etc.) and radar. He then went into detail about a biomedical application of the project in which a transmitter can be used to charge implanted devices (like a pacemaker) in patients in order to avoid invasive surgery, like replacing batteries for pacemaker patients. He explained why different waves are used for different purposes, light for daytime, infrared for heat, and microwave in situations not involving the other two. He said that they are trying to figure out how to direct energy at a implanted device without damaging the skin or tissue of the patient. Microwaves heat tissue (like a microwave object) and could also damage cells. He explained that microwaves also have some other inexplicable property that caused researchers to have more girls than boys and that improves the taste of wine. His team is working on a solution called beam forming in which several transmitters direct waves at a device from different angles and at lower power so as not to damage the tissue but to eventually combine at the device to produce the necessary power in order to charge the device. This concept is called beam forming and involves the different transmitters interfering throughout the patient to prevent damage yet constructively interfering at the device. Another problem is that the tissue directly around the device could still be damaged and so the beams would have to be very precise. This sounded like a very interesting project and I would like to work on it.
7/7/2010
Repairs were being made to the testing facilities.
7/8/2010
I studied the project background including research completed by assisting graduate student, Vinay Vikram.
7/9/2010
Facilities were still being restored. I continued studying concepts relevant to the project including electromagnetic wave transmission applications in radar for automobiles.
7/13/2010
Antenna testing was conducted in the anechoic chamber yielding inconsistencies, suggesting connection problems.
7/15/2010
I attended a workshop on engineering ethics in which we discussed possible ethical dilemmas. We also shared previous experiences and a variety of approaches to making ethical decisions.
7/20/2010
The planar wideband antenna was tested, yielding expected results, consistent with prior testing. A three-stage testing method was implemented in which two identical antennas were tested, then the newly designed antenna replaced one, and then the two were connected. I observed testing and results.
7/28/2010
All REU participants attended the REU assessment to review program goals and expectations.
7/29/2010
I attended the REU Training and Graduate Studies workshop in which we learned about the benefits of research, how the research process works, ways to be successful while researching, and how to carry out a research topic. . We had the opportunity to speak with student organization representatives to discuss the impact of involvement during college. We also spoke with a group of graduate students, from whom we learned what to expect in graduate school, reasons for pursuing graduate studies, and to hear about their individual experiences.
I then met with Dr. Lu and solidified my understanding of project concepts, including radiation pattern significance and testing methods.
7/30/2010-8/9/2010
I worked on project deliverables including a poster, presentation, reflection paper, journal, and website.
Project Reflection
My participation in the Research Experience for Undergraduates has truly been a rewarding and educational experience, providing me with insight into the rigors of research and a more developed understanding of engineering. I initially viewed the program as a means to expand my academic horizons and to jumpstart my career so that my experiences may continue to snowball, bestowing me with a sturdy foundation in which to pursue higher education and eventually to enter the workforce. I also hoped to gain an exposure to civil engineering while working with faculty, staff, and older students so that I may observe and learn what it takes to be successful in research.
When I first began the program, I had great ambitions but did not know what to expect. The orientation on the first day excited me and opened my eyes to the possibilities that could be explored over the summer. I would have a chance to work on challenging projects with real-world applications. After hearing from several professors regarding the available projects and expectations for the programs, we were released to meet our colleagues and to make plans for the rest of the summer. I was to work alone with Dr. Wei-Jen Lee on the Power System Failure and Restoration project. After meeting with Dr. Lee, he suggested I pursue a project more relevant to my major, Biomedical Engineering, so that I may more greatly benefit from the summer and in the future. Dr. Lee then introduced me to Dr. Mingyu Lu to discuss a project that he was supervising regarding the use of electromagnetic waves in wireless energy transmission and imaging. The technology and methods developed had several intriguing current and future applications including use in the military, in automobiles, and in medical technologies. The project seemed to very interesting and I was thrilled to work with the graduate students, primarily Vinay Vikramas he completed his graduate studies in Electrical Engineering. The rest of the summer consisted of understanding his efforts and assisting in the taking of measurements in the Anechoic Chamber at UT Arlington.
This experience was very different from any program that I have participated in before. Although the staff was very supportive, I was provided with independence and the freedom to work at my own pace. It was quite interesting to see how some of the concepts that I had learned in my physics courses were applied to the project. Although I had only learned the fundamentals of physics in my first year of college and had a poor understanding of the concepts, Dr. Lu and Vinay consistently worked with me and were very helpful as I strove to master the details, technicalities, and ideas of the project. I was quite surprised at the amount of time and effort necessary to bring such an endeavor through completion. During the evenings and at mealtimes, I discussed my work with my colleagues and found that they were undergoing similar stimulating experiences related to their areas of interest, including environmental engineering, civil engineering, and computer science. I feel that I had a different experience from my peers in that my summer consisted more of laboratory work and one-on-one sessions while theirs consisted more of group, class, and lab work. Their experience also might have been more involved while mine was more geared towards comprehension. However, we all benefited greatly from the experience. It was nice working with such a diverse group of students, including students in their first and final years of undergraduate study, as well as of different genders, and cultures. Thus, the program was successful in engaging a diverse set of traditionally underrepresented individuals. I feel that this goal is quite admirable and needed in order to continue advances in engineering.
This experience was truly beneficial and has thoroughly enhanced my undergraduate studies. It was a great way to gain exposure to the demands of research and to learn specific avenues of developing ideas. Although I am pleased with the outcome of the program, I had hoped the program would be more involved with less personal time. I expected there to be more workshops and collaboration among the projects. I enjoy staying busy and the summer offered a different experience in which I had to decide how I would spend my time. I feel this was valuable as part of the maturing process, because as an adult, engineer, and researcher I will have to efficiently budget my time. My participation reignited my ambitions and showed me that self-motivation is vital for success. The staff provided ample assistance and showed a genuine interest in the participants. However, I wish I could have worked with some of the other undergraduates instead of by myself. In retrospect, by working as the only undergraduate with the faculty and graduate students, I received a much more focused education in which I could ask the questions that I desired and could work around my own schedule. This program will make me a more competitive applicant for future programs and a better engineering undergraduate in that it has opened my eyes to the opportunities currently available and because employers and others are seeking students who have either exposure or training in engineering. I would guess that most people my age don’t even consider doing research until junior or senior year or even until graduate school. Research is a great realm to explore during one’s academic career, allowing one to be innovative, and to establish habits that will ultimately benefit him for the rest of his career. My involvement has given me an edge over my peers and I feel that the program will amplify my resume. Although I most likely will not pursue this summer’s project during my studies at school until later years, the research that I participated in gives me something to look forward to down the road. The seminars were helpful in giving direction to our endeavors, including the ethics workshop which provided us with moral guidance as we discussed ethical dilemmas that we might have to confront during our engineering careers. The presentation, reflection paper, and poster are good methods to conclude the experience, allowing us to review what we learned and to solidify our understandings.
Overall, my summer was well spent at UT Arlington during the REU program on Hazard Mitigation. I can only imagine how the program could grow and contribute to future participants. I believe future participants would benefit from having weekly group seminars so that more aspects of research may be addressed. Students could perhaps share with the group what has been accomplished up to that point so that efforts can be adjusted appropriately if some students are behind in their activities or to provide students with additional resources in case they are working at an accelerated pace. Also, I believe students should be told more information about what they will be engaging in over the summer before beginning the program so that expectations will match the experience. These are small suggestions that I think would only enhance the already remarkable program. I am now more than ready to begin my second year of school, with behaviors and knowledge that will allow me to be more successful in the months and years to come. I have refined my time management and interpersonal skills. I have gained new experience in interacting with faculty and staff and have also been able to work with actual laboratory equipment. The challenges, support, and friends that I received from this program have amplified the beginning of my engineering career.
When I first began the program, I had great ambitions but did not know what to expect. The orientation on the first day excited me and opened my eyes to the possibilities that could be explored over the summer. I would have a chance to work on challenging projects with real-world applications. After hearing from several professors regarding the available projects and expectations for the programs, we were released to meet our colleagues and to make plans for the rest of the summer. I was to work alone with Dr. Wei-Jen Lee on the Power System Failure and Restoration project. After meeting with Dr. Lee, he suggested I pursue a project more relevant to my major, Biomedical Engineering, so that I may more greatly benefit from the summer and in the future. Dr. Lee then introduced me to Dr. Mingyu Lu to discuss a project that he was supervising regarding the use of electromagnetic waves in wireless energy transmission and imaging. The technology and methods developed had several intriguing current and future applications including use in the military, in automobiles, and in medical technologies. The project seemed to very interesting and I was thrilled to work with the graduate students, primarily Vinay Vikramas he completed his graduate studies in Electrical Engineering. The rest of the summer consisted of understanding his efforts and assisting in the taking of measurements in the Anechoic Chamber at UT Arlington.
This experience was very different from any program that I have participated in before. Although the staff was very supportive, I was provided with independence and the freedom to work at my own pace. It was quite interesting to see how some of the concepts that I had learned in my physics courses were applied to the project. Although I had only learned the fundamentals of physics in my first year of college and had a poor understanding of the concepts, Dr. Lu and Vinay consistently worked with me and were very helpful as I strove to master the details, technicalities, and ideas of the project. I was quite surprised at the amount of time and effort necessary to bring such an endeavor through completion. During the evenings and at mealtimes, I discussed my work with my colleagues and found that they were undergoing similar stimulating experiences related to their areas of interest, including environmental engineering, civil engineering, and computer science. I feel that I had a different experience from my peers in that my summer consisted more of laboratory work and one-on-one sessions while theirs consisted more of group, class, and lab work. Their experience also might have been more involved while mine was more geared towards comprehension. However, we all benefited greatly from the experience. It was nice working with such a diverse group of students, including students in their first and final years of undergraduate study, as well as of different genders, and cultures. Thus, the program was successful in engaging a diverse set of traditionally underrepresented individuals. I feel that this goal is quite admirable and needed in order to continue advances in engineering.
This experience was truly beneficial and has thoroughly enhanced my undergraduate studies. It was a great way to gain exposure to the demands of research and to learn specific avenues of developing ideas. Although I am pleased with the outcome of the program, I had hoped the program would be more involved with less personal time. I expected there to be more workshops and collaboration among the projects. I enjoy staying busy and the summer offered a different experience in which I had to decide how I would spend my time. I feel this was valuable as part of the maturing process, because as an adult, engineer, and researcher I will have to efficiently budget my time. My participation reignited my ambitions and showed me that self-motivation is vital for success. The staff provided ample assistance and showed a genuine interest in the participants. However, I wish I could have worked with some of the other undergraduates instead of by myself. In retrospect, by working as the only undergraduate with the faculty and graduate students, I received a much more focused education in which I could ask the questions that I desired and could work around my own schedule. This program will make me a more competitive applicant for future programs and a better engineering undergraduate in that it has opened my eyes to the opportunities currently available and because employers and others are seeking students who have either exposure or training in engineering. I would guess that most people my age don’t even consider doing research until junior or senior year or even until graduate school. Research is a great realm to explore during one’s academic career, allowing one to be innovative, and to establish habits that will ultimately benefit him for the rest of his career. My involvement has given me an edge over my peers and I feel that the program will amplify my resume. Although I most likely will not pursue this summer’s project during my studies at school until later years, the research that I participated in gives me something to look forward to down the road. The seminars were helpful in giving direction to our endeavors, including the ethics workshop which provided us with moral guidance as we discussed ethical dilemmas that we might have to confront during our engineering careers. The presentation, reflection paper, and poster are good methods to conclude the experience, allowing us to review what we learned and to solidify our understandings.
Overall, my summer was well spent at UT Arlington during the REU program on Hazard Mitigation. I can only imagine how the program could grow and contribute to future participants. I believe future participants would benefit from having weekly group seminars so that more aspects of research may be addressed. Students could perhaps share with the group what has been accomplished up to that point so that efforts can be adjusted appropriately if some students are behind in their activities or to provide students with additional resources in case they are working at an accelerated pace. Also, I believe students should be told more information about what they will be engaging in over the summer before beginning the program so that expectations will match the experience. These are small suggestions that I think would only enhance the already remarkable program. I am now more than ready to begin my second year of school, with behaviors and knowledge that will allow me to be more successful in the months and years to come. I have refined my time management and interpersonal skills. I have gained new experience in interacting with faculty and staff and have also been able to work with actual laboratory equipment. The challenges, support, and friends that I received from this program have amplified the beginning of my engineering career.
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