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Jumping into a Summer of New Experiences

Submitted by Austin John Dosh on

Austin John Dosh's picture

I dove headfirst into this summer not knowing what to expect. It is hard to believe that one month ago I was stepping off a plane in Puerto Rico not knowing anyone. Over the past four weeks, I have made friendships and professional research connections that will last a lifetime. I came to Puerto Rico knowing very little about what sorts of adventures this summer would hold. Due to the strike within the UPR system at the time, everyone was feeling their fair share of uncertainty regarding the summer’s plans. I am incredibly grateful for all the steps that were taken to accommodate for such circumstances and to provide us all with the best experience possible; it has been incredible.

Research, Friends, and a Beautiful Island

Submitted by Aaron Henson on

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            My name is Aaron Henson. I am a Junior in Materials Science and Engineering at North Carolina State University. This summer I have been given the opportunity to participate in the Research Experience for Undergraduates in Reconfigurable and Multifunctional Soft Materials at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez. My research is focused on the use of MgO nanoparticles to efficiently disinfect water due to the bactericidal effect that MgO nanoparticles have on E. Coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus Aureus. I have been in Puerto Rico for a month now. Though one month is a very short amount of time, the program has already greatly impacted my professionalism and attitude towards research.

My first internship experience....

Submitted by Khoa Dang Do on

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My name is Khoa Do. I’m currently a Texas Tech chemical engineering undergrad student. During this summer 2017, I am so lucky to be chosen to participate in the REU program at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez. However, something had happened in the last minute, which resulted in a relocation of me and another four students to the University of Madison at Wisconsin for eight weeks. Then, we will fly to Mayaguez to present our posters in the last two weeks of the program. Personally, I do not consider this as an unfortunate incidence because this is the great opportunity to work with both the professors in these two schools as well as learn new things from both environments.

From Mayaguez to Madison

Submitted by Kasie Coogan on

Kasie Coogan's picture

            Although this summer wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, I am extremely grateful for the opportunities presented to me. The summer took a surprising start as I was relocated to Madison, but the experiences I have had so far have made it all worthwhile. I have the chance to benefit from the expertise of both the UPRM and UW Madison. My situation is particularly unique because I have continued to work of Dr. Cordova at UPRM and am also a part of Dr. Abbott’s lab at UW. Working with both labs has allowed me to gain a greater breadth of knowledge than I otherwise would have.

Metabo-whaaat?

Submitted by Seneca Cox on

Seneca Cox's picture

Most people are surprised to hear that I am a physics and mathematics major at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. I love mathematics and have research experience in mathematics, but I decided I am more interested in a career doing physics research. One of my main interests in physics is materials science, and I thought an REU in soft matter would be a good way to explore that interest. I learned about this internship at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez from the chair of the physics department at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, and applied immediately. I got accepted in April, and the excitement of getting to do physics research in Puerto Rico got me through my finals.

The Beginning of an Amazing Experience

Submitted by Chloe Hill on

Chloe Hill's picture

            It’s hard to believe I’ve been in Puerto Rico for nearly a month.  Time has just been absolutely flying by.  Even in this short time I’ve learned an incredible amount, and I’m sure I’ll only learn more in my remaining time here.  Living here has introduced me to so many new friends and mentors both in the context of research and in everyday life.

Professional Development at UPRM 2017 Summer REU

Submitted by Nicholas Hoffman on

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I have always been fascinated with the process of scientific development. This fascination lead me to major in a technical field; material science and engineering, and lead me to pursue exposure to research opportunities. My first true research experience is here, at the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez in soft matter.

The End Of Great Summer!

Submitted by Gabriela Corali Del Valle on

Gabriela Corali Del Valle's picture

Without doubt, the bubbles have become a topic of great interest for the scientific community. This is because their contribution in different areas such as drug delivery, treatments for diseases as cancer, and their application in environmental scenarios. However, currently there still much to learn and discover about them. Is for this reason, this summer I was working in the Bubble Dynamic Lab in the project “Dynamic of One Microbubble Subjected to a 3D Acoustic Field”. The objective of this project was studying the behavior of one microbubble exposed to a three-dimensional acoustic field. To perform this, an algorithm in Matlab was implemented, in which the trajectory of the microbubble was calculated using the velocity of microbubble.

Self-propelled particles with novel applications in nanotechnology

Submitted by Alejandra Casanova Sepúlveda on

Alejandra Casanova Sepúlveda's picture

Nowadays nanotechnology is in most of the aspects on our daily basis. It can be found in our smartphones, washing machines, cars, and health issues, in brief, it is everywhere. What relationship has this to colloidal particles? In fact, there are many reason to think that. Colloids are tiny particles of diameters between 10-6 and 10-9 meters suspended in a fluid, such as a liquid or gas. Colloidal suspensions are found in nature in common systems like milk, blood, detergents, fog, whipped cream and many others. Some examples of applications are cargo transportation, drug delivery, biological pump systems, etc. These applications could not be possible without an integrated use of  technological design and nanoparticles.

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