Ethics Paper

Here you will find a paper that I wrote in my Professional Development class at The Ohio State University. The situation was that of an engineer having a tough situation. The situation can be found on the link at the bottom of the document.

Ethics Paper (1)

Life Long Essay

This is an essay that highlights some of my accomplishments, growth, and career goals. While in college, I have learned how to be a better problem solver, teammate, and have overall improved my engineering skills.

Lifelong

Interview

I have always been fascinated with the process of tissue regrowth and the processes involved with tissue regrowth so with this in mind I started my search on Scopus. One of the first articles that popped up was an article on the tooth regeneration, the authors of this article was Brian Foster. I then took this name and put it in a search on buckeyelink. Luckily for me, Professor Foster is a current professor here in the Biosciences Division and the College of Dentistry. I then sent Professor Foster an email and he accepted to meet with me.

Although I am currently on a pre-med track, I have an interest in dentistry and exploring different options after college.  I also have a strong interest in research and working in a lab some time during my undergraduate experience. These are some of the reasons I chose to interview Professor Foster. He has spent years working in labs with various types of research and he is able to collaborate with people in the field of dentistry.

The two articles I read written by Professor Foster were on the processes behind cementogensis and the anatomy behind cementum. Cementogensis is a complex process that aims to rebuild a layer of tissue (cementum) around the tooth. These articles discussed the factors that go into rebuilding this tissue and the problems faced when trying to rebuild this tissue. The process itself is not proven to be effective just yet because cementum is formed as the body grows. This means that it is hard to create the same exact structure if the cementum was damaged as an adult. These articles, for me, were pretty difficult to read because of the various words used. When talking to Professor Foster even he said that you would need some sort of dental knowledge or background to understand all that goes into cementogensis. These articles are good in that they give very detailed descriptions of the research being done. This would allow someone to use these articles to possibly perform their own research. The disadvantages of these types of articles are that not everyone is able to understand them.

Getting to interview Professor Foster was a very eye-opening experience. He spoke a lot about the different options out there and how to figure out which is best for you. He began undergrad as an unknown major but through his research he discovered his interest in microbiology. After he finished undergrad he was able to work in more labs that resulted in him getting his PhD and coming to work for The Ohio State University. Because of this he was able to give me information on what it takes to get your PhD as well as information on dental school. He was also able to give me multiple connections in the research lab, medical school, and dental school. We both have a strong interest in research and like he was, I’m not completely sure what I want to do after undergrad. Professor Foster helped me realize the importance of figuring out what you’re passionate about and getting involved with those passions.

Overall, I had a very educational experience. I would say that I am now closer to figuring out what I want to do after undergrad and how to figure out if the decisions I make are the right ones. I also now know what the effects are of the ways I get involved outside of the classroom and just how to go about finding these experiences.

Conclusion

Working with this lab has helped me grow as a person and become a more rounded student. My time working with Dr. Brian Foster and his team has been a very educational experience and I have enjoyed every second of it. The people working at the lab are some of the most motivated and experienced people I have met. Any question involving the research being carried out can be answered by any of them in an understandable way. While this experience has not completely solidified my plans for the future, it has helped me gain more understanding on what it’s like to do research. Taking all that I have learned during my time here, I will be able to make an educated career choice.

Update 1 and 2

I have been working with this lab all semester and have decided that I will be going back to it after the summer. Moving forward, I want to further my impact on this lab’s success and will attempt to do more training for the lab.

Introduction

Going into college is a huge step in life and with that there comes huge responsibilities and pressures. One of those pressures is the pressure to know exactly what you want to do the second you decide where you’re going to college. While this might now be a pressure the college itself places on students it’s a pressure students place on themselves. It creates stress in the fear of the unknown and is hard to overcome. For me, I have always been torn between many different careers for many different reasons. I have always wanted to be a doctor or a dentist because of the “helping people” aspect of it. I have also been fascinated by how the body works and all of the ways people can get sick. I think that the all medical professions need work in getting to a state where the concern is about what can be done for the patient and not just on how much a patient can pay. I wanted to be this change. Despite this passion, I have always known in the back of my mind that I loved the design aspect of helping patients. Thus, I have been pulled to the field of biological engineering. Through biological engineering, I am able to think outside of the box to find solutions to issues that many people face each day. I am able to make a difference in the lives of many. With this desire to find solutions, I have felt the need to also try laboratory research and thus, have decided to work on undergraduate research here at The Ohio State University and ultimately have decided to pursue it as my STEM EE capstone project. For this project, I am working in the lab of Dr. Brian Foster in the College of Dentistry. Two times a week I go to the lab and help with various tasks. While doing these tasks, I am exposed to all different types of problems and solutions needed for labs.

Overview

Welcome to my capstone project. Please feel free to scroll through the tabs for more information.

G.O.A.L.S.

When looking at the G.O.A.L.S. of honors and scholars students here at The Ohio State University, two G.O.A.L.S. stand out the most to me, original inquiry and academic enrichment. Research is very important to me in that I wish to go to medical school. Being in Scholars helps facilitate these experiences in research. For example, when working on my interview project I was able to connect with Professor Brian Foster. Professor Foster is very invested in research and was able to help me understand better what kind of research would be best for me as well as connect me with people that can help me get the research experiences I would like. Academic enrichment is important to me and my success in college. Through Scholars I am able to connect with other students in similar majors. Living with these students creates an environment conducive to studying and learning together. This will help me further my success in college and the future.

Being able to be a part of research and original inquiry in undergrad is important and will help me with my goals of medical school. This will also help me in the future with various connections. Having a strong connection to researchers here at The Ohio State University will help me with recommendations and insight on experiences. The connections with other people in STEM Scholars will also help in the future by creating a strong support system. Living with other students has also helped me realize what works best for me when it comes to studying. This will help me in the future when it comes to who I surround myself with.