Undergraduate Research with The Allen Group

  1. My STEP Signature Project consisted of undergraduate chemistry research with the Allen Group. I have worked with the Allen Group for two years, but my STEP Project allowed me to begin working on my undergraduate thesis during the Autumn 2020 semester. I have primarily spent my time searching literature, designing my project, and collecting/analyzing data.

 

  1. Before my STEP Signature Project began, I had not carried out research independently. I worked closely with a post-doctoral researcher, learning the basics of my area of research and how to use various instruments in my lab. During my STEP Project, however, I had the opportunity to independently create and carry out a research project from start to finish. I did background research, came up with a novel inquiry, designed a project, collected data, analyzed the data, and drew conclusions. This is something that not many undergraduate students have the opportunity to experience on their own. Working my way through the research process has given me clarity that I want to pursue graduate school and confidence that I will be able to succeed on that path.

 

  1. There are a few important components of my STEP Signature Project that confirmed my desire to pursue graduate school. COVID-19 played a big part in this transformation. The capacity of my lab was severely limited due to the pandemic. Because of this, I usually ended up conducting experiments with only one other person in the lab. I was not meeting a graduate student or post-doctoral researcher; I was working independently. The fact that no one was making sure I went into lab on time each day forced me to accept responsibility for myself and my timeline. I made my schedule and stuck to it. Time management and productivity are things that a successful graduate student must master. I was proud to learn that I have enough self-discipline to excel in those categories.

 

Another result of the limited capacity of my lab is the fact that I had to learn how to effectively and efficiently troubleshoot. In the past when things would go wrong with an instrument I was using, I would usually ask a graduate student for assistance. However, that was not possible during this past semester due to the pandemic. I had to learn the intricacies of the instruments I use and understand them at a deeper level in order to fix some of the issues I had. For example, one day the spectrometer would not connect to the computer. I had to read the spectrometer’s manual in order to learn about its startup sequence and pinpoint the part that may have been going wrong. When I am in graduate school, I will have to understand my instruments well enough to troubleshoot any problem I may run into. Going through this experience in my STEP Project has made me more confident that I will be able to successfully do the same as a graduate student.

 

Additionally, the content of my research has helped me decide what I would like to pursue in graduate school. My undergraduate research is in the field of analytical environmental chemistry. I use infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy to collect spectra and pressure-area isotherms to collect isotherm plots. These forms of data provide complementary information about the air-water interfacial system that I am studying. I have come to realize that I like the day-to-day work of using instruments like these. I also like the extreme detail of analysis that can be achieved with analytical techniques. The application of techniques like these to environmental systems is very interesting to me. My STEP Project allowed me to determine that this is the field of graduate research that I would like to enter.

 

  1. The clarity that I want to pursue graduate school and the confidence that I will succeed in that endeavor are paramount to my future. My academic goals have been set. If I achieve my goals, I will have many options for a future career, including academia, industry, and government. While I don’t know which path I will choose, I do know that I will be prepared for any of them. As I continue my education in graduate school, the confidence that I have earned through STEP Signature Project will help me succeed.