1. My STEP Signature Project was my undergraduate thesis research, which I conducted under Professor David Steigerwald, my advisor. The theme of my thesis is the history of the political opinion and activism of American Catholics in regard to the Vietnam War. In conducting this research, I have found that American Catholics varied widely in their opinion on the war and played extremely important roles in securing American involvement in Vietnam, protesting the US prescience in the nation, and everything in between.
2. By working on this thesis, my understanding of the world has changed dramatically. So often in modern American politics, issues fall along lines of ideological identities. When this occurs, nearly all nuances can be lost, leading to deep divisions between groups. Although these groups each feel like what they’re promoting is for the greater good of the nation, they often struggle to see the other side’s viewpoint and, what’s worse, their good intentions. By examining one religious group’s vastly different responses to the Vietnam War, an issue which was one of the most divisive events in 20^th century American history, I found it far easier to see how both sides of the debate truly felt like they were promoting not only what was best for the nation, but also for the people of Vietnam, Christians across the world, and the global community at large. Since beginning this project, I have been more able to examine both sides in modern political debates and, with that, I am less likely to villainize the sides that I disagree with.
3. In completing my STEP project, I primarily spent countless hours combing through databases, reading books and articles, watching interviews, and even digesting music and movies from the era. The solitary research that I conducted gave me a wealth of knowledge from which I will be able to write about my topic during this semester, as I culminate my thesis with a large-scale writing piece. Using the research skills that I have learned throughout my classes on such a large scale has greatly increased my confidence in my abilities as a historian.

However, something less tangible that this research has given me is a closer understanding and sympathy for the people who lived through this turbulent time in American history. Although I can never truly know what they went through, I now have a far deeper understanding of what it must have been like to have such strong fears of communist domination, the threat of nuclear war, the anxiety that accompanied those who were to be drafted, and the pain which was caused by disagreements between different generations of family members. On all sides, the effects of the Vietnam War were felt daily as the violence abroad and the divisions within the country reverberated throughout American culture. In my own experience as a history major, I have never felt such a deep connection to the experiences of individuals from another period as those that I have read about for my thesis. I believe that, in order for historians to gain as vast an understanding as possible about political events, decisions, and outcomes, it is necessary that they understand how individuals of that era felt and thought, which can only be achieved by engaging with large numbers of primary sources.

By gaining a deeper understanding of American Catholic political activists from the Vietnam War era, I am now better equipped and more willing to engage with both sides of modern political debates. In researching staunch anti-communist, pro-war Catholic leaders as well as pacifist and socialist priests, I learned that well-meaning people who are driven by similar morals can still disagree greatly regarding political issues. I believe that the same rule applies to modern political debates because I have seen repeatedly how our shared humanity can bring us together in spite of our opposing opinions.

4. This transformation, in which I now feel that I am better equipped to understand all sides of a debate, has been significant in my life because I am now interested in a career in which one must listen to and analyze various arguments in order to make a just decision. After graduation, I plan on attending law school. Although I am unsure of what exactly I plan to do with my career, I am very intrigued by the role that judges play in the justice system and I believe that my STEP Signature Project experience has equipped me with one of the necessary skills of a judge: the ability to listen to all sides of an argument with grace and an open mind. Not only do judges look to the persuasiveness of arguments when rendering decisions, but they often also consider specific circumstances related to individual cases. In the same way, I gained an understanding of individuals’ motivations, fears, and feelings while researching the arguments for and against American involvement in Vietnam. Thanks to the support of STEP, I was able to complete a Signature Project which I hope will not only better my own character and academic skillset but add to the historical record and prepare me for a career in which I will be able to seek out justice for all.

Image of original essay that I wrote on this topic. The final draft of my research paper will be completed Spring 2022 and be approximately 50 pages long.

My STEP signature project involved conducting research for the pulmonary unit of the internal medicine division at the College of Medicine. The lab I am a part of looks at how ozone air pollution affects the lungs. During this time, I helped raise the mice we use for our experiments, weaned and genotyped those mice, exposed the mice to ozone, and then helped harvest organs. With the fluids/organs collected from this, I analyzed their contents to see the immune response.

This laboratory position taught me a lot about how science is actually conducted. Growing up, I had much different expectations for how scientific research worked – I thought that you simply just studied something really hard. This position really immersed me into every single part of the scientific process, starting with research, identifying variables, and performing ethical practices. Once those factors are considered, learning how to properly use equipment and properly perform procedures on animals need to be mastered. Once these are performed, the data needs to be processed in many different ways to be “conclusive.” This cycle repeats many times over the course of a project, making it a tough job!

To begin, my PI had me read literature that pertained to our research, both to get familiar with the project and body systems but also to identify potential variables in our work. It was pretty difficult to do this at first – scientific journals can be very dense and difficult to follow. It took me quite a while to learn how to find research relevant to our work and also to actually understand what the literature was saying. Since my research was based on inflammatory responses, I often needed to consult my notes from my microbiology 4110 (immunology) course. Spending the extra time studying these papers and processes were not only beneficial for my work at the lab, but also for my own undergraduate studies. Whenever I had a microbiology lab report to complete, I understood experimental concepts better and elevated each assignment using peer reviewed journals as sources.

I worked with many different variables in the lab, but I primarily helped with studies looking at certain receptors (i.e. ChemR23, a chemerin receptor) and diets (DHA fat diets). These variables were chosen by the lab because of their association with both ozone and inflammatory responses. The ChemR23 receptor is expressed on macrophages, dendritic cells, etc. which are very involved in the inflammatory response to ozone inhalation. DHA is a fatty acid that can influence the body’s response to air pollution. We modeled these conditions on mice by using knock out and wild type mice for the gene ChemR23 and feeding mice different diets (normal and high fat DHA). Before doing any research, we needed to submit our plan to ethically perform research on the mice with the institutional review board. I spent time training on how to best inject mice, tail-snip, and ear-tag mice. For six weeks, I made sure each mouse was healthy before starting the experiments.

To actually expose our mice to ozone, I needed to learn how to properly “create” ozone in a chamber and calibrate it to create the perfect concentration. Following this, I practiced necropsies on the mice to properly harvest samples. Necropsies are essentially mini surgeries where we extract blood, bronchiolar lavage fluid, and organs (in this case, lobes of the lung). After these necropsies I process the samples with specified protocols and kits to be able to properly assess the state of the lung. We use microscopes, nano drops, flow methods, and other machinery and software to see the inflammatory response. For example, when we expose our mice to large amounts of ozone, we notice many macrophages in the bronchiolar lavage fluid compared to the control.

My ultimate goal is to become an infectious disease physician who also conducts research. This experience really taught me a lot about the immune system and inflammatory responses, which are a key part of many different infectious and communicable diseases. The most rewarding part of this experience was learning every step of the scientific method; since I know every part from beginning to end, I can recreate this in my future career. Aside from these more explicit benefits, this experience also affirmed that I am truly meant for research. I thoroughly enjoy this work and am ready to commit my life to this field.

For my STEP project, I worked in undergraduate research with the DCM Research Project which is a multi-site study to explore genetic causes of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). The consortium for the study is here at OSU, so my job mostly entails processing new study enrollments and following-up with subjects to ensure that they have received and understand their genetic results.  

The aspect of myself that I found to be most changed by my project has been my world view. Of course, my work with the DCM Research Project has been extremely helpful in understanding how biomedical research is conducted, and I have been able to gain a lot of valuable experience from working with experts in human genetics. Yet, what I find to be most changed about myself is a perspective that I now hold; I know that that sounds quite vague, but my perspective really has changed in a broad and significant manner. My daily work has exposed me to many, many people from all walks of life who are all united by one tragic circumstance: heart disease. These interactions are what have dramatically changed the way I view people and genetic healthcare in general.

My interactions with subjects are overwhelmingly positive as most people are grateful for the opportunity to learn more about their disease and how it might affect their family members. Our study is family based which means that we recruit individuals who are in the hospital for heart disease-related issues (these become the probands), and they recruit their family members so that they all are given access to free cardiac genetic testing. The interactions that I have with probands and their family members make up the bulk of my job as it is my responsibility to follow up with them. The “mood” of my day is very often dictated by how well these interactions go. Sometimes, subjects just do not want to talk to me even though I have genetic result information that can predict the health outcomes of themselves and their immediate family members. These individuals can be rude, but this group is a minority. Many of my interactions are extremely positive as most subjects are incredibly grateful for the study and even ask for more opportunities to participate. It makes me feel grateful to have a research job in which I can directly impact the lives of my subjects and their families. 

One example of a positive interaction occurred a few weeks ago: I had recently started handling our Spanish speaking subjects, which I can typically do without a problem because I have a minor in Spanish, but it’s important to note that I am by no means fluent in Spanish. This subject was an especially important one because he had a particular variant of a gene that put him AND all of his immediate family members at risk for developing an especially dangerous form of dilated cardiomyopathy. I was nervous because it was of the utmost importance that I was perfectly understood, and I was worried that he would become, understandably, upset at the news, and I was not capable of consoling someone in Spanish. However, all my fears were unwarranted because he was so sweet! He was very receptive and appreciative of my information. After I had communicated all that I was supposed to, we chatted for a while, and he told me that he was very impressed by my Spanish for a non-native speaker. It was just such a fun interaction and very reassuring after so many years of studying Spanish; it also just served as a reminder of how important my job is to me and how lucky I am to be able to help people understand their health better. 

Another cool experience that I had was at the Consortium Symposium for our research which was basically a two-day meeting of around 40 physicians, statisticians, and genetic counselors that work for the study across the country, and they all get together to share their progress and ask questions about the studies. As a research assistant, I was allowed to attend fancy ceremonies and conferences, and it was so cool! It was such an interesting experience to be exposed to dozens of experts in their fields as they shared their groundbreaking findings. I had never been in such an intellectually advanced setting that had the sole purpose of discovering the best ways to heal people. It was an eye opening and humbling experience to be sure. 

This experience has been extremely influential in furthering my own goals because I have always intended to go into the health sciences in some capacity. However, I had never really considered a research-based path before this project, but I now have a much better understanding of biomedical research and am equipped with more knowledge of the healthcare field. Additionally, I have been able to use this project as a method of practicing my Spanish which I have always wanted to use in my professional life. I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to pursue this research project, and I hope to continue to use my experience to further my own personal and professional goals.

My STEP Signature project allowed me to conduct psychology research for my thesis project, which examines the mechanisms and strategies by which people regulate their motivation to work towards their goal pursuits, in the context of emotion manipulation and task selection. During this semester I was able to design and modify my survey materials and design, collect data, and analyze my results. I am currently in the process of writing up the study and will be presenting my project at various research events in the spring.

Through this process, I was able to strengthen and develop various research-related skills such as statistics, data analysis, software programming, as well as more application-based skills such as developing a mentor-mentee relationship and learning strategies on how to enhance my resume/CV when applying for research positions and eventually for graduate school applications. In addition to running these pilot studies and finishing the programming of the final survey form, I have been able to immerse myself into the current literature and continue to work on my final research paper. I’ve attended various online research workshops as well as ground round events to hear researchers from various sectors of psychology present their research. Through such experiences, I’ve been able to learn about different topics and strategies to approach the research process.

I have always been drawn to storytelling – whether it be through books, photography, art, music – the list goes on endlessly; but this semester I realized that research can be seen as another form of storytelling. I view research as a more systematic way of telling a story, which can then be useful for creating new policies or offering practical ways to make improvements and changes. What I love about research and science, in general, is how it can be used to widen wonder. There’s a quote by Aristotle that I am reminded of often –– “The more you know, the more you know you don’t know”. The more I read and did research, the more questions I had and the more I felt simultaneously amazed and also humbled at how much exists and how there is so much to learn.

As a naturally curious person and a lifelong learner, I enjoy how research provides opportunities not only to continuously learn and ask questions, but I especially love how it offers the space to share the questions we have and the work we have done with others. I was a part of a journal club within my lab where we would meet together to discuss various journal articles and dissect the study and its implications. It was eye-opening to question the methodology of everything I was reading and to reflect on alternative methods of conducting the study. By listening to the ways graduate students would approach various studies, it helped me understand the research process on a deeper level.

Another experience that gave me a deeper sense of appreciation for research was the data analysis process of the research project. It made me realize the significance small details like the way a question is phrased can have on the way participants interpret and answer the questions. Being conscious of such factors when creating the study design is important, and I realized that there were many aspects to my study that could have been improved. Having learned from this experience, moving forward it will be helpful to think deeper about the different variables I will be measuring and analyzing when creating the survey design to streamline the process and collect all of the information that I need in the most time-efficient way possible.

Having never conducted an independent research project before, I relied on a lot of guidance from my mentors. It was encouraging to see the time and energy they poured into helping me and answering the questions that I had. It made me realize the community and collaborative aspect of research and how important it is to give and share with others. I want to continue to stay in touch with my mentors even beyond graduation and hope to give back by mentoring my own mentees when I am in a position to do so in the future.

My decision to pursue a clinical psychology Ph.D. has only been solidified by this research experience, and I am so excited to continue to be a part of research for the rest of my career. I hope that my research will lead to practical applications/changes that can be used to benefit many. Throughout this experience, I’ve gained more clarity about what type of research interests me and the ways to go about conducting a new study. I’m super excited to keep exploring all the various domains of research that are out there.

Image 1. This is a screen-capture of a table summarizing the descriptive statistics and the t-test results comparison (mean difference, t and p values) of the participant’s ratings of their expected task performance from the four pilot studies that were run using various task choices, one of which is depicted in Image 2.

Image 2. These are the two tasks I have decided to move forward with and use in the final survey I ran based on the pilot study results. 

My STEP project was a qualitative research study focused on family caregivers for post ICU patients. I was responsible for all aspects of this study including recruiting participants, conducting the interviews, and analyzing the results.  

I really enjoyed my project. I found it very interesting to hear about the different experiences each of the participants had. I knew about family caregiving from observing my own family members perform in that role. However, I learned even more about this population through my interviews. It was very moving to see the level of devotion that each family caregiver had to the person they cared for. I developed an even greater appreciation for the individuals that take on this responsibility and do it with so much love and care. It transformed my world view and helped me to realize that this is a population that I want to continue to work with. I really liked learning about their experiences during the time I spent completing this project. However, I want to move towards finding or creating interventions that will assist these individuals in my future research.

My STEP project was a great introduction to the formal research process. Prior to this, I had worked as a research assistant. This was great experience, but it was limited. I was only familiar with conducting baseline and exit interviews in the study that I was a part of. Working on my STEP project gave me insight to all of the parts that are essential to carrying out a successful research project. I learned about securing funding, writing a protocol, receiving IRB approval, recruiting and consenting participants, creating an interview guide, conducting interviews, and then analyzing the information that was collected.  

It was very helpful learning about the components for conducting research. However, the most impactful moments for me were when I was actually conducting the interviews with the participants that were in the role of family caregiver. I found them to be extremely inspirational and was moved by the amount of devotion I witnessed from these individuals as they cared for their loved ones. I became very invested in the family caregiver role and realized that it was my passion to investigate.  

Through my conversations, I was able to realize the lack of support that exists for these individuals. It made me want to continue my research and develop ways to help family caregivers find respite and relief as they work to provide care for their loved ones around the clock. I really like the hands-on aspects of nursing. However, I know that my true passion and affinity for the family caregiver can be best explored through a research-oriented profession.  

This project was instrumental in helping me to find a direction for my future career. During the time I spent working on my STEP project I decided to apply to the PhD in Nursing program at Ohio State. This was a really big decision because I will be beginning this work directly after I graduate if I am accepted. I really enjoyed working at the bedside in the nurse role during all my clinical experiences during my undergraduate education. However, I ultimately decided to apply for the PhD program and will enter immediately following graduation if I am accepted. I know that getting my PhD will allow me to focus on generating research to hopefully assist the caregiver population. There is a large sector of unpaid family caregivers in the United States. It is known that performing in this role can unfortunately lead to a lot of unintended negative health consequences. I would love to be able to work on finding ways to help these individuals have better health outcomes.  

My STEP project involved working in a lab from September 1, 2021, to December 15, 2021. I worked in Summers lab in the Comprehensive Cancer Center doing lab work and working with tissue culture as well as bacterial culture. I did procedures to visualize protein and DNA like gels and blots. I primarily worked with the protein USP37 and variants of that protein and the effect the variation had on cell growth.

I learned a few things while I was in my STEP experience. One big thing I learned about myself, and the world is that having a support system is very helpful towards being successful in any task. This was the case while I was doing research. Another thing I learned was that all work has value. Even the most minor contribution means something in the grand scheme of things. Finally, I also learned that keeping myself organized is one of the keys to success and I need to apply that to my regular life more often.

When I was doing research in the lab, a few things made me realize the importance of a support system. While working in the lab, there would be times that I wouldn’t be able to get all my work done or I just needed someone to finish out an experiment for me. In those situations, it would’ve been impossible to succeed without the support of my lab-mates. Another thing too was the conversations we had in lab. In that professional setting, everyone was so committed to making sure they could be helpful to one another. Even beyond finishing out work or filling in the gaps there, we would always discuss our current projects and talk through the concepts surrounding the project and troubleshoot any issues we were having. Even though each of us had our own project and work, we really worked as a team to help one another out and make sure we could all succeed.

One thought I would have before I started doing this lab work was that not all work mattered. When I read scientific papers, I would think about “oh, who cares about this little detail” but now I understand that all of it matters. Even the smallest detail matters to the project. The work I am doing in the lab is very interesting work, but it isn’t the most significant research ever done, a lot of research now days isn’t as significant, but it still matters. That is one very important thing I learned. It isn’t exactly like we are figuring out the structure of DNA here, but the work we are doing is contributing towards the greater good of treating cancer and that matters. All labor matters especially since it contributes to a greater work. I realized all this one day during a lab meeting where a lab mate described work she was doing with a novel drug.

Organization is an important facet of success, and it took me a very long time to find that out. Especially during lab work, organization is key. There was a day where I had to remember and redo an experiment, I had done a couple weeks prior, and I just could not figure it out. Usually, you are supposed to keep track of all your work and make sure to write things down, but I had neglected to do so in this case, and I faced many issues because of it. Thankfully, there was a copy of a separate but similar protocol I could use but that event really makes me realize the value of organization. The more organized you are, the more primed for success you are. Having all the information at your fingertips is so important to making sure you can utilize your time as efficiently as possible.

These changes and lessons are super valuable to me mostly because some of these things are something I sorely lacked. There would be times I lacked motivation to do some work because I thought it didn’t matter and this lab experience has taught me that all work matters. There have been times that I get frustrated with work or school and I isolate myself as a result. Now I know to seek support and help if I really want to solve my problem. I would say most importantly, I have learned that just staying organized can help me avoid so many issues in the future and I should make organization a significant priority.

*Here are some examples of blots I looked at*

For my STEP signature project, I worked as a student research assistant and contributed towards a clinical trial, Upper Extremity Function, Activity, Participation and Engagement in Hippotherapy for Children with Cerebral Palsy and Autism Spectrum Disorder. My responsibilities included data entry, quality assurance, data analysis, as well as other tasks related to the exploration of the data concerning the specified clinical trial.

The research I participated in gave me an insightful hands-on outlook into physical therapy. Having never been involved with physical therapy, the knowledge I gained during this STEP project was entirely new and I gained a new perspective in general. Being a neuroscience major, I’ve mainly learned about cellular and molecular interactions as well as their role in our body. Physical therapy helped me gain a different perspective and understanding of the human body. Analyzing the Hippotherapy research and comprehending how much it helped the children participants has helped me fully understand the importance & value of physical therapy, giving me a newfound appreciation for this discipline.

I initially analyzed data and was involved in data entry, giving me a numerical and qualitative outlook to the benefits of Hippotherapy. Later, I got involved with VICON motion capture which let me analyze the videos of the Hippotherapy trials hands-on. The participants were directed to pick up a water bottle, drink from it, and put it down. With VICON motion capture, I directly captured and analyzed the specific hand movements & the degree change of the hand movements of the participants.

Through VICON analysis, I was able to directly see the improvements in hand movements from therapy over a long period of time. Comprehending such a range of data too from a variety of participants helped me understand how variable all disorders and symptoms can be. Seeing the improvements and changes myself in these research participants helped me gain a more thorough understanding of the body and the ranges of treatments we have today to treat conditions. I expanded my knowledge and gained a more holistic viewpoint in the process.

I’m habituated to learning about the body psychologically or through a molecular/cellular perspective. The knowledge I’ve gained is vast and a culmination of all that I’ve learned from various courses and research articles. However, the knowledge I gained from being involved in the Hippotherapy research trials is entirely new and refreshing. Participation in research offers the kind of knowledge that textbooks can’t offer. It is this entire culmination of knowledge that’s an essential part of personal growth as well as academic growth. Viewing and analyzing the effects of physical therapy in a whole new limelight gave me an insight that I otherwise wouldn’t have gained this year.

Personal growth comes forth from a variety of aspects, especially intellectual growth. Participating as a student research assistant in Hippotherapy helped me widenmy knowledge and gain an insightful outlook into physical therapy. I’ve gained a new perspective and widened my knowledge in a way that will help me in various ways. The culmination of knowledge and depth I’ve gained regarding a wide variety of medicinal practices will help me in regards to my aspiration of becoming a physician. I have developed a more well-rounded holistic point-of-view of science and the body, which will further my personal development and academic development as a whole.

My STEP signature project involved doing research in a computational biophysics lab in The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy.  I worked under a graduate student doing protein engineering through MD simulation work, homology modeling, and protein trajectory data analysis.  I specifically worked doing analysis on a SARS-CoV-2 Envelope Protein to find a reliable structure to identify possible drug inhibitor targets.  I also attended weekly group meetings and journal discussions where the lab group discussed progress on research and recently published journals in the field.

This opportunity provided me with a chance to expose myself to highly interdisciplinary research that combined all of my interests in biochemistry, physics, computational work, and engineering.  My education to date was heavily driven toward understanding classical chemical engineering and I knew that I was not interested in pursuing a position in this realm, so this work gave me a chance to refine my interests and streamline my academic and career paths.

I learned a lot about myself throughout the duration of this work and I am continuing to learn even more as I continue my work within this group.  I worked really hard to teach myself various computational techniques and it was very difficult having never worked with complex software platforms before and having very little familiarity with linux systems.  This was super overwhelming at first, but I set myself to a clear schedule and used as many literature, video, and personal resources as possible to help assist in my learning.  I learned that with hard work, dedication, and proper planning that I could work to understand extremely difficult material.  I gained a confidence in my abilities that I never really had and I also realized that asking for help is OK.  Members in the group were always willing to explain concepts and ideas to me when I was confused.

Also, my assumptions of the world of research changed drastically after this experience.  I had many early mornings and late nights getting work done and I know other individuals that worked in the group were putting in even more hours than I was.  I realized that research is very difficult and not always rewarding.  I know some members of my group did not even get publishable results until they had been working for two years.  Often times the work was tedious and frustrating.  Once I ran a simulation and it took nearly five days to run and when it was finished I realized I had forgotten an important step in creating the lipid bilayer and had to completely start over.  Although at times the work was frustrating, it made it even more rewarding once good results came in.  It is very exciting to know that the manuscript on this project is currently in preparation.  I enjoyed the challenge and rigor of working in the group and I have developed lifelong connections with my coworkers.

This project and transformation has been very significant in my life.  Because of this opportunity I have decided to apply to graduate school and pursue a PhD.  It gave me the confidence to know that I have the ability and skills necessary to take on the academic challenges associated with a PhD program.  It also helped to refine my interest within my field.  I know that I am interested in molecular engineering within the pharmaceutical realm and want to continue to work in research after I graduate. I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to work with The Cheng Lab and I am excited to continue working and learning into this semester.

Below are photos in PyMOL of one of the replica proteins that I ran in a lipid bilayer MD simulation.  The first photo is a top view of the protein in the bilayer and the second photo is a side photo of the protein in the bilayer.  The color is changed in the second photo for ease of viewing the bilayer versus the envelope protein.

My STEP signature project entailed undergraduate research in the field of plant pathology in the Jacobs lab. I have been working in this lab throughout my undergraduate career, and this past semester was focused on moving the previous semesters’ work forward. Specifically, I, along with a team of post-docs and graduate students, study and investigate the initial bacterial growth patterns of the internal leaf environment.

Though I had completed research in a couple of different opportunities prior to my STEP project, each semester has brought on a new wave of learning and understanding. The past 3-4 months have been spent not only learning more about best laboratory practices, but I’ve also learned a lot about myself. I would like to think I am a detailed oriented person; however, I realize I still have a long way to go to master the attentiveness required in the lab.

I gained a vast amount of insight into the research world and intricate knowledge of some microbiology processes. My plan after graduating in May 2022 is to continue my education in the discipline of Plant Pathology. However, my bachelor’s degree will be in Civil Engineering, which has little to no overlap with my intended post-graduation plans. A large part of this semester has been discovering my transferable skills between my degree path and my research project.

Research can be unpredictable and new avenues of interest continued to present themselves throughout the semester. I was fortunate enough to be assigned to one of these subsets. Our group investigated the role of quorum sensing and initial bacterial growth in internal plant fluid. To study this, a graduate student and I used an online resource to develop plasmids that were missing certain components of the quorum-sensing process. We were able to test these plasmids, record bacterial growth, and analyze results.

Coming from a Civil Engineering background, I have found it difficult to adjust to an entirely new discipline, let alone at this high of an academic level. The quorum-sensing project has taught me a huge range of skills and knowledge I had not yet touched in my previous semesters of research. As I discovered, the nature of this project required many small volumes of clear liquids. Believing and trusting in myself seemingly became the center of experiments going right or wrong. Over the past 3-4 months I found which experimental aspects were important and which were not.

Though the project I worked on this semester will not be my last, the skills and experiences alone have taught me much more than I expected. It was within this time I decided to pursue my master’s degree in a discipline that my undergraduate degree does not cover. Understanding how to work around a lab, complete difficult experiments, and analyze data in a multitude of avenues will play a large role in my transition into a new academic discipline. Taking the next step in my professional life has been supported tremendously by my STEP project.

The picture to the left includes me holding a syringe with barley leaves inside. This was taken in the middle of mesophyll fluid (internal plant leaf fluid) during the extraction phase. Mesophyll fluid extraction was a common process completed throughout the semester.

     As a research assistant to a Moritz College of Law professor, I conducted research weekly on the water crisis in Flint, MI. During my research sessions, I collected data and information from news articles local to Flint, MI and saved my research to a master Google Drive document, which I shared with my research advisor. 

     In many ways, my project changed yet also maintained several of my existing worldviews as a political science major. This project proved to me the intricacies of actually attaining justice for individuals who have grossly suffered at the hands of those whom they elected to support and protect them. Learning about the water crisis also made me question the true meaning of justice in our society. While many individuals whose decisions led to the water catastrophe have to some extent been held accountable and many institutions have contributed money to a large settlement, there will never be sufficient justice for those who died or sustained lifelong health disorders as a result of drinking contaminated water.

     I also observed the existence of systemic inequality in the U.S. It was hard for me to imagine that a public health crisis like the one that occurred in Flint could ever occur in a wealthy, predominantly white neighborhood. Flint is one of the poorest cities in the U.S., and the ignorance and lack of care that their leaders exercised in their decision-making exemplifies the intersections of systemic inequality, racism, and public health crises in the modern US. 

     The most outstanding points in my project were when I investigated the political leaders facing criminal convictions for their decisions as well as the range of illnesses that individuals suffered and continue to suffer as a result of the crisis. Many political leaders in Michigan, including former governor Rick Snyder, face fine and jail time for their actions. It blew my mind how corrupt government officials could be in overlooking the welfare of their own citizens all while trying to avoid accountability. 

     The Flint residents who died as a result of drinking disease-ridden water will never achieve the justice that they deserve. The other people who experienced lead poisoning but did not die will receive a monetary settlement. Young children will receive the highest sums of money since lead poisoning negatively affects them the most. However, some adults will get as little as a few hundred dollars. To me, this seemed so unfair and almost insulting to the emotional, mental, and physical trauma that Flint residents went through and will continue to endure for the rest of their lives.  

     As the water crisis in Flint is an ongoing crisis, it was interesting seeing the evolution of events and reporting over time. The crisis started in 2014, but the EPA did not make any announcements or regulations until early 2016. It was also interesting reading about the situation as it unfolded over time and into the present day. COVID-19 has only exacerbated problems such as the time to prosecute individuals and agree to a settlement. 

     Overall, I really enjoyed working on this project as it allowed me to compare the theories of justice I have learned about through my Political Science curriculum with a real-world case study. This project has been a very valuable experience as I pursue my academic, personal and professional goals. As a teaching assistant for the International Affairs Scholars Program, I had the opportunity to teach students about my research findings and connect these findings to global issues, such as water conflicts elsewhere in the world and water as a human right. In my everyday life, I also feel more conscious of how fortunate I am to have access to clean and safe drinking water. 

     This project further motivated me to pursue law school and my long term goals of working for a non-profit organization or intergovernmental organization. In this capacity, I hope to be a leader in crafting policies and advocating for others on such issues.