First week is (almost) over! This is my first ever research and I can honestly say I’m super excited. I met one of my faculty mentors today, Kimberly Zarecor, and she already seems very intelligent and well spoken. She took us to arguably, according to a lot of Ames locals, the best restaurant in Ames, Provisions. Unsurprisingly, it was super good. Dr. Kimberly also has a lot of knowledge in Architecture history and she gave me and my team a very good overview of the issues cities such as Buffalo and St. Louis currently face. Earlier today, we also got a lecture on how to research, the process of submitting research is, and the evolutions of research. The lecture was give my none other than our very own mentor, Lale! We also checked out the state gym and that was fun to see. Although admittedly, I already visited it the day before so it was nothing new for me but I will definitely be a regular there. I’ve been a regular gym goer for about a year now and it’s been a fun journey for sure. Seeing that ISU has a big gym was definitely exciting to see to say the least. I’m currently on the PPL route (Push, Pull, Legs) and I do 2 rotations of it each week. Currently, I’ve been deadlifting a lot and my new PR (Personnel Record) is 325lbs conventional. I’ll keep updating as my PR goes up (for anyone that cares). Other than that, it’s been a tiring but also fun first week. I can’t wait to start learning the C++ course next week since I haven’t done much object-oriented programming in a while. It’ll bring back some of the horrors of Scala.
The Excitement of Days 1-3
Today is the third day of the SPIRE-EIT REU and so much has happened! Arriving on day one was exciting not only because I traveled to Iowa from South Carolina, but also because I have already met so many interesting and amazing people! All of the other interns, mentors, and staff here at the VRAC have been incredibly kind and helpful. I already feel bonds forming with the other interns and we’ve only known each other for a few days. The second day, although super busy, was also a great experience. It was interesting to get a tour of some areas of campus and to be able to compare just how different Iowa State is from the much smaller university I am used to. Additionally, it was incredibly fascinating to hear all of the research projects the other interns will be working on this summer. All three projects seem very interesting to work on, so I can’t wait to get started and jump into the research. I’m super excited to see how all the projects develop this summer and to see what other skills we will learn!
…the last 72 hours
After a couple of delays at the airport, the descent into Des Moines Iowa consisted of more cornfields than I’ve ever seen so far in my life which was none. So cool! The rest of the day consisted of meet and greets with the rest of the gang which included good food and a cute dog. Day 2 consisted of more meet and greets with more good food and a lovely tour of the campus given by our awesome mentors Lale and Imtiajul. During the tour I heard my first tornado siren and got a bug stuck in my hair, both of which are excitable moments. Day 3 is now almost under wraps and we’ve been presented all the research projects and got more introductions, had lunch with our research professors and grad students. Excited for the upcoming weeks with these great people and the research to come!
Blogging success!
After a bumpy start to user account creation, these motivated interns are busy typing away after my talk on blogging.
Third time is a charm!
Spring is here and we are back to the pre-pandemic normal! The last two summer REU programs were unfortunately postponed and I am excited for the return of REU|2022! This program is the most exciting and rewarding part of my job. We get to welcome a group of accomplished undergraduates students from across the world for an intense 10 weeks of learning and activities! These students immediately become lifelong friends and part of the extended VRAC family, often returning as graduate students after graduation. We are ready, and now it’s the excruciating wait for that first day to begin.
If you are one of the REU students, don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or requirements you may have. See you all soon!