Student Presentation	Student Presentation

 

Students: The summer 2006 program consists of 15 student interns from the following universities:   Agnes Scott College, Albany State University,  Geneva College, Georgia Inst. of Technology, Grove City College,  John Carroll University, Lycoming College, Michigan Technological University, Morehead State University, Mount Union College,   Norfolk State University, Ohio State University, Western Illinois University,  University of Texas at Austin, Wheaton College.

Majors: Applied Physics, Biochemisty/Molecular Biology, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics.
 

"I think the program is very complete. It is more than a research program.  It is a great learning experience at many levels.  I decided to go to Akron over working for industry, and I'm very glad I did it.  It helped me answer many questions about my career.  I was also surrounded by great people.  It was a very intellectual community, but at the same time, a lot of fun." 

"I liked the fact that different professors were very approachable and seemed to genuinely enjoy sharing their time with us."

"Akron grad students were great to be around!  I also enjoyed the few times I was able to be with faculty outside of Goodyear.  Grad students, faculty and other interns were all more social than I had expected, and I was fortunate to interact with them both during and after work.  Lasting contact with many individuals may be the most valuable aspect of the program for me.  Without this social network, I could not have enjoyed Akron nearly as much."

"The orientation was useful in that it provided time for the REU students to become acquainted with each other, some of the faculty and staff, and the overall objective of the program.  I believe that it is essential to have this time at the beginning of the program."
 

"The orientation was helpful, overall.  I realize that things like the safety lecture need to be covered, but I've heard that stuff a dozen times.  Having said that, I'll probably do something stupid next week and lose a hand or something equally bad."

"The introductory lectures were a bit above my head.  I had a hard time following.  I had never had any polymer chemistry before Akron and thought that it could have been more general and maybe less information." 

"For me (the introductory lectures) were completely necessary because I have never had a polymer course.  I referred to the textbook quite frequently when trying to read technical papers."

"I actually really enjoyed the introductory lectures, aside from being sick for the first week and a half!  They would have been tough if I hadn't had a solid foundation in organic and physical chemistry, as well as physics, but fortunately I think I've had good preparation in those areas.  I don't know how much they helped with my research, per se.  I will say that they helped in understanding some of the polymer terminology used by the other interns in their research presentations.  Plus, it's good information for me to have as a chemist-in-training, especially since (my college) doesn't offer a course in polymers.  It also helped break up that first week a little bit;  picking up on the research project that quickly is tough!  It's a very steep learning curve!  I recommend keeping the lectures.  I used the textbook several times during the internship, and I've used it several times since." 
 

"The Friday lunches were good.  Keep those.  There were a couple of interns that I didn't see much around the dorm, so it was a good opportunity to catch up with them.  All the visits were well worth the trip.  The visit to Ashland Chemical, in particular, changed some misconceptions I had about the industrial workplace and what to expect from an industrial career.  I found it highly informative!  (Company X) was less enthralling, but I found it useful, if only for the reason that I now realize that I probably don't want to work for a small company."

"The weekly gatherings were a nice time to get everyone together, although I feel that the first research briefing came too soon.  (I had barely started my project at this point.)  However, these research briefings provided valuable experience in giving a short, scientific presentation to a group of peers."

"I found there are many things that must be taken into consideration on science from an ethical point of view.  The (ethics) workshop did a good job on highlighting some things that could be forgotten easily when doing research."

"I enjoyed (Prof. Foster's) thoughtful presentation of and enthusiasm for the (ethics) subject matter.  In particular, discussions on the recording and integrity of our data, proper publication and acknowledgement procedures, case studies in unethical research, and addressing professional approach to problems were useful." 
 

"I learned a lot from (the panel discussions).  It gave me some insight to the different jobs available with a chemistry degree.  Some of the jobs I did not even know existed or were an option."

"The panel discussions I found to be the most useful meeting held each week.  For the most part, the panels were able to answer many questions I had about the differences between the varied career paths in the sciences." 
 

"I enjoyed the faculty seminars because they gave me a feel for what types of research are carried on at a university such as Akron, especially for the varied approaches and thought processes used in determining which research to pursue.   It was also interesting to see the different personalities of various professors, and that there was no one "right" personality required to be a successful researcher."

"The faculty seminar series was useful in terms of giving us an appreciation for and broadening our horizons about the research areas in Polymer Science and Engineering.  However, with the exception of a few professors, I felt that the information presented was too complex considering our basic knowledge about polymers and the specialized knowledge in the respective areas that we were conducting research." 

"I thought the (Northeast Ohio Undergraduate Research) symposium was well organized to be beneficial to us.  It was wonderful to hear about the projects other students worked on, present my work to people outside The University of Akron, and have to defend my work independent of my mentor and advisor.  I felt especially lucky because I was able to meet a few professors who gave me some useful information regarding internships and Graduate School." 

"I think (the Northeast Ohio Undergraduate Research Symposium) was very well organized, and it was a good feeling to be there and show your accomplishments to other students.  I also felt very proud to be part of the Akron program because everyone had a successful experience." 

"The Akron 50th Anniversary symposium was a great end to the internship!  The technical talks were really good, and the picnic was fun.  It was a good sendoff for all the interns." 

"I would (and have) highly recommend the (UAkron REU) program, or similar programs, to anyone considering graduate school.  I had done research before coming for the summer, but this was a very different experience.  At Akron, I had to learn how to work in a group, as well as on my own, and was under real pressure to complete the project in a fixed time frame.  Š  This was a great introduction to graduate school.  It was tough, no question about it, but I'm excited about graduate school and still have every intention of going.  The summer at Akron showed me some things to watch out for, but also cleared up some misconceptions I had about what graduate-level research is like.  Overall, I was very encouraged by what I experienced!" 

"I loved the research and the opportunities that the university opened for me.  I learned how to use several instruments and how to present my research.  My advisor was helpful and made sure that I was always busy;  he kept me in the lab instead of reading journals the whole time.  I appreciated all the hands on experience I received and the independence that was given to me as well as the much needed guidance from my mentor and advisor." 

"I was particularly impressed about how organized the entire program was - form the initial contacts sent confirming acceptance to the program, through to the final day when the program ended.  I also liked the fact that there was a sense of camaraderie and fellowship among the interns, and that there was open communication and dialogue with the professors.  The PSSO officers and the other graduate students, for the most part, were very friendly and made the overall experience better, by giving assistance in the laboratory, showing us around the area, and participating in activities.  The housing accommodations were also commendable, and the Housing and Residence Life Staff were extremely cooperative in sorting out any residential issues and/or concerns.  At the end of the summer, I can truly say that the REU program was a rewarding one and all the individuals responsible for the successful hosting deserve to be lauded."