In April, I met so many new tigers from the Class of 2030 at the Princeton Preview Activities Fair and through my role as a Princeton Preview Pal, where I was in digital communication with a few prospective students. I love getting to answer questions about academics, social life, food, and everything else on campus. Through these interactions, I noticed a lot of interest in student research.
As a second-year student, I have not yet taken on junior independent work or a senior thesis, but the great thing about Princeton is that you can take on original research before then! There are lots of opportunities to get involved in research as underclassmen and build crucial research skills for later projects. These opportunities can look like formal research assistantships with faculty-led groups and labs, summer on-campus or off-campus research, and even semesterly coursework. Currently, I am in a class exactly meant to prepare students for junior and senior research requirements by allowing them to delve into a research topic their sophomore year. This amazing class is one of several two-semester courses offered by the Princeton Writing Program, known as a Sophomore Research Seminar. **
I’m a student in WRI 270-271: The Curious Scientist, along with a small group of 11 other sophomores interested in scientific research. Last fall, in WRI 270, I explored my various interests to guide my project scope for this semester. Initially, I thought I would dive into carbonate mud from millions of years ago and get involved with a lab, but I switched gears a bit and allowed myself to pursue something less akin to Geosciences.
I have always been fascinated by renewable energy development in the US and across the world, and this class presented an awesome opportunity to dive into the topic. One of our assignments included reaching out to professors at Princeton and holding informational interviews to learn about their career trajectory, ask for advice, and pitch ideas. I met with a professor in electrical engineering, and we talked about critical energy loads during climate disasters.
After this conversation, I started digging into material on Puerto Rico, as it is susceptible to frequent hurricanes and power system damage. By the end of fall semester, I produced a literature review of distributed energy resources in Puerto Rico, and I wrote a preliminary project proposal for summer funding. Through this class and its amazing professor, Andrea DiGiorgio, PhD Biological Anthropology, I was exposed to funding sources I hadn’t known before and how to write research proposals.
This semester, I spoke to even more researchers and professionals in the renewable energy sector, and I’ve noticed a disconnect between academia and industry, so I’m working on finding a middle ground. After exchanging ideas with classmates and Professor DiGiorgio, I landed on a project that enables me to blend my passion for community engagement with the energy system in Puerto Rico. I have created a website to foster citizen science and ask for input from Puerto Ricans about their goals for the island. I want to better understand how I, as a Princeton student studying Geosciences and energy, can help Puerto Ricans address their energy system issues.
Safe to say, this year-long course has been one of the most transformative I’ve taken at Princeton. This class provided an open space to hit road bumps and fail, and conversely to celebrate each other’s big wins and smaller achievements. Ultimately, it nurtured my curiosity, and it has made me 100 times more confident in my research abilities, from annotating and conversing with scholars about academic papers to taking pride in the ideas I bring to the table.
** Note: For 2026-27, the Sophomore Research Seminar will not be a two-semester course, but instead a regular one-semester course.