As an engineering student with a passion for artcraft, I've always found joy in creating things with my own hands, exploring various methods and techniques to bring my ideas to life. So, when I arrived at Princeton and discovered the wealth of resources available for creative exploration, I was absolutely amazed. From the moment I stepped into the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Machine Shop to the countless hours spent in the Studio Lab and makerspace, my journey with Princeton's creative spaces has been nothing short of transformative.

My first experience in the MAE Machine Shop was the MAE 321 Engineering Design course. In the course’s labs, we delved into the art of design and manufacturing, utilizing advanced machinery like milling machines and CNC machines to craft intricate designs. From engineering a flywheel cart and bottle opener, to creating an airplane wing from scratch, the MAE Machine Shop is where imagination meets precision, providing students with hands-on experience and technical expertise.

Another vibrant hub of creativity is the Studio Lab, home of the Council of Science and Technology and a playground for artistic expression and experimentation. Here, students can explore a diverse array of mediums, from traditional embroidery to cutting-edge video game design. Equipped with incredible tools such as 3D printers and laser cutters, the Studio Lab empowers students to turn their ideas into reality. Workshops ranging from cryo painting tote bags to origami engineering foster a culture of collaboration and innovation, inspiring students to push the boundaries of their creativity.

Finally, Princeton's makerspace offers students the chance to delve into a multitude of crafts and technologies. From designing custom stickers to crafting intricate bead jewelry, the makerspace provides a hands-on learning environment where creativity knows no bounds. Students can also rent a variety of tech gadgets, from projectors to VR sets, allowing us to bring their visions to life with professional-grade equipment.

If you're someone who loves getting their hands dirty and bringing ideas to life from scratch, Princeton is the place for you. And for those who've yet to dip their toes into the waters of creation, who knows? Maybe Princeton will be the place where you uncover a newfound hobby.

Six weeks after the start of each semester is the break week without classes. Most semesters, I've used the break week to catch up on my coursework and get ahead on upcoming assignments, as well as take some time to decompress and be with my family. For my senior spring break, though, there was less coursework than usual. I'm only taking three courses this semester, since my thesis counts as my fourth course, which is a wonderful perk that gave me more time over break for both research and traveling.

I used the first few days of break to work on my thesis, which is due in about one month (April 15th) for my department. I had a meeting over Zoom with my advisor, and I made progress on the figures and manuscript. I feel mostly comfortable with the state of the project and meeting the deadline, and the break from classes gave me the opportunity to focus on it. Some students stayed on campus over spring break and attended thesis boot camp workshops, where they hunkered down with provided snacks to make headway. Deadlines are approaching, and most seniors used at least part of their break to make significant thesis progress.

After several days of thesis work, I still had remaining time in my break, which allowed me to travel to Boston! Graduate school programs typically host a visit day for accepted students sometime in March or April, and I was lucky that my future school's visit day was during spring break this year. On Thursday I flew to Boston to visit MIT, where I had the chance to explore the campus, hear from current students, and meet the lab group of my future advisor. MIT was my top choice program when I applied, therefore I'd already accepted when I visited, which allowed the lab group to organize a dinner to welcome me. It was a lovely experience, and it made me incredibly excited to begin my doctoral program in the fall. Many students use visit days to evaluate their options, though, and choose to fly to several different schools during the spring semester. Having fewer classes to attend with the lighter course load of senior spring helps students manage this travel during the semester.

When I came home from Boston, I still had a few nights at home to spend time with my family. I was able to speak about the visit and my impressions, and I could fit in a last few loads of laundry before heading back to campus. I'm really grateful for this slightly different break week of senior spring, and stay tuned for the official printing of my thesis next month!

As an entering Sophomore at Princeton University, I cannot help but reflect back on my freshman year and the absolute awe that followed my arrival on campus. It felt like a dream come true. However as I reread my journal today, two particular entries reminded me of how my dream to of Princeton has evolved into my reality as a student. Like many high schoolers, Princeton initially was a dream come true. But I soon realized that Princeton placed me in an exhilarating environment with beyond talented individuals, challenging academics, and inspiring opportunities. Princeton turned out to be much more than I had dreamed of. 

October 12th, 2022: 

“Every time I walk past Blair Arch, I remember that I’m literally living out my dream of going to an Ivy League [school]. This wasn’t supposed to happen. The odds were not in my favor. The acceptance rates are so small. Yet here I am. I never thought much of that, but now I realize how momentous it is! “

A month into school, and I am very clearly enamored with the “idea” of Princeton. 

March 22nd, 2023:

“I got an iced coffee at Campus Club today. The weather is still cold outside, and the crisp air kindly reminds me every morning that I live on the East Coast rather than Texas. The old wooden doors of Campus Club welcomed me in as I ordered an iced coffee. As I sat down, I found it odd that I’m currently sitting inside an old mansion: the only way I can truly describe eating clubs to my friends back home. Dark wood frames the diamond patterned windows, and I feel cozy inside here. The room is quietly bustling with student activity, and I eavesdrop on other students discussing math and physics. I observe the room around me, wondering what's happened in this room, a room with 100+ years of history. It’s odd that this room used to only occupy men, and now here I am, occupying this space. Drinking my coffee, a young woman, bright and curious, diving into my electrical engineering homework. “

By my second semester, I found a more accurate dream of Princeton. I recognized the privilege of this education on a deeper level. Princeton is not just a name or the face of our iconic Blair Arch, is a school with complex history. I take pride in being a woman in STEM, continually contributing to Princeton’s history--while drinking coffee in Campus Club. Since my first year here, I’ve realized that my dream of going to an Ivy League school has not really come true. As a woman in STEM, in an amazing academic environment, rich with history, I've been given a spot. I believe my dream has just started. 
 

My junior year has come to a close, meaning that, amazingly, I will begin my last year of college in September (time really does fly!). At Princeton, a defining feature of your final year is the senior thesis, a year-long independent research project in your department. There is an unofficial vocabulary of terms for referring to thesis-related phenomena (thesis-ing, thesis fairy, PTL (post-thesis life)), and underclassmen are generally advised to avoid asking seniors about the thesis at all during the month of April, for fear of unleashing a panicked thesis ramble. Given all this, the thesis can definitely seem pretty daunting, and while I'm certainly nervous, I've also realized how my first three years have really set the stage for the thesis to be much more doable than it seemed when I first started at Princeton. As an incoming first-year, the thesis looked very unapproachable, because I really didn't have the skills then for an independent project. But now, after the experiences in my first, sophomore, and junior years, I feel that I know how to approach original research and believe I can produce meaningful work for my thesis. I know that the road will be bumpy, but I at least feel that I'm in a well-equipped vehicle for the ride.

One of the most important experiences preparing me for the thesis was my writing seminar. All first-years take a writing seminar ("writing sem"), where you learn how to structure a research paper and to situate your original work within the existing literature. On every draft, your professor writes you a detailed feedback letter describing where and how to improve, and you then submit a final, polished piece several weeks later. Your professor also holds individual meetings with you to discuss ideas and approaches to your topic. It's a challenging but incredibly rewarding course, and it allows you to conduct a half-semester long mini-thesis where you practice the process arc you'll use for your senior thesis (Also, the different topics available are endless—the theme of my seminar was "Systems of Play," and my second major paper was about LEGO advertising).

In my sophomore and junior years, I started conducting research in my concentration, environmental engineering (moving forward from LEGOs to organic contaminants and solar energy!), through Independent Study courses with professors in the CEE and ECE departments. I became familiar with the literature and methodologies specific to my field, all while using the same skills and process arc I'd learned in writing seminar. Now, in the summer before my senior year, I'm working for Dr. Bourg to begin the research for my thesis. I'm not entirely sure yet where the project will lead, but I feel prepared and excited for the journey.

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I just came back from Puerto Rico, where I gave a talk on my junior paper at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Photovoltaic Specialists Conference. It was an incredible experience, and I learned a lot about both the field of solar photovoltaics and the history and culture of Puerto Rico. Here are the steps I took to arrange the trip, as well as the wonderful Princeton people who made it possible (a special thank you to Dr. Barry Rand, Dr. Sigurd Wagner, and Moira Selinka of Princeton's Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment).

Step 1: Find the right conference

How do you choose a suitable conference for your work? The best person to ask is usually your advisor, who is familiar with the scope of different conferences. I asked Drs. Rand and Wagner, my project advisors, and the one that immediately came to mind for them was the IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference. Given that my project is about the adoption of rooftop solar panels in the U.S., this sounded like a perfect fit.

Step 2: Write and submit your abstract

To submit to a conference, you usually have to write an abstract or extended abstract on your findings. For this conference, they asked for a 3-page extended abstract. Be aware of deadlines, as they are usually far in advance of the conference itself. For PVSC, the abstract was due in January while the conference was in June.

Step 3: Find funding and make travel arrangements

I heard back that my abstract was accepted for a poster presentation in mid-March, and I applied through for funding through the Student Activities Funding Engine (SAFE) to head to Puerto Rico.

Step 4: Create and print your poster

I designed my poster, and I sent an email to Print Services to have it printed. (I found out later, though, that students can print two free posters per month in the Engineering Library. Now I know.)

Step 5: Learn that you won't actually need your poster

Two weeks before the conference, I found out that my abstract was selected for an oral presentation instead! I put together a set of Powerpoint slides, which I presented to Professors Rand and Wagner. They helped me revise and refine my presentation so that I felt well-prepared to deliver my talk.

Step 6: Travel, arrive, and check-in

Come mid-June, it was time to fly to Puerto Rico! I arrived late Monday night, and Tuesday morning I went to the convention center to familiarize myself with the presentation room and equipment before my session.

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Step 7: Present!

My presentation was the last one scheduled for my session, so I listened to several other presentations before it was time for mine. It was interesting to hear about related solar research. I was slightly nervous before my talk, but I think it went well. The audience seemed engaged, and they asked questions that showed that had followed along and absorbed the key points.

Step 8: Explore the surrounding area

After the conference, I explored the island. I visited the citadel, Castillo San Felipe del Morro, and the only tropical rainforest in the U.S., El Yunque. I also saw incredible flora and fauna, like a three-foot iguana that crossed the sidewalk while I was out for a run.

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Step 9: Submit receipts 

When I got back home, I submitted the receipts of my various expenses for the conference (flight, airport taxi, registration fee) in order to be reimbursed.

Step 10: Reflect

Stepping outside the Orange Bubble and contiguous U.S. immersed me in a completely different culture. I learned about solar research from scholars in other states and countries, and I explored the landscape and history of a place to which I had never been, which gave me a more global perspective on both research and lifestyle culture. The experience was truly amazing, and I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity.

On a recent Tuesday, the usual lecture for the course CEE311, Global Air Pollution, was replaced with an atypical data collection session. Each student signed up for a different time slot throughout the day, and small groups met at the parking lot by the E-Quad in order to be driven by Professor Zondlo in the Princeton Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Mobile Lab.

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This car is equipped with various sensors for measuring wind speed, methane, and other greenhouse gasses in the ambient air. It's fully electric, so there are no emissions from the car that could influence the measurements. Inside the car, there's a GPS sensor so that we can pair the measurements to their exact latitude and longitude coordinates. 

Professor Zondlo drove us by a nearby wastewater treatment plant, and we recorded the methane levels coming from the plant. Gas plume measurements are highly variable, so to get a better estimate, we drove past the plant ten times (making U-turns in a nearby parking lot) in order to get more data. Once we had this data, we analyzed it and were able to use the Gaussian plume model we'd learned about in class to get an estimate of the methane emission rate from the plant. 

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This experience was both a welcome change of pace to the usual routine (How often do you get to be driven around by your professor in a decked-out electric car?) and an opportunity to see how an atmospheric chemistry scientist collects and analyzes data. Professor Zondlo uses the mobile lab in his own research, and his group recently published a paper where they performed a similar exercise at a variety of wastewater treatment plants throughout the United States. In being exposed to the real-world methods my professors use in their own research, I've been able to experience what working in different areas of environmental engineering would be like. This has made me feel more prepared to choose my own niche field (water, air, soil, etc.) for graduate school and my future career. I've been consistently impressed with how dedicated my professors are to creating courses that allow me experience what working as an environmental engineer will truly be like. 

If you see a car with some strange metal instruments on top driving by, and then see it turn around and drive by you again, don't be alarmed. You might be witnessing the mobile lab in action, collecting data to help understand and combat climate change.

Princeton professors are incredibly willing to take the seed of a research idea and help make it into a full project. Near the end of last summer, I proposed an independent study project to Professor Barry Rand, whose lab I'd been working in during the summer. I wanted to do some type of analysis about the potential for rooftop solar energy in the U.S., but I didn't have a fully formed idea. When I asked to speak with him, I wasn't sure if he would think my idea had any merit, and I wasn't confident he'd take me on as an independent study student for the fall. When I proposed my idea, though, he was enthusiastic and encouraged me to pursue it. He pointed me towards the Google Project Sunroof database, which became the main dataset upon which I based my analysis.

Throughout the summer and fall, I carried out my project as an Independent Study course, with input from Professor Rand and Professor Wagner to guide me. As my project took shape, I asked Professor Rand if he thought I could present my work at an academic conference. I was looking to share my work to others, and I wanted to see what other types of solar research were happening. He suggested the IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference. I checked out the website and saw that last year's conference was held in Philadelphia, and that the 2023 conference would be in... Puerto Rico. A bit farther away! This conference looked like the right fit for my research, but who would pay for me to go?

Fortunately, when students have a vision of an independent project they'd like to pursue, Princeton will truly make the funding for it available. I logged into the Student Activities Funding Engine (SAFE) to see what I could find. After inputting some information about my project, several options popped up. One of them seemed ideal: the Undergraduate Fund for Academic Conferences. (Who knew there was a fund specifically for undergraduates going to academic conferences?) I filled out a short application form detailing my project and planned itinerary. Several days later, I heard back—I'd been awarded a grant! The grant would cover half of my travel expenses. I then returned to SAFE to search for funding for the other half. I decided to apply for independent project funding from the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. Again, after a short wait, I received notification that I would be awarded the funding that would cover the other half of my expenses. After I return from Puerto Rico, I'll submit a short report about my trip to each office telling them what I learned and gained from the experience.

Princeton ascribes a high value to undergraduate original research, so they really make funds available to students to pursue their research and the experiences that will enrich it, like conferences. I was surprised and pleased at how straightforward the process was to secure funding for the opportunity to present my work, and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm incredibly grateful that Princeton sees the value in making it possible for students to travel and gain greater context and insight about their research fields. Look out for a blog post this summer about the solar conference!

Over my summers, I've performed research at Princeton through internships funded by the High Meadows Environmental Institute. I've really liked both experiences so far, but they've been incredibly different, not only being in different departments but requiring very different skill sets. Two summers ago, I worked remotely from home with the Interfacial Water Group in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department running simulations of contaminants in water and air. I connected to the Princeton computing clusters from my laptop, and Professor Bourg taught me over Zoom how to create files to run and submit to the supercomputer. This past summer, I worked in the Rand Lab in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department to try to create energy-efficient OLEDs. This work required using specialized equipment like the spin coater and thermal evaporator located only in lab B427. The two internships have been useful in allowing me to reflect on the advantages and disadvantages of coding lab work and manual lab work.

For both types of research, there was a steep learning curve at the beginning. For molecular dynamics simulations, I had to become familiar with the coding language of the software LAMMPS, in order to create input files to run, and with the scheduling language "slurm" as well as the Linux command line for submitting files to the supercomputer. In the Rand lab, a different set of abilities are required. The lab demands physical dexterity that is not required for running simulations, such as being able to insert my hands into the gloves that enter the nitrogen glovebox (easier said than done) and handling the fragile glass substrates with tweezers through the thick glovebox gloves. It also demands a certain vigilance, as one wrong move could spill an acid onto the floor or disturb someone's multi-day experiment.

I like the convenience of running simulations, in that I can work at it whenever I choose and from any location with a VPN connection. And at an earlier point in my OLED internship, I'm was much more familiar with running simulations than working in the lab, therefore simulations felt much more comfortable to me than the newness of the Rand lab. But there is something rewarding about seeing tangible and physical results that I achieve in the lab, like handling a shiny and finished OLED or viewing the color transformation of a compound I synthesize. I don't get quite the same feeling from seeing a display on a computer screen of a simulation I run as when I can hold the physical result of my work.

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There are other similarities between the two types of research aside from the learning curves. For instance, both lab groups hold weekly group meetings where a few members of the group give updates on their projects, asking the Head Principal Investigator (PI) and the other group members for feedback. There is a strong sense of community among the different graduate and undergraduate students in each group, revealed in the thoughtful advice they offer to one another. For instance, at a group meeting I spoke about my attempt with my mentor, Jesse, to synthesize a certain solution to use as one of the layers of our OLEDs. I described our problem getting the powder to fully disperse in alcohol. One of the graduate students mentioned that she knows several researchers from a group in France who work specifically on synthesizing solutions like the one we're attempting to create, and she offered to put me in contact with them. I'm really grateful to have had the chance to work in two very different fields.

This summer, I'm working on a sustainable energy project creating OLEDs to power photocatalysis through a High Meadows Environmental Institute (HMEI) internship. This means I'm living in Princeton, and I was initially worried that it would feel a little lonely to be on campus when classes aren't in session. When I was speaking with friends about their summer plans, though, I was pleasantly surprised by how many would also be in Princeton this summer. A few of my friends have other HMEI internships that take place in labs, while others have research internships through the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment (ACEE). Contrary to my worries, campus is still humming with activity in over the summer.

There's a community of about 50 HMEI interns on campus, and we recently had a group dinner where I caught up with friends and was introduced to several new ones. We had Nomad Pizza (restaurant that serves brick oven pizza) in Guyot Hall, and I got to hear about one friend's fieldwork at the nearby Watershed Institute and about another's work at the Plasma Physics Lab.

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There are also around 20 ACEE interns on campus, one of whom, John, works in the same lab as I do with a different graduate student mentor. It's nice that I'm not the only undergrad in the lab, because I'm reminded that it's normal to face a steep learning curve when adapting to operating the specialized instruments! While the graduate students make operating a thermal evaporator with three pairs of gloves on seem effortless, John and I still have practice to do to achieve that level of dexterity.

Being on campus in the summer is nice because it gives me a chance to explore the Princeton area at a time when I'm not overwhelmed with coursework. On weekends I like to visit the shops on Nassau Street, like Nearly New thrift shop or Labyrinth Books, or explore the area by running on the towpath or biking around town. Another perk of Princeton in the summer is the farmers' market, which is held every Thursday. New Jersey summer fruit absolutely cannot be beat!

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When I was applying for HMEI internships for the summer, I initially considered several of the offerings with international travel. There were opportunities to study grasslands in Madagascar of Mozambique, for example, which would certainly have made for a unique and memorable summer of travel. I decided against it, though, when I realized that I'd really prefer to gain more wet lab experience and spend time with my Princeton community. I'm truly enjoying spending summer on campus, and I would recommend it to any student as a way to appreciate the lovely area during a calmer time of year.

By the midpoint of the semester, I usually have a sense of what to expect in my courses, and I start to find which topics I'm really enjoying. This semester, my favorite course is probably CEE308: Environmental Engineering Laboratory. When I first enrolled, I wasn't sure exactly what the course would entail—environmental engineering is a broad field, after all, with many possible laboratory experiments. It turns out that we experimentally show many of the concepts I learned about last semester in CEE207: Introduction to Environmental Engineering, which is a really satisfying progression of my studies. For instance, in the first lab we measured the soil partition coefficient of a contaminant, and partition coefficients is a topic Professor Bourg covered and assigned a problem set on last semester in CEE207. I also really like the weekly workflow of this lab course. On Monday, we meet in a classroom with Professor Jaffé, where he discusses the theoretical concepts behind the lab we'll be doing on Wednesday by writing equations and diagrams on the blackboard. On Wednesday, we meet in Professor Jaffé's laboratory to carry out the lab. Sometimes the lab requires measurements on multiple days, in which case we'll also come to the lab over the following days to take readings. Each lab is building towards the final report, which is going to be an Environmental Impact Statement of a hypothetical plan to use golf course pesticides on the Princeton lawns and athletic fields. 

I was nervous about the course at the beginning, because I had not-so-fond memories of my previous lab courses, which were remote (holding my breadboard up to a Zoom camera to try to understand why my circuit wasn't working was a bit of a challenge). But in person, I've found that I really love laboratory work, even the problem-solving and explanation-finding of experiments that don't go as planned. During our first lab, for instance, the data showed a mostly horizontal line when we were expecting a linear trend. At first, I thought that maybe my lab group had made an error in the experiment—why doesn't this look how I'm expecting it to look? I showed the results to Professor Jaffé, though, and he helped me realize an explanation for why the trend appeared as it did. We might have carried out the experiment correctly, but the concentrations used may simply have been too high to see the linear trend we expect at low concentrations. In my report, I simply showed the unexpected results and gave my best explanation for what could possibly have caused them. This skill, accepting unexpected results and working to understand them, is likely just as important as understanding the chemical and physical concepts behind the results we expect to get. 

As the weather gets nicer, Professor Jaffé is planning to assign experiments that require soil and water samples from around campus. I'm looking forward to this, as an afternoon spent outdoors in the sunshine will be a nice treat midweek as the semester gets more hectic. I have my fingers crossed for nice-weather Wednesdays during the second half of the semester.