Summer Scholars: WPI’s 2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Programs Inspire a New Wave of Students Ready to Take on the Challenges of Tomorrow

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Summer Scholars: WPI's 2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Programs Inspire a New Wave of Students Ready to Take on the Challenges of Tomorrow

August 16, 2024

The energy in WPI's Innovation Studio was sizzling August 1st during the 2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Showcase that drew together a wide array of presenters with 70 projects on display. This annual event is more than just an exhibition-it's a vibrant celebration of WPI's impact on an ever-growing community of aspiring scientists and engineers.

The Showcase highlighted the work of 166 undergraduate students from WPI and other colleges and universities who spent 10 weeks immersed in groundbreaking research at WPI. Students worked side-by-side with peers, graduate students, and faculty mentors through 17 different summer programs and in 19 departments across campus.

Among the standout programs featured at the showcase was the Early Research Experience in E-Term (EREE). This program is designed to ignite the spark of scientific inquiry in young researchers by placing them in the heart of high-performance labs. While each project tackled a different subject, every student gained experience in exploring the fundamentals of research, teamwork, and presentation skills while contemplating research as a potential lifelong pursuit.

Showcase Snapshots:

WPI students Kerstin Andrews, Class of 2025, and Madeline Jaszek, Class of 2027, researched the effects of growth conditions on trophoblasts, which are cells that make up the placenta, anchoring the organ as well as transferring oxygen and nutrients to a fetus. Andrews has spent two years in the lab of Professor Christina Bailey-Hytholt. "I've really found my purpose in research," Andrews said. For Jaszek, research was a new experience. . "I'd never been in a lab before, but the project fit with my plans to go to medical school and my interest in obstetrics and gynecology," Jaszek said.

WPI student Mikalya Prue, Class of 2025, partnered with Nellie Rushton, Stanford University Class of 2027, on the project titled "Rest and Wellness: Perspectives of First Generation, Transfer, and International Students on Challenges and Institutional Efforts at WPI." The pair analyzed data from WPI students about the mission and purpose of Wellness Days. Mikayla said, "I like that it was data about personal feelings because it made me care even more about getting others to understand the report and hopefully share the findings widely." Rushton, who is from Worcester and has been participating in summer research projects since her sophomore year at Doherty High School, is hoping to replicate this study at Stanford to better understand that community's wellness needs.

Jon Balyeat, University of Connecticut, Class of 2027, studied how certain pharmaceutical treatments for bipolar disorder may affect pregnant or postpartum women. As a biomedical engineering major, Balyeat says he was interested in getting hands-on experience in a lab early in his college career and was encouraged to apply to the WPI summer program by his advisor at UCONN. "This program has helped me quite a bit. I feel much more confident in forming my own thoughts and hypotheses in a research project, which will allow me to contribute much more to my lab group when I return to school."

Kathryn Gurski, St. Louis University Class of 2026, spent the summer in Worcester examining whether shortwave ultraviolet light could be used to disinfect the humidifier in an affordable respiratory device designed for pre-term infants in low- to middle-income countries. Gurski said she liked the opportunity to work with a startup company that has a humanitarian mission. "I think it's really important to make sure that we're not just making solutions to fix problems, but we're making solutions that are available for people to actually use regardless of income," Gurski said.

Tahjé Joseph-Bryan, WPI Class of 2026, worked on a project that seeks to use artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance the security and performance of 5G networks. The electrical and computer engineering major used an open-source framework to simulate 5G environments and prepared for future testing of scenarios like jamming attacks on networks. Joseph-Bryan said the research project provided valuable hands-on experience. "It's been an amazing opportunity for me. I have aspirations of entering into cybersecurity. Being part of this project serves as a foundation for me."

Amelia Adin, University of Florida Class of 2026, investigated bone quality at the metatarsals, bones in the foot that are subject to frequent stress injury in runners. The biomedical engineering major, minoring in biomechanics, worked on a project that analyzed the ability of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan measurements to predict metatarsal bone quality in athletes at risk for the Female Athlete Triad, a combination of low energy availability, menstrual dysfunction, and poor bone quality. Adin said she worked closely with her WPI mentor, PhD student Julia Nicolescu, and advisor, Professor Karen Troy. "They'vebeen great mentors to me. They'vegiven me an opportunity to be in charge ofthe data analysis and the ideation of this research project. They've been there to give me guidance when I need it."

The EREE program was made possible by a number of supporters including the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education (ODIME) with funding provided by Teradyne, Inc., the Women's Impact Network (WIN), the Louis Stokes Renewal STEM Pathways and Research Alliance: Northeast LSAMP 2021-2026, WPI's Office of Advancement, and the Dean of Undergraduate Studies. Their generous contributions ensure that this program remains a cornerstone of WPI's commitment to fostering the next generation of innovators.

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