To Our Peers, We Are All Strong During This Global Pandemic

What is your research focus/ field of interest?

I currently work in a Biophotonics lab, and my interests are aligned towards the biomolecular/ biotechnology side, which is want I want to pursue after graduation as well. What I learn from the research experience is invaluable to me, . The lab lets me be independent and I have learned how to do research in a group, with planning and undertaking projects.

If you have a mentor, how does he/she guide you in your research?

My mentor is the graduate student I work with in the lab. The way he guides me through my research is informative. He tells me his broad ideas for his research and how I could fit into that, along with potential ideas he already has for me. Then I conduct research on my own and update him with potential avenues which I have explored and ask for his advice. He does give me a certain level of independence which I appreciate.

Why do you choose to attend UC San Diego?

As an international student I did ample research before I made my decision, especially with universities known for excellent Bioengineering programs. I came from India. The level of exposure and experience with biotech at home has not quite matured, which is why I applied to some American universities initially, alongside with some Indian universities. It was actually a professor in India in the field of biotech who recommended specifically that I should consider coming to UCSD. The professor was very knowledgeable in his field so my family took his recommendation very seriously.

As an intern at the Summer EnVision Experience program, what aspects of this program attracted your attention? What was the project that you were working on?

I was part of the SEE (Summer Experience at EnVision), a program conducted through EnVision Arts and Engineering Maker Studio, which cooperated with organizations to allow students to become interns on campus. I participated in this program in the summer of 2019, working with Birch Aquarium. As an undergraduate student there was only limited opportunity to fully get involved in all parts of a comprehensive hands-on project, and this program offered me a way to communicate my wildest ideas with a group of open minded fellow students.

Birch wanted to host an exhibit in the realm of virtual reality technologies or 360 views, in order to educate the general public in regard of not only the countless research projects conducted by Scripps, but also the two marine reserves (San Diego-Scripps Coastal State Marine Conservation Area and Matlahuayl State Marine Reserve) off the shore. In 10 weeks we had to present a working prototype. Through cycles of creative proposals and feedback, a handheld VR prototype,was born.

Cross-disciplinary interaction is the foundation of Bioengineering. How does your experience in the VR project help you to better understand the aspects of Bioengineering?

As a Bioengineering major I had limited exposure to other fields and certain details about them that you can not learn through textbooks. This project was an eye opening experience for me, as my first design-to-engineering experience. The interns ranged in all fields including engineering, visual arts, cognitive science, My learning curve was how to approach and solve realistic problems through the design process,. I learned aspects of mechanical engineering to make prototypes and study suitable materials; I employed electrical engineering skills to learn how to build circuits for the VR sets; I studied VR technology to understand the mechanics behind it.My greatest take away was that there were multiple ways to approach a problem, and people from different experiences will look at problems differently. We should know how to push our own ideas but also work together to achieve mutual satisfaction.

How has COVID affected your life?

As a college student I definitely miss out on my “college experiences”, such as spending time with friends and at the library, rushing between classes, visiting office hours and socializing with classmates. But I wouldn't say this stay-at-home experience was all negative. It was also a chance for us to explore the side of us which we were too busy to notice. Things like cooking, reading, meditating, and creating art are other things that are important in life yet we often ignore. It is important to think about understanding the world and oneself, and this period presents the time for careful self reflection.