NYUAD Study Abroad

For my sophomore spring semester I studied abroad at the NYUAD location in the United Arab Emirates. I spent the semester challenging myself to take risks and immersing myself in Emirati culture.

Ghana Travel Colloquium with NYU MLK Scholars Program

With the NYU MLK Scholars Program, I traveled to Ghana from January 9th-January 16th, before traveling to NYUAD, visiting three cities to immerse ourselves in Ghanian culture, learning about PanAfricanism, and interacting with the local people meet faculty and entrepreneurs. It is intentionally a travel colloquium, not an alternative break trip as service break trips are extremely limited and short and oftentimes it may create more work for organizations; the purpose of the Ghana trip was to focus on global learning, learn more about identities, network, and learn more about history first hand by visiting the Cape Coast Dungeons and the Last Bath River.

This travel colloquium relates to EVERY UN Sustainable Development Goal and relates to Providing Access to Clean Water and Advance Health Informatics, which are NAE Grand Challenges. More specifically, this travel colloquium connects to reduced inequalities & peace, justice, and strong institutions as one of Ghana's motifs is the Akan Adinkra Symbol of the spider web which symbolizes the interconnectedness of the community and its emphasis on oral history -- the importance of learning the history and sharing with others. To learn and grow and educate and to never let the stories die. Spider webs can withstand rain or sunshine and so can Ghana. Ghana is still a fairly young country and is still developing, we were instructed to NEVER use the tap water to brush our teeth and to not buy street food, as well as required to take malaria medication. At the University of Ghana, I learned about the research being done on malaria and COVID-19, as well as the new resources being created for a community that is comprised of around 20% of deaf individuals, where hearing loss was once associated with sorcery. Also, the struggle to translate research into public policy, as well as Dr. Lily's research in Breast Cancer and her organization Nofo and how Breast Cancer specifically in Black women is the least researched and is the most aggressive and is severely impacting their communities, and yet most of the research done in breast cancer is done with a majority Caucasian demographic. Moreover, visiting the Cape Coast Dungeons has been the most harrowing experience of my life, to stand in a room that is hot as hell where hundreds of Black men and women were forced to inhabit for 2-3 weeks before leaving through the Door of No Return and it is unimaginable. The floors were no longer brick, stained from years of blood, urine, feces, sweat -- we were standing on the DNA of the enslaved people. These dungeons are often referred to as castles because standing on the outside it is absolutely beautiful, the breeze from the ocean is delightful and the scenery of the Assin Masno Slave River Site is breathtaking and yet many drowned themselves in the river and many men were killed for resisting in the dungeons and women were raped and far too many died from miscarrying. These sites are evidence of history, it tells a story of strength and perseverance of the Black African Diaspora and as Malcolm X said it best, "None of us are equal, until we are all equal" and the guide said it best that we have a duty to ourselves and each other to share these stories to learn and grow. Ghana was the most beautiful country and there is so much rich history and culture and Africa tells the story of a continent that is so far divided, but would be so much stronger united and the roots of colonialism still hold strong, but I hold faith in the development of the UN Goals and perhaps one day I will spend a portion of my life in Ghana advocating for their communities and demanding equality and justice.

NYU Summer Research (UGSRP)

For UGSRP I worked under Professor Xin Wang where I built a control system for Polarized Optical Microscopy. I spent the summer learning control theory and custom designing a model to 3D print, while also learning new software systems: MathLab and Simulink.

My research relates to sustainability and health, UN Goals 3 and 12. My lab ran two experiments in which both require temperature control systems and the lab’s setup required inefficient manual adjustments, wasting time and money. The lab initially purchased a control system, but it was incompatible with tools/materials used in the lab. To mitigate these issues and reduce costs, I began developing a thermo-control system for the microscope. I custom-designed and 3D-printed a heating unit using Fusion360, printed at NYU Tandon Makerspace, costing $1 to produce and took 30 minutes to print, with a total expenditure of $12. The design is cost-efficient, sustainable, and easily replaceable, requiring minimal ABS plastic. Additionally, these experiments are used in nanobiology and have significant health applications. They allow for the examination of how molecules change, crucial in understanding such as Alzehmier’s and Parkinson’s to help develop therapies to address these diseases and more.

Before UGSRP I knew I liked doing research but after this summer my desire to do research strengthened and I am very grateful to have been given this opportunity. Within this research experience I had no PhD student above me so I was able to set the pace of my research with guidance under Professor Wang, which I know is in contrast of the experience of several of my peers. I was able to make my own choices this summer, which gave me power to shape my own experience. I was able to fully custom-design a model on a software of my choice and I choose Fusion360, even though I am more comfortable with SOLIDWORKS. This was the first time I designed a product, instead of just extruding sketches on my screen. I had to be intentional and precise. I struggled immensely with the 3D printing, at one point I wanted to give up. I’m glad I didn’t because I was able to think critically and overcome the challenge by speaking to my professor. This experience prepared me for future professional endeavors as I had to create a research poster and overcome several research challenges and even learn theory that I had yet to take as a rising junior.

MAE Undergraduate Fellowship

I worked as a research fellow in Professor Chen’s lab under postdoc students in organ on a chip research. This was a part of the Mechanical and Aerospace Department’s Fellowship program.

As a Research Fellow in the MAE Fellowship, I contribute to advancing UN SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing by micro-engineering Organ-on-a-Chip systems for lymph node disease modeling. Collaborating with postdoctoral researchers in the Applied Micro-Bioengineering Laboratory, I develop Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) mixtures and use microscopy techniques to construct accurate disease models. By analyzing large datasets of cell images using ImageJ and Excel, I support insights into disease mechanisms that can lead to improved diagnosis, personalized treatments, and innovative healthcare technologies. This interdisciplinary work directly promotes healthier lives and enhances global well-being.

This research experience significantly shaped my professional, academic, and personal growth. Professionally, it deepened my understanding of micro-engineering techniques and biomedical applications, reinforcing my aspiration to innovate in healthcare technology. Academically, it enhanced my technical skills in data analysis, microscopy, and materials formulation, providing hands-on experience that complements my mechanical engineering studies. Personally, working in an interdisciplinary team improved my collaboration and problem-solving abilities while igniting a passion for addressing real-world health challenges. This experience solidified my goal to pursue advanced studies in biomedical engineering and contribute to creating impactful healthcare solutions.

The Global Career Accelerator Program 

I completed the Coding for Data Global Career Accelerator course. I gained 4 certifications at the end of the program.

One of the certifications I was awarded with at the end of the Global Career Accelerator course is Intercultural Skills. The basis of the UN SDGs is to provide measurable, realistic goals that society can advance towards which can not be complete without Intercultural skills. This course gave me a chance to connect with students across the USA and as someone who has never traveled outside the East Coast, domestically, I learned more about what it’s like to live in Texas and their “Whattaburger” and the quirks of UMich and other universities across the nation. Moreover, I was granted a certification in AI & this directly relates with almost every UN SDG - with using AI their comes a heavy responsibility. AI use comes of the cost of our environment and it is important to use it conservatively and intelligently, all while pursuing a quality education.

Personally this experience allowed me to engage with students outside of NYU and make connections across states. I also feel very fortunate to be certified in SQL and Python, giving me a chance to display my data analysis skills. Professionally, it gives me the ability to enter the data science realm. This course also gave me the confidence to start coding again and to pick up new software/languages.