SUMMER 2023 ALUMNI

WILLIAM ZHU

How would you describe your EP to someone who has never heard of it before?

My EP was seven weeks long. I spent the first two weeks in classes about conducting ethical research, science discussions, writing science papers, and designing science posters. I spent the last five weeks in an NYU urban transportation lab called UrbanMITS in the C2SMART center. I worked with a mentor who is a PhD candidate and a researcher at the lab and with another NYU ARISE student. We investigated the impact of COVID-19 and socioeconomic variables, such as income, education level, and age, on subway ridership. Subway ridership decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic and it hasn’t fully recovered as of today. We concluded that certain variables, such as poverty, income level, and others had a high impact on how subway ridership has changed.

What is a typical day like during your EP? 

I used the programming language Python in Jupyter Notebook to clean and change the datasets of both subway ridership by station and time and the datasets of socioeconomic variables by NYC neighborhood. My lab’s schedule was very flexible but I know other people had much stricter schedules, especially the biology and chemistry labs. I only came in a few days a week for a few hours at a time.

What was the biggest challenge of your EP?

It took me some time to learn how to work with datasets using my programming language because there are specific libraries that are for data science that I had to learn. I also had to learn how to make visualizations of the datasets I modified in Python. Another challenge was that my partner did not do any work. My mentor was okay, but he struggled with explaining some things and he also did some work by himself.

What was the biggest reward of your EP? 

I think being able to get real experience working with data and a programming language was my biggest reward. I also got to meet some fun people. I had a good time, overall, even though it wasn’t exactly what I expected.

What do you wish you had known before you went on your EP?

I wish I had known what my lab work actually looked like. It’s hard to know if you’ll like something or not until you actually try it. I did enjoy my time though.

What advice do you have for future SEO scholars who are considering your EP?

I would say that it’s important to be someone who is social and ready to try new things. Also, you will be working in a lab with experts in their field so you need to make sure you have background knowledge on the labs’ topics that you’re interested in. The more background knowledge you have the better you will be able to get some real experience and not have to learn the basics when you start. I was able to get in depth into coding while my partner, who didn’t have any experience working with Python, wasn’t able to get the same experience. NYU ARISE isn’t for students who are trying to learn about a new field or skill.

DONTRIELLE ANTHONY

How would you describe your EP to someone who has never heard of it before?

At The Pinkerton Lab, we're working on improving the way medicines are delivered in the body. Imagine tiny particles that can carry drugs and release them where they're needed. These particles are made of special materials called polymers. We're using these particles to make drugs work better and last longer in the body.

In our study, we're using a type of polymer that can light up when we shine a special light on it. This helps us see where the particles are and how they're working. We're testing different lengths of these light-up polymers to see which one works best. We want to make the particles shine brighter so we can track them easily and make sure the drugs are released in the right place.

To make these light-up particles, we mix some chemicals together using a special method. We then mix them with water, and the particles start forming. We measure how big these particles are and how bright they shine using special tools.

Our guess is that shorter light-up polymers will make the particles shine brighter. If we're right, this could help us see the particles better and make sure the drugs are doing their job. This research will help make medicine delivery better and give us more options for making these light-up particles in the future.

What is a typical day like during your EP? 

A typical day would be walking onto the campus (depends on lab placement) and then scanning my id. After taking the elevator to my lab, I once again scan my entry into the laboratory. Inside are my two mentors, Rachel and Erica, who are great and plan our agenda for that day. Then on the wall, you put on your lab coat and eye wear. Then we either make nanoparticles with Rachel or make polymers with Erica. You also get a lab notebook which is awesome. Roughly around 12 is lunch; however, our mentors were cool so we could lunch anytime. Since my lab was located in Metrotech, there were a plethora of places to eat or get coffee. Also, on some days (usually Fridays), we conference with the owner of the lab, telling her our findings and data we achieved. Overall, the experience was professional, fun, and elite. Good vibes from everyone & I really enjoyed it!

What was the biggest challenge of your EP?

The biggest challenge was the first three days of lab training. As we started the lab, we were exposed to hands-on experiences. Also, our mentors are continuously showing new things we failed to understand. However, that's okay! In time you will realize everything is simple and easy to learn (I got lucky with my mentors, they were amazing). 

What was the biggest reward of your EP? 

The biggest reward of my EP was the experience. With the newly acquired experience, I was able to solidify my interest with working with drugs to improve human health. Even though you said “biggest”, another reward would be the memories and relationships I was able to attain. Lastly, I want to point out that my two lab partners were awesome!

What do you wish you had known before you went on your EP?

I wish I had known that the first two weeks of the program were dedicated to a writing workshop. This was to help us prepare for the abstract that we would eventually write. Also, it was to prepare us for making a poster. 

What advice do you have for future SEO scholars who are considering your EP?

This  is a very competitive program, and to tell you the truth, I got really lucky. For one, I was lucky to even be accepted into the program. Originally, I was rejected; however, a week later, they accepted me. Secondly, I was placed into the the lab I ranked #1 even though I was rejected. Again, I got SUPER lucky. 

Make sure your essays talk about why a lab would want you, so i suggest researching a lot about the labs you want, and write about it. Also, have some kind of way you want to grow as a result of the program. In my essay, I wrote about how the program could use my internet for utilizing drugs. It's like a common app essay: you talk about why you want it, what you want from it, and how it can make you grow. 

Make sure to smile in your interview. I remember asking my mentors about the interview, and the one thing they told me was I never smiled. So in summary, smile or it could cost you.

Good luck!