This past summer, I had the opportunity to work at Rice University doing research as part of the 2008 HHMI Summer Research Internship in Bionanotechnology. Although I was also working in a lab at Georgia Tech, it was a great experience getting the chance to do research in an entirely different area at another university. My project focused on fabricating microchannels from poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels, which has further implications in engineering microvasculature. I had the opportunity to work with a graduate student and interact with many students from other universities with a variety of backgrounds. From the size of the research labs to the overall atmosphere, it was clear from the beginning that Rice is very different from Georgia Tech; through this experience, I have the perspective to appreciate both.

Getting up to speed in a new lab took some work, especially considering the length of the program and what I had hoped to accomplish. Fortunately, I was paired with a good mentor who helped to ease me into research and allowed me to perform many of the experiments myself. The research was very relevant to current issues and helped me to learn more about other areas in biomedical engineering. I really enjoyed this opportunity and learned a great deal from the experience. I hope to conduct research at another university next summer and gain a wider perspective on the scope of research in my field.