This week with research, I am feeling ready to present. The past week or so has been very focused on getting the poster done and practicing it. I am writing this before the symposium, but I am feeling pretty good about it. I was concerned before about my results (especially with all the concerns of how much better I could have performed to get better results), but after talking with my PI and my mentor, I feel like it will be alright. I learned to acknowledge all the work and effort I put into my project and poster, which makes me feel more confident about it. I also recognize that I am always just sharing knowledge, instead of trying to sell a product. I initially struggled with this mindset when I saw an example elevator pitch provided by the program. This pitch was more business-oriented and highlighted how they have this really great product that will solve everything. My project doesn’t do that, so having that mindset causes a lot of anxiety and doubt. Thankfully, I was reminded again by my PI, mentor, and others around me that the product of research is knowledge. This aspect of research is something that heavily encourages me to pursue even more research.
Because of this new perspective, probably the biggest takeaway from the program is that it makes me more confident about where to look in my future. I am considering grad school now because it reflects so many qualities that I align with such as learning from mistakes and discovering knowledge. For these past 10 weeks, I learned how I can also reach a balance of academic, social, and personal life. I wish to reach such a nice balance later in my career.
I am very glad to have engaged in this program. I always felt welcomed and encouraged to learn from so many opportunities around me. I was surprised to work alongside so much cutting-edge research while also learning about the welcoming community at Rice. The students in my lab were all welcoming and helpful. My mentor was always very attentive, honest, understanding, and straight up chill. I felt a bit lost at first, but I later found a pretty good balance of being independent in the lab and learning from my mentor. My PI was also always very friendly and welcoming. I generally felt like mistakes were not looked down upon and that people around me took most of their opportunities to give me feedback and help me improve, which I will always appreciate. This experience makes me want to continue research while I am a student at Rice. My PI told me that the opportunity to continue is available so I hope to do so soon.
I also want to mention the incredible support that I received from the R-STEM and OURI programs. I found the weekly meetings and their overall structure to be very thoughtful and helpful since they serve as a form of checkpoints to the progress of our research. Dr. Zafar was of immense help during this program. I appreciated her extensive and clear communication each week. She made sure to actively attend to our concerns and needs and she was always willing to help us despite how much she is already handling. Thank you, Dr. Zafar!

This week with research, I finished the poster. I started to work on the poster last week, so this week I continued to work on it pretty consistently. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to conduct too many more experiments, but I conducted a couple more just to get a little more general idea of my data, which also helped me change the poster a little bit. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to try everything that I want to include in my poster. I notice that this limitation comes with the nature of poster presentations, but I think I can still conduct more experiments just out of curiosity. This post will be short because not many interesting things happened this week. I was mainly just working on the poster, but the feedback loop of going to my mentor, my pi, and the REU program has helped me make the poster better, so I’m glad I had so much support while making it.

Working on the poster also means that the program is almost over. We just have one more week, but I feel pretty good. I’m happy with how I conducted the project, but I wish I got better results that seemed more promising for making a novel or interesting improvement to the device. I accept what it is and I think it’s still good to know the information that came out of it. I really enjoyed the experience still. It is pretty sad that the REU is ending also because summertime is ending and I’ll be starting school pretty much instantly. I am transferring to Rice, so I am pretty nervous but kind of excited.

This week with research, we are coming back to normal! But, we are also coming near the end, so my work is feeling a bit more on finishing up the abstract and moving toward the poster draft. This was the first week after I got power, so I am glad things are much better at home now. This made this week feel a bit more productive. In addition to preparing the abstract and poster, I have conducted a few more experiments to complete the story a bit more for my poster presentation. I am finding some interesting behaviors with the piezoelectrics, but it is still a bit disappointing that the power outputs are so low. Other designs also show low power outputs, but I feel like I can make the device better still. Thankfully, I am getting to try a bunch of different designs for the device that I found interesting and hopefully tell a better story (especially now that I have new piezos to play with).
The highlight of this week is probably the grad school info session, which I found incredibly helpful and inspiring. I really appreciated the transparency that the dean had about the graduate school admissions. His advice felt very genuine and clear, especially because I felt like I learned how different of an admission process it is. I am very interested in grad school, especially because it allows me to be interested in a general area of study and give it a try rather than being super fixated on a very specific goal to reach, which the info session advised not to have. I wanted to engage with the student panel too, but I had no questions that I could think of. I just regret a lot not asking something and taking advantage of the opportunity more. I also really like the creative and open-ended process of research more rather than going into the workforce directly after finishing my bachelor’s, but I am still not fully decided. I especially want to know what comes after grad school and the PhD. Will the workforce be similar? Will I mainly have to work at a university with research? Of course, I only thought of these questions until after the info session. I have been chatting with my mentor a bit about how his application process went, which makes me glad that I have the opportunity to learn from other students who have gone through this process.

This week with research, we are still recovering from the hurricane. Ever since the storm, we have not had power–it’s been almost a week, but thankfully our house didn’t get hit with any major damage from trees or anything. We’re mainly waiting for power and trying to adapt to it while we can. At one point getting ice and gas was very difficult. I was scared I would not be able to fill up my tank to drive to the lab, but after looking for a long time, I found some. Because of the hurricane, there were a few days of the week when I couldn’t go to work in the lab. For the work that I was able to do, I mainly looked at more research that is related to mine to see how it relates to some of the data that I got. Then, I started to discuss with my mentor again what my next step should be, what my poster should look like, and what the story of it would be. So I am leaning towards trying to get some more experiments in but stay within the theme of the data that I currently have. I’m slightly changing the research question, just to clarify a focus on temperature configurations. During lab hours, I actually had an issue again with being able to measure data the same way I did a few weeks ago. It’s been difficult to make the devices work as precisely as they were before, so I’ve been troubleshooting a lot. I hope I can fix it next week and also get a more holistic set of data with new piezo designs. I also seek to improve the performance of the device a bit so that we can get better power values, despite many other piezo devices also having very small power outputs. I also hope that we get the power back soon and wish that everyone else is also staying safe and cool.

This week with research, I found new ways of summarizing and presenting data. The main highlight of this week was being able to gather the data that I’ve been collecting for my temperature experiments and present it to my PI. The main change I made to the data was how to present it in a heat graph, which I first mistakenly labeled as an intensity graph. My mentor came back from his break this week, so he was able to guide me on how he made his previous graphs using a code he wrote in MATLAB, which is another new program that I am kind of learning from scratch. I’m so glad he taught me to use this program because if I were to use it by myself I would have gone through a much longer process of trying to figure it out. Just knowing what the right questions to ask would have taken me a while. I was considering going a different route in Excel that was easier for me but also quite long and tedious to do. I’m so glad that he was able to show me because he saved me a lot of time and it allowed me to learn more directly how to interpret and display data in a more interesting and effective way, as I did with the heat graphs. This way I also do not miss out on using MATLAB as a tool. This experience also highlighted how different it has been these past few weeks, noticing how before, I was working much more independently and figuring out how to make things work. Now, that he got back, we are able to do certain things much faster because he has gone through this process already. This way, I wouldn’t have to dedicate so much time to figuring things out, especially programs I am not familiar with, but I get to see both worlds of being super independent and getting more help in the process, so I appreciate the benefits of learning how to troubleshoot on my own and learning from mentorship.
With this, I was able to present my data to my mentor and PI in a subgroup meeting. It seemed to go well. They were very interested in my data and where it was going. Although the generator doesn’t seem to be very efficient right now, there are still a lot of changes and research to do in the future so I look forward to doing them.
This is also a short week so I’m happy to get a break. I was a little concerned because I was thinking that I was running out of time a bit, but I have some data that I feel more comfortable with for now. This recent meeting made me feel a little more hopeful about where I’m at in terms of time, but I know I still have more work ahead. I would like more data, but I may also need to analyze my current data even more. I need to think more about how I’m going to tell the story of my whole research for presentations.

This week with research, I have a lot more data! Earlier in the week, I worked on the data from some of my recent experiments, using it to organize the information in my project description presentation for the REU program. I analyzed the data that I conducted last Friday because I had so many data points that I could still go over and properly record; I was able to add some error bars to that data, so this way I’m also learning ways of organizing data and prepare to conduct future experiments more efficiently.
The biggest highlight of this week has been how I’ve been working with LabVIEW, which is a program we’re using to measure data. LabVIEW is essentially software that uses data flow programming, which means that instead of lines of code, I am wiring up digital functions to make them work for what I need. Although some others in the lab help me troubleshoot sometimes, I struggle to create these sampling programs from scratch. So this learning process has taken a lot of time for me because the online resources are limited and archaic. Because of this, most of my week was dedicated to LabVIEW. Sometimes, it’s a little annoying because it makes me feel like I am not being efficient or I am running out of time or if it is even worth it, but it is. LabVIEW is so key to conducting my experiments and collecting lots of accurate data.
There were two main problems: controlling a power supply automatically and increasing the sample rate with accurate time stamps. I needed to control the power supply because I needed to automatically control the cool temperatures of the experiment so I could reliably run variable temperature experiments. This is something that I had to code up myself and figure out on my own just by getting a bunch of different fragments of what to do online. Fortunately, I was able to make it work, which was so satisfying. The payoff was actually pretty worth it. Building the program for myself and others who may need it helps me leave a mark too. Also, having the program work my way was actually more useful than I expected it to be. I’ve been exposed to other measuring programs before, so I struggled to keep going when I knew there was an easier, quicker, and more intuitive program out there but is also part of a whole different system of software and hardware. But, I see that there is a balance because I’m learning these new skills and I get more customization on data collection, I just need to learn them more.
The other main problem I had with LabVIEW was having a higher sample rate with accurate timestamps for each sample. This was a similar process of long troubleshooting and finally getting something to work. Because of these improvements, I was able to run more experiments and get more data much more quickly, efficiently, and accurately, which made the process more enjoyable and rewarding.
So those are the main highlights of this week. I’m looking forward to analyzing the data even more because now I have a lot to organize. I have to find more ways of graphing and analyzing them. I’m looking mainly to create an intensity chart or a 3D graph, which I’m not super familiar with, but I have been learning how to make them. I think they will provide very useful information that I could use for making future experiments, so I look forward to doing that next week.

This week with research, I continue testing the piezoelectrics with the oscillating thermal diode (OTD). During the first half of the week, I conducted preliminary tests with the piezoelectrics, which helped me get a better sense of what their voltages would look like during oscillations. For now, I only glued two piezo disks to the device. I originally intended to have at least one piezo on the device, but I have to use at least two because only one causes the surface not to be level, which causes the device to tilt and affect the oscillations.
Once I recorded the data, I started thinking about how I was going to record future data or what kind of experiments I should conduct. I had to aim for experiments that would give me a better sense of what the optimal parameters to operate this device are with piezos. I settled on some of the experiments that I will be conducting, one of which I already finished. I chose to stick with one design of the piezo for now until I have conducted multiple experiments on it. Then, I might change the design and try the same types of experiments again. The experiment I conducted was one where I changed the temperature of the plates (the temperature difference). I recorded different oscillation and voltage data based on the set temperatures I chose to see what impact the temperature difference could have.
I was able to design this whole experiment and take the data myself which ended up feeling pretty good because I felt like I had a better idea of what the trajectory of my future experiments would look like. I gained I better sense of how I’m going to run them, record data, and analyze it. Now I feel a little more hopeful about the data I can gather and what it could mean, especially when I report to my PI each week and when I present the project. This concept of collecting data and how to share it is a concept that comes up a lot in my subgroup meetings with my PI.
I’m glad that I’m getting the chance to improve on how to conduct experiments and share results. I feel that the weekly meetings help me improve because they give me a chance to report my data and project status. I find that preparing for that moment keeps me a little more guided, but it can become a bit stressful because I may question whether what I have is good enough or quantitative enough. Since I am still learning what is bad and what is unnecessary to report, I will still have some uncertainty about it, but I think I am getting better. Having these steps in between the program has helped me keep track of my work and move forward. I am glad I am starting to conduct principal experiments now since we are about halfway through the program.
Since I finished the temperature experiments, I will conduct other different ones soon. Especially since there are so many aspects of the device that I want to change and explore. The amount of possible tests is amplified by the additional piezo-OTD designs that I could try. Some of the experiments I will try next include changing the shuttles and changing the gap sizes. My mentor also suggested that I should conduct more literature review and organize the parameters that other researchers refer to when discussing their OTDs, which may include efficiency, power cost, and frequency. This way, I can organize their findings in charts so that I know what I could aim for or compare my results. Additionally, my PI also clarified the goal again, which is to have a better understanding of an optimal device and determine its potential. He suggested I could find this perhaps by comparing it to other devices that have a similar purpose. This clarification makes me a little more comfortable with the overall goal of the project since it relates to what I could do with the charts. For next week, I look forward to continue doing more experiments, which I enjoyed doing. I look forward to trying out different methods of gathering the data like connecting the device to a capacitor and reading its maximum voltage that it can reach in a certain amount of time. I will also be reading more papers, getting their data, and putting it on the chart.
Also, as a quick note, by the end of the week, we went on a field trip with the REU program. We went to a water treatment facility where we met the plant manager, who was very friendly and informative about the facility. We got to tour the plant and see some of the processes behind them. It was pretty interesting to explore and be exposed to, especially as an insight into future job opportunities. Quick fun fact: that water treatment facility was right next to the high school I went to!

This week with research, I added the piezoelectric materials (PM) to the oscillating thermal diode (OTD) for the first time. The materials arrived on Monday evening, so I mainly started to test them out on Tuesday. Also on Tuesday, I still had some remaining experiments from the different diode configurations from last week, so I finished those up. Those experiments went well since was able to clearly represent them in a graph and deduct which configurations were not effective. I also found the configuration with the fastest oscillation, which serves as a starting point when adding the PMs. 

With the PMs, I first used a multimeter to test their voltage output when I applied stress to them. The first issue was that the measurements were hard to read because the voltages spiked really fast, so I could not get a clear sense on how effective they were. The multimeter was sometimes maxed out whenever these voltage spikes. After talking with some of the graduate students in the lab, I built a circuit with a capacitor to charge it with a piezo by pressing it multiple times. I read the voltage on the capacitor to get a sense of what types of force or stress make the piezo work more effectively. This way, the measurements are more steady. I also used the accumulated charge to power an LED, which was fun.

After building that circuit,  I tried connecting the piezo to a different multimeter that connects to a computer, which has a program called LabVIEW. I am very new to this program and not everyone in the lab knows it super well either, so I had to learn mostly independently how to connect the multimeter to the computer to display data, which was a little bit of a challenge but I am glad I made it work. Now with this program, I can get voltage readings from the piezos on a graph, which helps me see how the voltage changes over time.

Once I felt confident about this setup, I did a quick test by adding a piezo disk to the oscillating thermal diode. I think it went pretty well. I did not get the fastest oscillations but they were relatively quick. However, I am facing many issues with the diode’s shuttle tilting, especially with the uneven surface of the piezo. This issue will likely be my focus for next week. I had fun applying these materials and seeing the voltage spikes on a graph.

I think one of the biggest highlights of week #3 was when I had my subgroup meeting. I improved in the the way I presented my weekly work to my PI. I found that slides helped me communicate more clearly and stay organized. My PI gave me good feedback based on the slides I prepared and said I am doing well, which makes me more confident compared to last time to last week. I am getting a good sense of what to discuss to feel less concerned. Essentially, I need to present my status and not worry about some maybe being slower than others, as it is normal. Additionally, this was my first week without my assigned mentor, but I think I’m doing well so far. The graduate students in my lab have been very helpful and friendly, which has helped me make progress more confidently.

I also noticed that I haven’t shared any pictures and I probably will regret it once I look back at these blog posts, so I will include some pictures here with some labels just for fun.

This week with research, I continued studying the oscillating thermal diode. The piezoelectric materials have not arrived yet, so I am running experiments on it to understand the behavior of the device as much as I can to find frequency-optimal configurations. The beginning of the week was kind of tough as I had taken a vaccine and it was still affecting me a bit. Thankfully, I took it on Saturday, which meant that the worst of it passed on Sunday. However, this meant that I had a few days when my arm was hurting quite a bit.
The biggest highlight of this week for me was a subgroup meeting I had with my PI, where my mentor, another undergrad, and I discussed each of our projects’ progress. I had prepared some key points to mention for the meeting, but I felt unsure about the quality and quantity of my report after the meeting. I confirmed with my mentor that I am still on the right track and that I did well, but I feel that I need to be more productive for each meeting– I especially need to improve how I communicate the information I have. I was instructed that the main method to do this is by using PowerPoint slides to clearly organize my progress. I can also use this method to keep a living document that includes my progress throughout these 10 weeks.
Being in the cloud is tough because I am not sure how productive or effective I truly am, despite being constantly active and working. It is a bit tough to distinguish when I am deviating, when I am experimenting more than I should, or when I am devoting too much time to one thing. Despite this, I am glad that I enjoy the process of research still. Next week, I will conduct more configuration tests and learn more about piezoelectrics. Hopefully, the materials will arrive soon, but I might create a program that simulates the electricity generated by these materials to have a theoretical reference to compare. My mentor suggested I could add this to my project, but I am not very sure if I am capable of doing it, but I will try. I also hope to order some pyroelectric materials soon, but I directly contacted a manufacturing company to get a quote, which I have never done before. Hopefully, it all goes well. My mentor will be gone for about 3 weeks, but I think I have learned enough to conduct some experiments on my own and I can refer to others in the lab for questions. Also, we ended the week with a lab group dinner. We had good food and chatted to get to know the lab group better.

This week with research, I am settling into the heat transfer lab. At the beginning of the week, we had two orientation days, which gave us the opportunity to meet our REU cohort and coordinators and get lab safety training. Although they were a bit of an information overload, I enjoyed those days. One highlight I got from orientation was how part of research is being in “the cloud,” which is a period of uncertainty and exploration because we do not know and can not expect what the end result of the research is. I keep seeing this theme of truly exploring the unknown near novelty, which is a pretty unfamiliar feeling for me. I felt this when I first met my mentor and saw our lab I. I am so impressed at how students and professors conduct research truly at a novel level and how I will be working alongside them. I’ve been hearing this theme multiple times from my PI, Dr. Wehmeyer, and my mentor Lorenzo Castelli, who have been very welcoming to me. My mentor and other lab students have been very nice to talk to and learn from as they are very open to questions and willing to teach me good methods for conducting research.
I have a pretty good sense of what my project is. This summer, I will be using an oscillating thermal diode, which has been studied by this lab quite extensively already. To add to this project, I will attempt to build a heat engine by adding piezoelectric and pyroelectric materials, which generate electricity from mechanical stress or temperature differences. I ordered these materials to be able to test them soon. Meanwhile, I have been learning more deeply about the physics behind these materials, the oscillating thermal diode, and how other studies use them together so that I can replicate and add a novel layer to the project. My initial goal is to output electricity from this device as a proof of concept. Then, I will try to optimize it and add a component to try something different with the device. As a quick note, I ended the week with the welcome reception event, where I got to meet some research students many of which were very friendly Rice students who helped me get a better sense of life on campus as a Rice student.