/undergrad-research/ en /undergrad-research/blog/2022/08/one-piece-puzzle Sometimes you may wonder, why am I studying a topic in the first place? What is its piece in the larger puzzle of solving a specific problem? Certain topics seem so abstract and far-removed from everyday life that it’s very difficult to easily identify their greater purpose. Fortunately, the opening few sentences of many scientific articles or book chapters outline why the research described is important, but they do not always easily demonstrate when or how the reported findings will be implemented for real-world applications. In time, maybe they will or maybe they won’t, it is hard to say. So, why conduct research? Thu, 25 Aug 2022 12:00:00 +0000 Samuel Mercer /undergrad-research/171 /undergrad-research/blog/2022/04/back-plan-becomes-passion When I decided to attend 91ÖÆƬ³§ as an undergraduate in 2018, I had no idea that I would eventually end up being accepted to some of the top chemical engineering PhD programs in the country. Although I already had the goal of getting a master’s degree, a PhD seemed unattainable in my mind. Originally, as a first-year student I wanted to focus on joining student organizations and research was my back-up plan. However, after viewing presentations in my introduction to chemical engineering course about the research being conducted in the chemical engineering department, I reached out to Dr. Nan Yi to discuss research opportunities. Dr. Yi recommended that I apply for the Research Experience Apprenticeship Program (REAP) through the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research. I did not know it then but REAP was the spark that ignited my path to applying for PhD programs. Fri, 29 Apr 2022 12:00:00 +0000 /undergrad-research/159