Hailey Henderson (front, center) and her REU cohort at Clarkson University. Photo courtesy of Hailey Henderson.
Every summer, several undergraduate students at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga leave their comfort zones and embark on learning experiences at other universities.
Think lab work, field research, seminars, faculty mentorship, bonding with peers and exploring new cities.
These opportunities are made possible thanks to the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, which provides funding for students to spend the summer collaborating on research projects at institutions across the country.
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Click here to read other UTC REU stories.
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This summer, junior Hailey Henderson—a mechanical engineering major from Memphis—spent 10 weeks in Potsdam, New York, participating in an REU program at Clarkson University.
In this Q&A, Henderson discusses her research project and what day-to-day life in the program looked like.
Can you tell me about your REU? What did that overall look like?
“I was in a 10-week program called ‘Sensor Development and Implementation Pipeline.’ It involved a range of projects using sensors.
“I worked with a grad student who was creating a prosthetic arm, and my role was to redesign the arm to make it more functional and more human-like.”
How did you find out about it?
“I found out through Ms. Lisa [Piazza]. She had been telling me since I had met her to give one a shot. I had just been applying, and then last year with all the federal funding being cut, I still happened to get one. So I was like, ‘Yeah, why not give it a shot?’ I made sure to only apply to ones I knew I would really be interested in. My main focus was just something related to prosthetics.”
Is that something that you want to pursue post-graduation?
“Yes, my hope is to go into the medical devices industry and be able to design stuff of a similar nature.”
What did your day-to-day look like during the REU?
“We worked 40 hours a week, so eight-hour days. It was legit a nine-to-five. We stayed on campus in a dorm. I would wake up, roll into the lab, turn on the lights, read emails and review my lab journal.
“I’d spend the morning reviewing and doing paperwork and research. After lunch, I would start 3D printing or talking with my partner on the project and comparing notes until five o’clock when the day was over.”
Did you get to explore outside of your REU experience?
“Potsdam is a really small town, but they had little festivals that were cool to check out. But I also took a weekend trip with some of the girls in other summer programs to Montreal for the Fourth of July—it was only a two-hour drive away.
“I also went to New York one weekend to meet up with a friend from school.”
How did this experience shape your academic goals?
“I was working under somebody who was a few days out from defending his doctoral thesis, so it gave me a lot of opportunities to ask questions and see firsthand what that meant.
“It helped me make sure that the field I thought I wanted to go into was actually something I wanted to pursue. It’s also a really good tool if there are certain schools you think you want to do grad school at. You can see the nature of the school.”
Do you have any advice for undergraduate students who want to have an experience like this?
“Apply a ridiculous amount. I think I applied to 25 or 30, and I only heard back from one. It takes patience. Some programs will tell you why you didn’t get in and some won’t.
“Also, if there’s one you really want, I would send emails a couple weeks later saying, ‘Hey, I’m really interested in this program, this is what I’ve been doing.’ For me, I’m not a strong writer, but I can kill an interview. It’s really about making sure you can get to the part where you show your personality best.
“It is hard to get into some, but there’s got to be at least one ‘yes’ somewhere in there.”
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UTC Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavor (URaCE)
