This is a blog post outlining some of the cool things our members have done over the summer. If you are curious about the opportunities people in EWB find, this is a great place to look!
Environmental Research in the West
Hey all! My name is Anna Oehlerking and I am double majoring in Environmental Engineering and Ecology/Evolutionary Biology with a certificate in Energy Studies. If you can’t tell, I love Environmental Science, but have no clue what I want to do in that realm. This summer, I started looking at some of my options by doing field research with one of the labs in the Yale School of the Environment! I worked one-on-one with a PhD student on her research on soil carbon in the western grasslands. No surprise to anyone, it’s involved a lot of digging, and hundreds of soil samples. Our project is looking at how historical average temperatures affect future effects of climate change. It is hypothesized that places that are already warmer will be more resilient and have less response to these changes, and be able to store more carbon than in historically colder places, but this project will help us confirm that! The temperature gradient for our project spans from Texas to Montana, and because of this, I have been able to explore a bunch of places in the US that I had never seen before, and I’m so so grateful for this experience. As I write this, I’m in my last week of field research, but I’m very excited to work with the lab this upcoming school year to help process the samples that we took!
Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering in Seattle
Hey, my name is Matilda, and I am a rising junior in Pauli Murray College studying mechanical engineering! This summer I have been interning at The Boeing Company, which is a Washington based aerospace company that works on both commercial and military aircraft. I have been working on the commercial side of planes and am interning in the flight controls integration and safety team. It has been an absolute blast so far and has challenged me in ways that you don’t often get in the classroom setting. In addition to working at Boeing, this summer I have also been working on planning for our upcoming trip to Obraje, Ecuador. Check out future blog posts to learn more about the trip and what our plans are in the community!
Summer Research at Yale
This summer I participated in Yale College’s Science, Technology and Research Scholars (STARS) Summer program. Along with my fellow peers we participated in a science research based class, and worked in different labs to experience what research is like. I worked with the Luo Research Group located in Mason Laboratory (now in Dunham) where I studied Liquid Crystal Elastomers (LCEs). Specifically, I studied the actuation behaviors (changes in shape or size) of different LCE mixtures by taking videos of the various samples and processing the data using ImageJ and MATLAB. The class ultimately led to writing a full scientific research paper on our project, and giving a 15 minute oral presentation at a symposium. Aside from research, I spent a lot of time getting closer to people in the program and going to the gym. Now that the program is over, I’m working as a lifeguard back at home until the end of the summer. I’m also taking this time to spend with friends and family, as well as taking care of my dogs.
Environmental Economics Research in New Haven
My name is Max Werner and I am a Junior majoring in Environmental Engineering with a concentration in Energy Studies. At EWB I am one of the project leads. This past summer I was in New Haven, working on two projects with Professor Gillingham, an economics professor at the school for the environment. The first project was investigating the environmental impacts of a transition to a per mile auto insurance, and the second was exploring consumer preferences and the adoption of household solar arrays. The team consisted of one other undergrad, two graduate students, and one postdoc. On a day to day basis I would perform a variety of tasks including; gathering files, creating tables, performing literature reviews, conducting regression analysis, or writing code. Overall, it was a great experience and I learned a lot about the renewable energy sector.
Clean Tech in NYC
Cosima spent the first part of her summer back home in London, hanging out with family, catching up on sleep, and taking some much needed driving lessons! Now she’s interning at a clean tech startup in Brooklyn, which develops methods of converting carbon dioxide into useful chemicals like alcohol and sustainable aviation fuel.
Chemical Engineering in Belgium
Hi, everyone! My name is Shahribonu Azamatov, and I am currently a rising junior majoring in Chemical Engineering and Energy Studies. I am currently studying different catalysts used in the production of hydrogen fuel cells and trying to determine which catalyst is the best to use under low temperatures during the production of hydrogen fuel cells. I am conducting this research with a professor at the Universite Catholique de Louvain in Louvain La Neuve, Belgium. I am currently participating in the exchange program with Yale and UClouvain and have loved every minute of my experience. If you are interested in doing research, you should do research abroad because it provides research skills and teaches you how to be independent. When I decided to do the program with UCLouvain, I was fully aware that I would be living alone and would need to find ways to fit into a new environment. Did I speak the language? NO! I did not, but I still thought it would be a great experience to see another part of the world, experience its culture, and gain valuable skills in the research field. I highly recommend doing research or even a study abroad program while you are at Yale!
Biotech in DC
I have been interning at a clinical stage biotechnology company in the DC area, researching the potential of gene therapy for neurodegenerative disorders. In my free time, I am exploring the Smithsonian museums, trying local restaurants, strolling through the Georgetown flea market, and visiting New York. I am also on the Ecuador team this summer so I am very excited for the assessment trip to analyze the community water system.