Undergraduate research is a unique experience that is at the same time educational and fascinating. My research focused on evaluating the mid Atlantic offshore wind energy resource – or, put the way I say it when not presenting my research to a scientific body, seeing if Maryland is windy enough to put up some wind turbines.

The research had nothing to do with my major, interdisciplinary studies in medical imaging, but that didn’t impact the effect of the experience on my academic life – short and long term. I learned to get organized, to work independently, to pinpoint when I was confused and ask the right clarifying questions. I learned just how relevant the seemingly dry research done in a cloistered lab can be to the wider community. Every time I heard the phrase “wind energy” on the radio, I found myself turning up the volume. This was why I was going to school and struggling to earn a difficult degree. Not for some manufactured class project (although don’t get me wrong, those can be interesting as well,) but for the application of my education to real-world problems, with personal guidance from an interested and motivating professor. This experience crystalized my decision to pursue a PhD after I graduate from UMBC, and my research background gave me the skills I needed for the research position I held at Johns Hopkins University this past summer.

Undergraduate research is a facet of UMBC that should not be overlooked by those who want to put an extra spark into their undergraduate education. The three semesters I spent on this project are three I will certainly never regret, or forget.