Name:Vincent Brown

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Towson University

Position Title: Research Intern

Major(s)/Minor(s):Biology B.A/ Ancient Studies

Work Term:Summer 2018

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

I am conducting research at Towson University in the Devadas Lab. My research consists of synthesizing and characterizing gold nano-clusters which can be used for energy responsive applications such as light harvesting and theranostic applications with specific aims: (i) to enhance light collection efficiency using quantum sized clusters, (ii) to develop better labelling agents with enhanced two-photon cross-sections, and (iii) to generate efficient nano-vehicles for targeted drug delivery and cancer therapy. My day-to-day responsibilities include synthesizing the gold nano-clusters, and purifying and washing the products before characterizing them with UV-Vis Spectroscopy.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

I was able to obtain this research position because my brother attends Towson University and has been apart of the research group since the spring semester. He was the one who told me about the opportunity to work in the lab for the summer and told his research mentor about me. I then scheduled a meeting with Dr. Devadas and she allowed me to join her lab for the summer.

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?

What I have enjoyed most about my position is the fact that I am learning something new everyday. I am a biology major working in an inorganic chemistry lab so I didn't understand a lot of the things I had to do in the beginning. However, after performing my day-to-day responsibilities and reading research articles, I have gained a strong understanding of the reasoning behind my research. Reading so many various research articles has also helped me to learn how to efficiently read a research article and genuinely understand the material. It has been very enjoyable to go through this process and I look forward to continuing to learn throughout the summer.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

I believe that I have brought in my hardworking character and my love for learning to my research lab. I hope that my biggest impact I make through my work is that I accomplish all the tasks I have been assigned for the summer and fulfill what has been asked of me to the best of my ability. Along with this, my intentions are that other researchers will believe the data I have collected is significant and will want to try to reproduce my results and improve my methods.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

Don't be afraid to ask for internship or research opportunities! The easiest way to get involved is to simply ask a professor or faculty member if they are looking for an intern. The worst thing they can say is no.

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