A highly involved and ambitious student at 麻豆社, Emily Men茅ndez ’26 spent her summer at the聽University of Bath for a paid summer research internship. She is majoring in chemistry with a minor in biology.听
This summer, I completed an 8-week paid research internship at the University of Bath. At the university鈥檚 (ISCC), there is a wide range of sustainability issues currently under research, but I was intrigued by the polymer chemistry group working to chemically recycle plastics. I was fortunate to join Professor Matthew Jones鈥� group, who are innovators in the synthesis of multi-metallic complexes for the degradation of polyesters.
I was able to attend two of the university鈥檚 STEM conferences, the Bolland Symposium, which allowed graduate students at all levels to present their projects, and the Summer Showcase, a two-day event about sustainability research and innovation. Through attending these conferences, I have met many scientists in the ISCC who are working to improve the world around us in so many ways. Seeing how passionate they are while explaining their work was inspiring and has reinvigorated my desire to pursue a graduate degree and a thesis addressing environmentally friendly challenges in materials design and sustainability.
Chemistry aside, I promised myself I would do some touristy things and take advantage of my home abroad. In Bath, I enjoyed the scenery and went to just about every weekend market. It is a UNESCO Heritage Site, so I never lacked a bench with a view to enjoy a good book. I was able to take a train to Oxford, Bristol, and London. I was at the University of Oxford and the University of Bristol during their 鈥渙pen days,鈥� so I was able to talk with current students and faculty about their chemistry programs. I went to museums and enjoyed having English people guess what state I鈥檓 from when I asked for directions.
I am leaving with a couple of new skills under my belt, a new network of friendly scientists, and plenty of pictures of the views Bath has to offer. I will admit that at first, being 5,000 miles away from home made me feel uneasy, but I am so grateful for this research experience.
Working with Professor Matthew Jones and his group has strengthened my interest in research and the scientific process. The group was super friendly and patient as I got settled, and even more patient as I questioned what exactly makes cricket different from baseball. I will always be grateful to everyone in the Jones group who made me feel welcomed and entertained my daily questions when I was waiting for the solvent to evaporate on the rotovap.
I strongly suggest applying for a research opportunity, and don鈥檛 be scared if it鈥檚 abroad! 麻豆社 has great professors who prepare you for the world beyond the campus labs, and their letters of recommendation helped immensely. I want to thank Dr. Gregory Gabriel and Dr. Elizabeth Jensen, who helped me with recommendation letters and cleaning up some of my forms, and I want to thank Dr. David Laws, with whom I am doing independent research that prepared me with synthetic chemistry lab skills.
Exploring how other labs function and venturing out of Atlanta is very important to help bolster your decisions about your future. I recommend stepping outside of your comfort zone and believing in your abilities. See you soon, 麻豆社. Cheers!
