Standing next to my poster at the conference, November 6th, 2023
Author: Jared Noel | Majors: Chemical Engineering, Applied Mathematics | Semester: Fall 2023
My name is Jared Noel, and I am a sophomore chemical engineering and applied mathematics double major at the University of Arkansas this year. I conduct undergraduate research in Dr. Jin-Woo Kim’s Bio/Nano Technology lab, where I am developing a composite nanomaterial for cardiovascular cell scaffolding. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, primarily due to the scar tissue that forms as a result. Cell scaffolding is a technology in tissue engineering that aims to facilitate the reintroduction of native tissue at damaged sites. I am developing a material using the nanomaterials polycaprolactone and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) that can withstand the mechanical tension of the cardiovascular system and facilitate native myocardial tissue regrowth.
In October, I received an Honors College Travel Grant, which funded my travel to the 2023 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) National Conference in Orlando, Florida, where I presented a poster on my research described above. While presenting my poster, I had the opportunity to speak to several other researchers. Talking to those researchers who also worked with CNCs gave me many new ideas that I hope to implement into my own research. Talking to those researchers who were outside my specific subfield challenged me to explain my work comprehensibly, and this also strengthened my understanding of my work. In addition to nanotechnology research, I am also very interested in computational biology work, which would combine my two majors. Thus, I was very excited to learn that many of the undergraduate students presenting posters were researching this field. I took every opportunity I could to talk to these students about their work, making me even more interested in pursuing this sort of research in the future.
In addition to presenting a poster at this conference, I attended a recruitment fair, where many leading companies and graduate schools were providing information on the opportunities for chemical engineers in a variety of different industries. Personally, I am interested in earning a Ph.D. before pursuing a research career in the pharmaceutical industry, developing novel drugs and protein therapies. At the recruitment fair, I talked to some representatives from Merck about the process of going from a Ph.D. to working in industry, especially in the pharmaceutical industry. They provided me with valuable advice, confirming my decision to pursue this career path.
Overall, this event was a wonderful learning experience for me, and it exposed me to many new research areas while reinforcing my knowledge in my own area. It also allowed me to meet many new people and greatly expand my professional network. As mentioned above, I plan to attend graduate school, so this was an excellent way for me to gain experience presenting my research in preparation for graduate school. I am currently continuing my research in Dr. Kim’s lab, and I hope to attend the 2024 AIChE National Conference, which will be held in San Diego, California. In doing so, I hope to continue to expand my network while learning more about chemical engineering research. Attending conferences like this one as an undergraduate student will give me an advantage in my academics and prepare me effectively for graduate school.