Spring 2020 Plans

After this past semester, the first of my STEM/TRAIN journey I was exposed to the seemingly overwhelming the amount of sub disciplines there are the field of biology. To narrow my interests I have been reading articles in science magazine to find what areas I gravitate toward the most (even if I cannot understand the articles completely at this point).  These articles tend to be in at the areas of materials science, physical chemistry, and molecular biology or chemistry with a microbiology bent (the phenomena being described in a cell, bacterial, fungal, or otherwise).

This practice has also shown me how prevalent mathematics and computing are within a variety of fields, and this trend seems to be increasing.  As such, I am leaning heavily towards a major in Applied Mathematics and a minor in chemistry.  

My rationale is that it would make sense to build a mathematical and computation foundation first and then hone the application of these tools to biological or chemical fields in graduate school and the rest of my career.  An applied math degree can be supplemented with computing through elective choices and the minor in chemistry would provide continued exposure throughout my undergraduate degree, along with REUs and other research opportunities (I have applied, crossing fingers for offers).   There will also be space to add classes I think are relevant, such as university physics I and II.

I am making the assumption it would be easier to build up my skills in any other field in graduate school if I start with a solid math and computing foundation rather than the other way around.  Additionally, I see this knowledge being useful in whatever STEM field I might enter in the future.

I am trying to collect a complementary skillset as I slowly discover where I most want to utilize said skills.  As such, I have crafted my semester as follows:

- MAT 221 Calculus and Analytic Geometry

- CHM 151 General Chemistry with Lab

- CSC 110 Introduction to Computer Science

- MNT 201 Materials, Safety, and Equipment for Nanotechnology (were we get the opportunity to work with some amazing instruments like a scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope, as noted above, I am very interested in the very small.  Below is a small sample of what were are up to)

Meteorite at 2000x magnification on the left, elemental analysis on the right

I am also taking an active, if more online, role in STEAM club and STEM committee activities.  To share the joy I have found over this past seamster with others and build my skills as in science communication.

On the STEM/TRAIN front I am working on two projects.  I will tease them now and will go into details in future posts:

1) A computing project in python with Prof. Clare Manning.

2) An applied math problem utilizing graph and game theory with Prof. Joel Nishimura.