Skip to main content

The Science Summer of ’16

Claudia Mesa at Machu Picchu
Statistics student Claudia Mesa in front of Machu Picchu in Peru during her study abroad program

Summertime didn’t mean vacations for many of our students. From travel to research to professional internships, they found new ways to contribute to scientific understanding (and had fun doing it). Here’s what some of our top students did with their summer “free time.”

“I am studying the crossroads of technology and policy at one of the most prestigious think tanks in Washington.”
Jacob Lineberry, Physics
Technology policy research, Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C.

 

“I’m studying how the shape and structure of DNA affects gene regulation in E. coli bacteria.”
Vishwas Rao, Chemistry
Research on DNA architecture, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

 

“I’m improving my Spanish while immersed in a new and different culture.”
Claudia Mesa, Statistics
Study abroad, Lima, Peru

 

Kayla Christianson
Marine science student Kayla Christianson dives near Little Cayman island during her Research Experiences for Undergraduates program

“I’m learning about marine life as I scuba dive and snorkel on the reefs around this beautiful island.”
Kayla Christianson, Marine Science
Coral reef sponge research, Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, Little Cayman island

 

“I’m traveling abroad with a group of NC State students and taking classes in international relations and Mandarin.”
Laura Goodman, Physics and Applied Mathematics
Study abroad, Hangzhou, China

 

“For my first experience with astronomy research, I’m working with radio telescope data, which helps us better understand objects in space.”
Emily Brown, Physics
Astronomy research, Naval Research Lab, Washington, D.C.

 

“I’m at a top research institution, in beautiful Los Angeles, getting paid to do math!”
Kevin Kristensen, Mathematics
Mathematical logic research, Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, University of California, Los Angeles

 

“I’m studying cellular mechanisms of asymmetric cardiac looping, which is a type of heart defect.”
Evan Brooks, Biological Sciences
Society for Developmental, Biology research fellowship, NC State College of Veterinary Medicine

 

“I am working to identify the mutation causing retinal degenerative disease in North Carolina red wolves so that we can learn more about these diseases in humans.”
Emma Marx, Genetics and English
Genetics research, NC State College of Veterinary Medicine

 

Annapurna Hanumanthu
Biological sciences student Annapurna Hanumanthu works in the lab during her Summer Biomedical Program

“I’m preparing for medical school by learning to address scientific questions using cutting-edge experimental approaches in areas such as biochemistry and physiology.”
Annapurna Hanumanthu, Biological Sciences
Summer Biomedical Research Program, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, N.C.

 

“I’m continuing my ongoing statistics internship through a College of Sciences SAS Scholarship. One of my projects involves analyzing United Nations trade data.”
Olivia Wright, Statistics
Technical internship, SAS, Cary, N.C.

 

“After working as a counselor for NC State’s SATELLITE summer camp program for high school students, I’m in Boston designing optics for use in imaging the sun.”
Sam Fedeler, Physics and Computer Science
Solar physics research, Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, Harvard/Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Boston