On Research, with Alex M. Strasser, Part 1
On Research, with Alex M. Strasser, Part 1
To continue encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence throughout all levels of education, NMSC turns to its Scholars for insights into their educational experiences with the hope of inspiring younger students toward their own academic achievements. NMSC recently corresponded with Alex M. Strasser, a 2015 National Merit Eastman Chemical Company Scholarship winner, about his chemical engineering studies at Texas A&M University. Alex shared his enthusiasm for research, speaking specifically about his own academic pursuits and of his time as an Undergraduate Research Ambassador for his university. In Part 2 of this NMSC News post, Alex provides his advice regarding research, including how to begin, tips on writing for publication, and resources that have helped him with the overall research process.
Along with his chemical engineering studies, Alex pursued minors in physics and materials science. He was specifically drawn to materials science because it is “the intersection of physics, chemistry, and engineering and is a more interdisciplinary field” that contains a larger scope of problems. Alex’s notable college experiences include a project he undertook to build a scanning photocurrent microscope (SPCM) to measure optoelectronic properties of nanomaterials. “I was tossed into the deep end with a bare bones assortment of random electrical equipment, a dissertation describing one possible SPCM setup, and a vague description of the overall project,” Alex recalls. “Naturally, I hit many obstacles along the way,” he says, “including some that my advisor did not know how to hurdle. Therefore, I studied the theory of optics and perused optical equipment catalogues until I uncovered a feasible solution.” This project helped Alex hone new skills, such as instrumentation, soldering, microscope and application design, free optics, and fiber optics, all of which can be utilized in his future endeavors in the lab.
After receiving his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from A&M, Alex accepted an offer to pursue a master’s degree in materials science and engineering. He has been provided with one year of guaranteed funding on a Data-Enabled Discovery and Design of Energy Materials (D3EM) Fellowship at A&M. Alex’s decision to pursue further studies in materials engineering was largely based on his research as an undergraduate. When asked why research is important to him, Alex says:
I am fully convinced that every undergraduate should try their hand on a research project, whether that is through a research internship, a professor on campus, or with a student organization that facilitates undergraduate research. There are multiple reasons for this, including increased scientific understanding and appreciation, enhanced career prospects, conference experience, resume experience, and community. It is because of research that I fell even deeper in love with science, especially fascinated by how complex phenomena can be accurately and eloquently described by mathematics. It is because of research that I want to stay in academia and become a professor.... It is because of research that I have been able to travel to several different states and even Puerto Rico to present my research.
Alex served as a research ambassador at A&M, encouraging other students to become involved in research in their own fields of study. He helped orchestrate events such as the Getting Started in Research Workshop, in which a panel of students who were well versed in the research process shared their advice and perspectives.
“If nothing else,” Alex says, “trying research can help you determine if you hate research and should go into industry,” but he counsels students not to write off research too quickly. He notes that sometimes a research topic can turn out to be less interesting than first anticipated, or a research group could have limited opportunities for independent work. Alex switched research groups twice while at A&M, primarily due to evolving research interests . “It is expected that an underclassman will likely have less research ideas or capabilities, so do not be disappointed if you do not start... pumping out novel ideas that will result in first-class publications,” Alex says, emphasizing that, regardless of subject, research is a process that requires time and dedication.
Read Part 2 for Alex’s advice to undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing their own research.