Featured Students
Brian Hanrahan, CAS ’11 Examining the Effects of an Economic Disruption on the Educational Process: A Case Study on Argentina Brian first became interested in Latin American Developmental Economics while taking a class of the same name in the fall of his sophomore year. During the spring, he approached Dr. Cati about the possibility of conducting more in-depth research on the 2001 Argentine Economic Crisis and the effect that this crisis had on the Argentine educational system. As Brian studies this difficult period in Argentina’s history, he is developing his research skills as well as considering its potential as a personal career path. He encourages others who are considering conducting research, particularly as self-designed projects, to employ creative approaches to obstacles encountered. Brian says, “The most fulfilling aspect of UROP is to finally have the resources and the validation to pursue education in a setting beyond the classroom.” |
Katelyn Enzer, CAS ’11 Measuring Apoptotic Purkinje Cells in Autistic Cerebella Katelyn is conducting research on the brains of those who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. Specifically, she is attempting to determine how certain types of neurons in the cerebellum, called Purkinje cells, are lost – if it is by programmed cell death, Katelyn will have proven that autism is a degenerative condition, and preventative treatments may then be developed. As a biology major with a neurobiology concentration, Katelyn’s experience in the lab has augmented her classroom learning and exposed her to real-world applications of information learned in her courses. She responded to Dr. Bauman’s posting on the UROP website during her freshman year, and was accepted into the lab as a volunteer researcher. She recommends that other students consider following a similar path, even if it seems intimidating for a younger student – as she says, “everyone has to start somewhere!” |
Tunde Agboola, ENG ’10 Analysis and Development of Over-The-Air Programming and Peer-to-Peer Network Algorithms for Smartphones Tunde is performing research on mobile phone development, with a concentration in peer-to-peer network algorithms for mobile phones. Tunde, who is in the School of Engineering, became interested in software development in Dr. Trachtenberg’s classes, and approached him during the spring about the possibility of spending the summer assisting in the development of Google’s “Android” phones. Current hardware capabilities make the formation of phone global peer-to-peer networks difficult, but researchers are attempting to develop an improved system. Benefits would include a reduction in the number of cell towers, cheaper contracts, and better service in more locations. Tunde recommends that students take advantage of the many research projects available at BU – “Find that one project that interests you the most, and apply to UROP!” |