{"id":9507,"date":"2025-12-03T11:58:23","date_gmt":"2025-12-03T16:58:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/?p=9507"},"modified":"2025-12-15T13:40:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T18:40:32","slug":"reu-2025-recap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/2025\/12\/03\/reu-2025-recap\/","title":{"rendered":"“Community, Friends, and Future Connections” | REU 2025 Recap"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Danny Giancioppo, Photos by Kelly Pe\u00f1a<\/em><\/p>\n

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Every summer, the Photonics Center hosts undergraduates from around the country to participate in a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. While the students gain invaluable experience in state-of-the-art laboratories across Boston University\u2019s campus, they also get to live in the heart of the city, carving out an unforgettable summer experience for themselves\u2013\u2013and leaving an indelible impression on BU\u2019s community. From cardiovascular research to soft robotics motion capture, these REUs showcased professionalism and rising expertise in an ecosystem hungry for the next generation of STEM leaders.<\/span><\/p>\n

But don\u2019t take it from us. Below is a summation of the REUs experience, in some of their own words. For them, the summer could be broken down into a few areas: Research<\/strong>, Community<\/strong>, and Impact<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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RESEARCH:<\/span><\/h3>\n

Some of BU\u2019s prestige research equipment can feel daunting at an undergraduate level. Yet our students rose to the challenge, each one excited for what they could produce in their laboratories. <\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what some of them had to say about what they were most looking forward to in the lab:<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Armando Roman, Wilbur Wright College, NSF Engineering Research Center in Cellular Metamaterials REU<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Armando Roman:<\/b><\/a><\/span> \u201cI am in the Chen Lab, and I am most looking forward to culturing my own cells in a scaffold of my own design and observing it over time to see its progress.”<\/span><\/span><\/h6>\n
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Ayomide Olagundoye, University of Rhode Island, MSE REU<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Ayomide Olagundoye:<\/b><\/a><\/span> \u201cThis summer I will be in the Grinstaff Lab, investigating whether the hormone, Relaxin-2 would be a good therapeutic candidate for fibrotic uterine cells. Overall, I am thrilled to be able to get exposure to tissue engineering and biomaterials.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/h6>\n
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Xiaoran (Modric) Yue, University of Rochester, PURSuE REU<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Xiaoran (Modric) Yue:<\/b><\/a><\/span> \u201cI’m in Professor Sander’s Ultrafast Optics lab. I look forward to learning how to use the photo-thermal setup and use it to do some innovative experiments.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/h6>\n
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Penelope Llibre, Brandeis University, NSF REU Site in Integrated Manufacturing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Penelope Llibre:<\/b><\/a><\/span> \u201cI’m in the Soft Robotics Control Lab with Dr. Sabelhaus, and I am most looking forward to integrating motion capture for a soft robot that moves in three dimensions.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/h6>\n
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Futchi Yang, St. Paul College, NSF REU Site in Integrated Manufacturing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Futchi Yang:<\/b><\/a><\/span> \u201cI’m in the Frumkin Lab this summer, and I’m looking forward to 3D printing and learning how my project can contribute to the lab’s research.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/h6>\n

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Like many of the students before them, these REUs weren\u2019t just hoping to experience new research methods and opportunities, but to expand on their existing knowledge and interests to become better scientists themselves. <\/span><\/p>\n

Oftentimes, undergraduate researchers are faced with a daunting question: should they jump straight into industry, or continue their higher education? For this year\u2019s cohort, they were prepared to tackle the big questions, as well as the minutiae of research.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Benjamin Wolking, Bates College, NSF Engineering Research Center in Cellular Metamaterials REU<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Benjamin Wolking:<\/b><\/a><\/span> \u201cThe lab I wanted to work in did exactly the research I [may want] to do for a career and care passionately about. Additionally, the program is prestigious and promises lots of learning.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/h6>\n
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Natalia Sagolla, University of South Florida, NSF REU Site in Integrated Manufacturing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Natalia Sagolla:<\/b><\/a><\/span> \u201cI really hope that by the end of the summer, I have a confident and grounded understanding of what I enjoy about engineering and where I want to take my career.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/h6>\n
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Dwight Paniagua, University of Rhode Island, NSF REU Site in Integrated Manufacturing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Dwight Paniagua:<\/span><\/em><\/b><\/a><\/span> \u201cI hope to gain a deeper understanding of computer hardware and architecture as well as an answer to whether I should go to graduate school or not. I’m very excited to see how much I learn and progress throughout my time here and to see how far all of the other REU students progress too!\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/h6>\n
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Ricardo Gonzales, University of California, Davis, NSF REU Site in Integrated Manufacturing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Ricardo Gonzales:<\/b><\/a><\/span> \u201cI want to gain research experience in photonics so I can apply for a Master\u2019s or even a PhD in the future.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/h6>\n
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Josie Tetzlaff, University of Wisconsin-Madison, NSF REU Site in Integrated Manufacturing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Josie Tetzlaff:<\/em><\/a> <\/span>\u201c<\/em><\/b>I hope to conduct research that contributes to the [laboratory\u2019s] goals and assists in making progress towards wearable thermoelectric generators. I also hope to gain a sense of what a graduate\/PhD program involves and whether that would be a good fit for me.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/h6>\n

REU students are exposed to state-of-the-art research facilities and laboratories across Boston University’s campus, technical trainings including photolithrography and cleanroom procedures, and a variety of dedicated seminars featuring speakers across the STEM fields. <\/span><\/p>\n

These seminars serve to ground the REUs in their research. By asking questions like: \u201cwhat are the ethics of research practices,\u201d \u201cwhat does graduate school look like for me,\u201d and \u201chow do I communicate my expertise,\u201d this summer elevated the REU\u2019s to think more critically and collaboratively about their work.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Associate Professor Justin Joseph presenting best communications practices at an REU seminar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One such highlight remains the annual graduate student panel, in which previous REU students, tutors, and mentors come to answer the REUs questions about life as a Boston University grad student.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Graduate students speaking at the grad student seminar. From left to right: Halley Dante, Veronica Caruso, Smridhi Chawla, Sharayu Shrinivas, Savannah Schisler, Joshua Dupaty, Nolan Vild, Thierry Lapointe-Leclerc<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/blockquote>\n
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COMMUNITY:<\/span><\/h3>\n

Beyond their seminars, the 2025 REU cohort capitalized on their time at BU in the lab and out. For many, it was their first time in Boston, for some the first time in the northeast. Each of our students made sure they made the most of all our city had to offer.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Sloane Kinley, Converse University, MSE REU<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Sloane Kinely:<\/span> <\/em><\/b><\/a>\u201cBoston is amazing! My favorite thing to do was go to Red Sox games\u2013\u2013the vibes are immaculate! It was also incredible to make such amazing friends in this program!\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/h6>\n
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Vanessa Moran, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, NSF REU Site in Integrated Manufacturing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Vanessa Moran:<\/span><\/b><\/a> \u201cI got to experience what it was like to possibly be a student in a major city, and I enjoyed how everything was very accessible in Boston. My favorite thing to do in the city was watch the sunset at night with the REUs.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/h6>\n
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Kylie Bray, UVA, NSF REU Site in Integrated Manufacturing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Kylie Bray: <\/span><\/b><\/a>\u201cBoston has been a great city. I loved kayaking the Charles River (the duck tour was also cool).\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/h6>\n
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Nathan Cao, Rice University, NSF REU Site in Integrated Manufacturing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Nathan Cao:<\/span><\/b><\/a> \u201cI love Boston, and I would totally return to BU too! Honestly I like a lot of things in the city; although it’s not something to do, I just appreciate the convenience of having a reliable public transportation system that can get me to my favorite places.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/h6>\n
<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/h6>\n
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Ella Brown, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, NSF REU Site in Integrated Manufacturing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Ella Brown:<\/b><\/a><\/span> \u201cI loved the Fine Arts Museum.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/h6>\n
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Roberto Haubold, University College London, PURSuE REU<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Roberto Haubold:<\/span><\/b><\/a> \u201cMy highlight was definitely renting sailboats at the BU sailing pavilion. I rarely get a chance to sail, so it was amazing to have that facility in the middle of a major city.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/h6>\n

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15 PHO REUs after the Duck Tour in Boston, alongside Technical Coordinator (and 2023 REU) Ethan Hathaway (left)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Despite all Boston has to offer, it wouldn\u2019t have had the same impact on this year\u2019s cohort were it not for each other. From duck tours to weekends in New York City, the 2025 REUs made sure to capitalize on the time they had together and make a summer full of memories.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ricardo Gonzales:<\/b><\/span><\/a> \u201cIt was my best summer experience so far. The research project I got was aligned with my interests and everyone from the REU program was so friendly. At first, I thought I was only going for work but I found a community, friends, and future connections.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/h6>\n
Dwight Paniagua:<\/b><\/span><\/a> \u201cAfter the first day, I could tell that this experience was going to be nothing but fun and that’s exactly what it has been. Everyone was so helpful and nice, and I would recommend this program to anyone.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/h6>\n
Ayomide Olagundoye:<\/b><\/span><\/a> \u201cI really enjoyed spending time with the other REU students, trying new foods, going to see a jazz orchestra, museums, movie nights, and sunsets by the river.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h6>\n

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