July 9, 2018, Filed Under: 2018, austin, funFourth of July! Unlike the rest of my fellow Scholars, I am lucky to be spending the summer in my own hometown, the beautiful Austin, Texas. I haven’t had to adjust to living in a new city or being away from home for the past month. I’ve really enjoyed immersing myself in research on campus during the weekdays, and spending time with my family on the weekends. This year, the fourth of July fell in the middle of the week, and it turned out to be quite the rainy day! I spent the day relaxing at home, before heading out in the evening for a fireworks show. Thankfully, the show didn’t get rained out and we avoided getting drenched. At the end of the night, my parents dropped me back on campus. It was a great, laid back way to spend the day with family and friends. I can’t believe the summer is nearly halfway over! Storm clouds loom in the sky on the way to Bee Cave, a small out just outside of Austin. Rohini standing by the outdoor stage at the Hill Country Galleria. The mayor of Bee Cave and his grandson count down for the start of the fireworks. Happy Fourth of July! – Rohini Kumar, Rice University
July 2, 2018, Filed Under: 2018, fun, ut austinBowling Party! Hello! My name is Gabriela Hernandez and I am a rising sophomore at Boston University. I have spent these past four weeks as a participant in the BME CURes Cancer REU, here at UT Austin, and I have nothing but great things to say about the time I’ve spent here. Not only am I able to conduct research on a topic that fascinates me, but I am also able to make great summer memories with amazing people. Below are some pictures of one of these memories at the Union Underground. In this picture, Fawaz, Donovan, and Josh are carrying the bowling champion, Dominique. All four of them are in the BME CURes Cancer REU, just like I am. Here is a picture featuring Ella, Corey, Ashley, and Emily! These girls are in an REU called MRSEC, and we’re excited to bowl after a long, grueling day in lab. Not to mention these girls have serious skill! They ended their first game with a combined score of 384. Here is a picture of Josh after scoring a strike! Josh’s first time bowling was at this bowling social, so he was all smiles when all ten pins fell down. I must admit, even though Josh is just a beginner, he could easily pass as a professional. Action Shot! This picture clearly portrays Dominique’s amazing form. She states that flicking her hind leg up gives her leverage and pointing her index finger ensures that the ball rolls straight and down the middle. Dominique, the bowling champion, ended her second game with a score of 178. Way to go Dominique! Donovan, a.k.a the fast and the furious, only knows how to bowl two ways, and that’s fast and powerful. Donovan scored three strikes in a row his first game. The amount of precision and strength he outputs each round is definitely impressive. Donovan says that he’s excited for the next bowling event because it’s a great way to relax after a long day in lab. -Gaby, Boston University
August 12, 2017, Filed Under: 2017, austin, fun, learningWrapping Up Summer 2017 When I first arrived at UT Austin, I was overwhelmed. The university was so big. There were so many new techniques to learn. I had to integrate myself into a new group of people I had never known. I had never been away from home for an extended period of time. For someone still new to college and scientific research, it was overwhelming. After the first week, it was smoother sailing. I made new friends and went on exciting adventures in the city of Austin. Research was still a challenge throughout my summer experience, but challenges and difficulties are how people develop and grow. I was constantly problem solving and thinking of what I could do to improve my experiment. I learned a lot from my ten-week period here. Summer scholars from various programs at UT in front of the main tower. Photo by Dalton Kotinilek. I didn’t just learn new research skills, I learned new life skills. I will carry this new knowledge and continue to build upon it as I continue my college career. The research I did here was great and will help propel me forward, but the real fun came in exploring the city of Austin with great new people. This city has so much to offer. There was something interesting and exciting around every corner. Even in ten weeks there still wasn’t enough time to experience everything Austin has to offer. I think the experience was elevated more because of the new people around me. Everyone had something to bring to the table and they created a sense of belonging in this new community we joined. Overall the summer experience was a lot of work and a lot of fun. It was worth every second. Andrew Rios, University of Texas at El Paso
