Amazing accidents

Prior to college, I believe the only time I heard of the country Singapore was in Pirates of the Caribbean. Singapore was mentioned in passing in my Economics class; my professor said that the country developed a competitive advantage in science. I was intrigued by what that meant and so after that class I googled Singapore Science.

I was astounded by what I read. What I learned was that Singapore is desirous to create a knowledge based economy and therefore the country is dedicating many resources to enhance the scientific sector in Singapore. Article after article, I gleamed more information which all alluded to the strong support and spirit for science in Singapore. Here is a link to one of the articles I read, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2121196/.

I thought to myself, what an amazing atmosphere, how phenomenal it would be to research and engage in this environment as a young scientist. It then became a dream of mine to research in Singapore and so began my quest to establish a connection with Singapore. In the beginning, I would day dream while I looked on Singaporean university websites, but I was never able to establish a connection through email.

In fact, my connection to Singapore was actually established through a series of amazing accidents. Nothing was ever directly planned, more so opportunities presented themselves and I took advantage of them at the moment. First, I must thank Ms. Mary Ellen Clark and Dr. Regina Riccioni for inviting me to present in the fourth annual Women in Science and Technology Workforce Summit. Ms. Sarita Felder was the keynote speaker at the summit and during her presentation she mentioned how she recently returned from Singapore. At the end of the conference, I spoke with her and she was gracious enough to invite me to a conference at Stevens Institute of Technology because her Singaporean contact, Professor Kirpal Singh, was going to be there. I felt a little out of place at this conference, because I was probably at least 10 years younger than the average business person there. However, after the conference was done I was able to speak with Professor Singh. He was enthusiastic and willing to help me; unfortunately my conversation with him was brief as he needed to travel elsewhere.

However, in that brief time another one of the presenters, Mr. Jim Lee, heard about my interest to research in Singapore. Mr. Lee suggested that I send him an email with what I wanted to accomplish and that he would see what he could do. A few weeks after I sent this email, I receive an email from Singapore’s Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR) which stated that they would like to discuss my desire to bring a group of student researchers to Singapore. Mind blowing- I was so excited!

I scheduled a skype meeting a month later, but there was a problem with the webcam, so A*STAR said there were going to call me in 5 minutes. Thank God I had 5 minutes, because I had left my phone in my dorm because I did not want it to ring during the skype meeting. So I sprinted across the entire campus and literally got to my dorm when the phone was already ringing. Somehow I was able to compose myself and speak even though I was completely out of breath. My parents never brought up the phone bill…

The rest was fairly simple, A*STAR was very enthusiastic and helpful, they want young scientist to experience what they have to offer. Moving forward, I worked with Dr. Barbara Zilinskas to create an application for my initiative which I named the Summer International Research Experience (SIRE) and to admit students into the program. Including myself there are 4 Rutgers SIRE students the other three are; Lynnicia Massenburg, Dibyo Roy, and Jacklyn Mahgerefteh. A Columbia University student, Elias Boujaoude, will also be traveling with us-however, he is working at the Centre for Bioethics rather than A*STAR. Dibyo, Jackie, and Elias may be celebrity bloggers on my site this summer.

I leave for Singapore in nine days. To be honest, the fact that I am living abroad this summer hasn’t sunk in yet and I don’t think it will until I am in Singapore and I realize that I have left something at home and then recognize that I can’t go home on the weekend to go pick it up. What I do recognize is that I have half achieved my dream of researching in Singapore, and once I put my feet on its shore then it will be official. I would like to thank everyone who helped me establish my connection with Singapore and who has provided me guidance along the way, Ms. Mary Ellen Clark, Dr, Regina Riccioni, Ms. Sarita Felder, Professor Kirpal Singh, Mr. Jim Lee, and Dr. Zilinskas. A shout out to Mrs. Maureen Boujaoude who was pivotal in securing housing, I really appreciate your help. Last but not least, thank you to SEBS International Programs, the Douglass Project, and the Associate Alumnae of Douglass College for support for my time abroad this summer.

To take a step back, something I learned from this experience that really amazed me was how willing people are to help you even if they do not know you very well. So a quick message- always put your best foot forward and always be willing to share your ideas with new people and opportunities will find you. Amazing accidents are actually opportunities you crafted. My next blog will be from when I am in Singapore- more accidents to come, stay tuned.
=]

Adventures in Singapore

Fun Fact: Did you know that it would take about 1 to 2 hours to drive around the perimeter of Singapore at 50 miles/hr?

Having never travelled outside of North America, I can only wonder what awaits on the opposite side of the globe in my three month stay in Singapore. I can't even explain how excited I am to do really cool algae research at a really hot (literally and figuratively) country (just as a side note, the temperatures average between 80 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit--that definately beats April snow showers here in New Jersey). However, what I can do is illustrate exactly where I will be going sourced from the #1 globetrotter--the Internet.

I will be living in an area called Taman Jurong, which actually translates to Jurong Gardens. At the top is a neat picture of Taman Jurong Park that appears to have palm trees typical of a tropical region--in other words, I should bring extra strength sunblock lotion. I am a huge nature lover, so catching some sun and exploring the different parks and the nature reserve will take up the bulk of my free time. I've already planned out the three months with fun events like the Singapore Arts Festival and the Evolution Garden Tour. As a bonus, I found that the Beerfest Asia 2011 event is on my 21st birthday! Even with pictures and websites available on the world wide web, I still have a lot to learn about Singaporean culture, and that is something that can only be experienced first hand. My mission is to conduct independent research on glycerol production in algae, yet there is something deeply rooted in this small country that has big dreams, and I'm glad to be a part of it as it all takes shape.

Three weeks remaining until I'm off, 'till we meet again! ~P.L.H~

Giving up my summer for winter?!

Luckily the winter I will be experience will be in Australia! So the weather should still be quite comfortable! I'll specifically be in Perth, Western Australia (see image below) for most of the journey for a period of 2 months. The program for which I was lucky enough to be granted a scholarship for is at the University of Western Australia. Actually, it's not a "program" per say, but rather a mix of an internship and an independent research project, form which I will be producing, amongst other things, a published paper.

My name is Dave, by the way, and I'm a biological oceanography major/biological sciences minor with a lot of experience with physical oceanography, operational oceanography, and even some engineering work. Let me take a moment to tell you about my background and experiences I've gained here at Rutgers than has led to this amazing internship at the University of Western Australia!

I've had some incredible opportunities and experiences here at Rutgers as an undergraduate, particularly with underwater robotics. The kinds of underwater robots I work with are probably nothing like most of you have seen on TV, such as Alvin or Jason that explored the Titanic. That's just because the robots I work with are some of the newest underwater robotic technologies; literally the robots of the future!

I work in the Coastal Ocean Observation Lab (COOL) in the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences (IMCS), as well as the Glider Lab in IMCS (Oceanographers love acronyms and abbreviations!). I have worked with a few different technologies, including satellite imagery and coastal radar, but primarily underwater robots called gliders (pictured below!). Gliders are a type of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) that carry suites of science sensors to measure different aspects of the ocean (or bodies freshwater, too!). Gliders are designed to be controlled via satellite to able to stay out in the ocean for long periods of time and to travel long distances. This is achieved by maximizing battery power by not using any kind of energetic means of forward propulsion...such as a propellor or water jet. Instead, gliders have a piston at the front of the vehicle called a buoyancy pump. This pump can draw in or push out about 1 cup's worth of seawater. When the pump draws in water, it makes the nose of the glider "heavier" (more dense/negatively buoyant) than the surrounding seawater, and the nose of the glider pitches down. Since the glider has wings and is hydrodynamically designed, the robot glides (hence the name "glider"!) down AND forward, rather than just sinking straight down. When the glider gets to the desired depth, the pump pushes out the water, making the nose of the glider "lighter" (less dense/positively buoyant) than the surrounding seawater, and the robot glides up and forward towards the surface. The glider repeats that pattern over and over, making a sawtooth-like pattern vertically in the water to create forward motion without using much battery power at all. Current models can stay out in the ocean for up to about a year as of now, and newer models in development now are projected to be able to stay out in the ocean for up to 5 years (!!!) without human contact. The science sensors on the glider can collect all different kinds of data, such as temperature, salinity (salt content), depth, density, dissolved oxygen, phytoplankton health and abundance, nitrate, dissolved organic matter, microturbulence, ocean current speed and direction, etc. After all, the mechanisms and physics of the way these gliders work are truly incredible, but when it comes down to it, gliders are nothing but vehicles to carry sensors for a science mission!

Sorry if I went on too long about that stuff! I really enjoy it, and wanted to share it with you all, too. Plus, I want to make sure you guys have an idea about what I'll be doing down under!

This summer will be an amazing extension of the experiences I've had working with gliders here at Rutgers. I will be working at the School of Environmental Systems Engineering (SESE) and the Australian National Facility for Ocean Gliders (ANFOG) at the University of Western Australia (UWA). ANFOG is part of Australia's Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS). See...I wasn't kidding about the acronym/abbreviation thing!!! Anyway, I will be studying the Leeuwin Current System, which is vital to both the climate, biology, and ecosystems particularly off the coast of Western Australia. I will also be working with the UWA/ANFOG staff to fly their first fleet of gliders (two or more gliders flying a similar pattern within close proximity of each other). Flying gliders as fleets, rather than individually, has the advantages of having multi-point samples for averaging and better resolving anomalies in the data, sensor calibrations, etc. I'll save more about that stuff for next time...which may be when I'm in Australia!

I'm SUPER excited for this summer!!! This is my ideal internship/research opportunity for my last summer before I graduate next year and move on to grad school. What's extra special about this internship is that the program didn't already exist - this is totally new to the University of Western Australia. I was able to raise all the funding - with help from the Rutgers SEBS Summer International Scholarship among other sources - for this experience. I worked tirelessly for a long time and through many moments of grim-looking horizons for this...but luckily my hard work has paid off in a way I can't even begin to truly express my gratitude for. In addition to the staff at the Rutgers SEBS International Program, I would also very much like to thank the staff at the University of Western Australia/ANFOG, the staff at the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, the staff at Teledyne Webb Research, among others who made this possible. Thank you SO much.

While I'm in Australia, I plan on experiencing as much as possible in my off-time, including surfing, scuba diving, hiking, etc! I'll be sure to post pictures and videos of all my adventures, both in and out of the internship. Please feel free to comment on any of my blog posts! Thanks for reading everyone! Looking forward to keeping you updated!

-Dave

Fermentation-Preservation of the French Culture(s)

Based on the title, you can guess that I love puns. Those who know me well usually let out this big sigh every time.
 
Anyhow, even though I have finals, papers, events, and deadlines flying closer and closer, I cannot stop thinking about the sunny French countryside [as if I've actually been there...I haven't]. The course I will be taking is called "Microbiology and Culture of Cheese and Wine". I've been looking last year's pictures, and it makes me incredibly hungry. The closest thing I have to French cheese is the wedge of raw gruyere from Trader Joe's that I now probably will end up nibbling on as soon I finish writing this entry as a snack.

 NJ allows raw cheese as long as it is aged over a certain period of time (I think 3 months). Fresh cheese in France is not required to come from pasteurized milk and in fact, the French claim that pasteurization kills the natural properties of milk. I wonder where Louis Pasteur stood on this matter himself (not on pasteurizing milk for storage, but more on the matter of what type of milk makes the better cheese). As a young microbiologist, I consider Louis Pasteur almost a God. He was the father of stereochemistry and analyzing fermentations. I can't wait to see  his house in the French country side, as well as the Institut Pasteur in Paris! I wonder what his favorite cheese was...

I've been developing my palate for more of the stinkier, aged cheeses lately because of another reason. Coming of age--turning 21 also comes with the gift of lessening lactose tolerance. From an evolutionary point of view, I see that my body is regulating gene expression and conserving energy. Nevertheless, I cannot wait to try ALL kinds of cheese in France!

The 2011 French Experience

As the the date of departure draws ever nearer, I am endlessly dreaming of the beautiful castles and landscapes of France. I have finally finished selecting the cities that I would like to visit before I meet up with my group on June 13th for the Rutgers study abroad program, "The Microbiology and Culture of Cheese and Wine". The order of the places to see has not yet been set, but it is certain that a great trip awaits. The question now lies in how to pick where to go first?

The map picture shows the cities that will be visited in the first 7 days of the trip that begins on June 5th. In total, I will be traveling approximately 5,000 miles by rail in my 22 day trip to France. I only wish there were a way to capture the entire journey for all time.

2011 SEBS Summer Scholarship Recipients

From left to right.

Upper: David Kaminsky, Lynnicia Massenburg, Daniel Kurz, Devinn Lambert, Alicia Raeburn, Kenneth Disbrow

Lower: Allison Huggan, Preshita Gadkari, Ashley Wenke, Heather Afford

Scott Quarella Alex Kozar and Sharon Cubelo

Today Prof. Lily Young, International Dean, and I met with the 2011 Summer Scholarship Recipients. During our pre-departure meeting we discussed a variety of topics including the students programs and why they selected them. We also focused on why people blog and the value of sharing thoughts through writing, photography, and video.

The 2011 SEBS Summer Scholarship Recipients, with assistance from the International Programs Office at the School of Environmental and Biological Science, endeavor to create a blog with posts that are insightful, unique, and personal. We hope you will become a Follower and share in the international experiences of our thirteen Rutgers students.