Before I got to college, I always wanted to do research. I love learning, and I view becoming a researcher as a way to make learning my job. I knew that I wanted to spend time as an undergraduate student performing research so I could work towards this career goal. When searching for labs to join, I knew that I wanted sustainability to be at the focus. The Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation has a list of affiliated faculty, which is where I began my search. I also knew going into this that I wanted to do research related to water quality. That’s how I found Dr. Meng Wang’s research group. The group focuses on using biotechnology to accomplish a variety of challenges related to sustainability and the environment, such as breaking down water contaminants. I felt as though this was a good fit for my interests and goals and reached out, and I’ve worked in this lab ever since!

I think one of my biggest pieces of advice to students searching for research opportunities is to always check outside of your department. You are not limited to the research done within your major! I’m a chemistry major, but the research group I am part of is actually in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. A majority of research is highly interdisciplinary in nature, so if you aren’t drawn to anything in your home department, there’s a chance that you’ll find something somewhere else that interests you and is still related to what you’re studying.

It’s also important to look through recent publications by any groups you’re interested in. Sometimes, the faculty websites aren’t up to date with the projects presently going on in the lab. Reading through their recent publications will give you a better idea of their current research focuses. It also gives you something to talk about when you meet with the principal investigator. Reading research papers can also help you determine when a lab is not a good fit. If you’re bored reading their work, then that topic of research probably isn’t for you.

Finally, I think it’s also important to know why you want to do research before starting. For me, I wanted to do research because of my academic and career goals, which are both heavily tied to research. Since I’m planning to get my PhD, it’s really important that I do it for the experience as well as to make sure it is something I enjoy. You don’t have to have research as a career goal to do it as an undergraduate. If you enjoy learning, aren’t sure what you want to do after college, or want to gain technical experience, then getting involved in research may be something worth considering!