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Seven School of STEM students, four awarded by the Department of Physical Sciences during the 2025 STEM Symposium Awards Ceremony, received scholarships to help fund their undergraduate research projects working with faculty mentors.

鈥淓xperiential learning opportunities like this hands-on research are crucial for student success,鈥� said Dean Jennifer McLoud-Mann. 鈥淭hey deepen understanding, foster practical skill development, and inspire meaningful pathways to future academic and career achievements.鈥�

The STEM Undergraduate Research Scholarship was created by McLoud-Mann to empower STEM-degree seeking students to participate in an undergraduate research project at the 56吃瓜网. Annual contributions from the I Heart 56吃瓜网 Bothell Luncheon and the STEM Advisory Board have been instrumental in supporting this initiative, paving the way for more students to enroll in summer research courses.

The Physical Sciences department’s research awards were initiated years ago by the chair at the time, Dr. Dan Jaffe, to help support the research of students and faculty. 鈥淔aculty mentorship of undergrad research is a major part of the department鈥檚 mission,鈥� said Chair Eric Salath茅. 鈥淪ince we have many faculty with funded research projects, we have both a good pool of funds to support the scholarships and a lot of active research projects going on that we want to enable students to participate in.鈥�

Let鈥檚 explore some of their research projects and experiences.

Researchers in action

Kaito T. Hasebe, Physics major (he/him)

• Research project: 鈥淔ast Radio Bursts鈥�
• Mentor: Dr. Joey Shapiro Key
• Scholarship: Chair鈥檚 Summer Research Award Scholarship, Department of Physical Sciences

Kaito Hasebe focused on the research of extragalactic phenomena dubbed 鈥淔ast Radio Bursts,鈥� while also assisting research teams led by graduate students at West Virginia University on the topics of Scintillations, examining how light scatters and disperses as it travels through the interstellar medium, and Advanced Timing, precise calculation and prediction of bursts of light from a pulsar. Fast radio bursts are brief, powerful radio signals from space, that can help us better understand what is happening in distant galaxies.

Hasebe shared a photo he took of the Green Bank Telescope while on a research camp trip to the observatory in West Virginia.

鈥淚 caught wind of a new exciting team of research into extragalactic phenomena dubbed 鈥楩ast Radio Bursts,鈥� which was completely unique at the time as every other research team available was centered around pulsars (rotating neutron stars that emit EM waves out of their poles),鈥� said Hasebe.

He worked alongside Dr. Joey Shapiro Key in his research, who helped offer guidance, new opportunities and space to grow. Through this experience, Hasebe learned the value of communication skills and that research can be enjoyable, collaborative, and a way to build lasting friendships. Looking back on his academic path, Hasebe thought he鈥檇 follow a path of nuclear research and engineering, but after doing astrophysics research with Key he found himself enjoying all sorts of physics applications and becoming more open-minded to other physics research areas.

Getting started with this research path

鈥淚 did what I could to start; looked up internships online everywhere, LinkedIn, the 56吃瓜网 Bothell board for internship opportunities, but what landed me where I was today was reaching out to my old professors and seeing what opportunities they could provide for me.鈥�

Learn more about , , and his mentor Dr. Joey Shapiro Key to dive deeper into this research area.

Jude Pazier, Physics major (he/him)

• Research project: 鈥淭he Design of a Sample Stage and Search for Resistive Transition in the Superconducting State of Bulk MgB2鈥�
• Mentor: Dr. Subramanian Ramachandran
• Scholarship: Chair鈥檚 Summer Research Award Scholarship, Department of Physical Sciences

After developing an interest in superconductivity through an independent study with his current mentor, Dr. Subramanian Ramachandran, during spring quarter Jude started his research project centered around measuring resistivity in the superconducting state of bulk magnesium diboride (MgB2). To analyze the resistivity at low temperatures, he used a cryogenic refrigerator and a vacuum pump.

The project consists of four phases: powder pressing, testing the vacuum state of the cryocooler, designing and implementing a sample stage and current source, and measuring the resistivity.

Pazier encountered some equipment defects and learned how to adapt through the process. 鈥淚 got the opportunity to creatively problem-solve and think on the spot,鈥� said Pazier. 鈥淚 believe that these experiences can be applied to many aspects of the professional work environment.鈥�

Ramachandran was a great guide for this research and provided valuable on-site feedback along the way. Pazier highlighted, 鈥淒oing research alongside Dr. Ramachandran exposed me to rich ideas and allowed me to ask questions in a non-intimidating environment.鈥�

This summer鈥檚 research project reinforced Pazier鈥檚 desire to pursue experimental physics, especially in thermodynamics and electromagnetism.

鈥淚 furthered my understanding of heat engines, refrigerators, and materials science this summer and know that I will be applying these topics as an engineer.鈥�

Getting started with this research path

鈥淚 began the research having taken relevant theoretical physics courses and an intermediate experimental course. Although each day was a unique learning experience, I felt that it was imperative to have built up a basic toolbox of experimental skills. These included error analysis, data acquisition, and basic Python programming. Aside from these skills, I began the project with minimal hands-on experience and believe that with the right motivation and discipline, anyone can be successful.鈥�

Connect with his mentor Dr. Subramanian Ramachandran to learn more.

Toby Roetteler, Physics major (he/him)

• Research project: 鈥淪tability of Chronic Wound Dressings鈥�
• Mentor: Dr. Lori Robins
• Scholarship: Chair鈥檚 Summer Research Award Scholarship, Department of Physical Sciences

Toby Roetteler initially found an interest in biochemistry from taking AP biology and chemistry in high school. Afterwards, he decided to research medicine to fulfill his goal of improving the lives of others. This goal led him to research with Dr. Lori Robins how to improve treatment of chronic wounds by killing off bacteria, promoting wound healing, and increasing the quality of life of affected individuals.

As they aim to understand if chlorinated compounds have antimicrobial and odor controlling properties, Roetteler focused on coating superabsorbent polymer granules and fibers with a specialized compound called MC to determine its stability and wound healing properties.

鈥淥ver the course of my summer research, I have gained a lot of valuable hands-on lab experience,鈥� said Roetteler. 鈥淥ne thing that came as a surprise to all of us was how difficult it ended up being to get accurate chlorine concentration readings using iodometric titration. However, after spending weeks troubleshooting; trying all kinds of different procedures and techniques, we finally found a method that yielded consistent and accurate results.鈥�

This not only taught Roetteler key research skills such as planning experiments, analyzing data, and presenting his findings, but also the importance of trial and error, patience and perseverance. This research taught him many of the key skills that will contribute to his future research endeavors.

鈥淲orking in the lab with Dr. Robins this summer has proven to be an invaluable opportunity for me,鈥� reflected Roettele. 鈥淗er deep understanding of the subject, built on years of research and teaching experience, was something I consistently found myself grateful for.鈥�

鈥淚 feel more confident that research in the field of biochemistry is what I want to pursue as a career.鈥�

Getting started with this research path

鈥淢y advice to others interested in undergraduate research would be to reach out and talk to your professors, especially those who specialize in a field you are interested in. Consider asking them about their experience working in their field and what research or internship opportunities may be available to you.鈥�

Dive into this topic by reading a or visit Robin鈥檚 faculty webpage.

Sean Kim (he/him) & Tommy Wang (he/him), Mechanical Engineering majors

• Mentor: Dr. Migeul Balzan
• Scholarship: STEM Undergraduate Summer Research Scholarship
• Research project: 鈥淪culpting Speed: Aerodynamic Shell for Drone Flight鈥�

Working together, Sean Kim (left in photo) and Tommy Wang focused on analyzing aerodynamic shells for high-speed drones to study how small design changes impact drag and lift, ultimately affecting flight efficiency and stability. They chose this focus because of their interest in drones and aerodynamic design.

Over summer they got hands-on creating several shell models with different nose and tail geometries in SolidWorks and learning how to use ANSYS Fluent to run Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations.

鈥淔rom setting up boundary conditions to interpreting simulation results, this summer鈥檚 research will enable us to have a stable foundation for future projects to come,鈥� they shared. 鈥淏eyond technical skills, we gained confidence in presenting complex topics to a broader audience during the summer STEM Symposium.鈥�

Their mentor, Dr. Miguel Balzan, provided support when necessary while also letting Kim and Wang learn from their mistakes and grow more confident in themselves and their skills.

Thinking about the incredible experience they had research with Balzan, they shared how he guided them through structing their research plan, starting with the basics of design models and then diving into data interpretation. “We had the freedom to make our own design decisions and to learn from our mistakes,鈥� Kim shared. 鈥淧lus, we got to see how classroom theory connects directly to real-world applications.鈥�

This research will greatly contribute to their senior capstone project and support their pursuit of jobs in aerospace engineering.

Getting started with this research path

鈥淚nitially, the thought of engaging in research came from the need of a theoretical foundation for a senior capstone project we proposed back in spring of 2025. We started by exploring and then reaching out to professors whose fields of study aligned with our goals/interests, even though we didn鈥檛 have a complete plan. A piece of advice we would give to other students is not to wait until they feel 鈥榝ully prepared鈥� to get involved, because we definitely weren鈥檛. Just ask, and then ask again.鈥�

Connect with their mentor Dr. Miguel Balzan to learn more about the research.

Luke Kustra, Computer Science & Software Engineering major (he/him)

• Research project: 鈥淎utonomous ATV鈥�
• Mentor: Dr. Tyler Folsom
• Scholarship: STEM Undergraduate Summer Research Scholarship

Believing autonomous vehicles are the key to reducing traffic accidents, Kustra made them the focus of his research. He mainly focused on the software aspects of what sensors and algorithms were necessary for each vehicle and how the vehicle itself should behave.

In his research, Kustra worked alongside Dr. Tyler Folsom who helped him grow as a software engineer.

He experienced what it is like working on an interdisciplinary team of mechanical, electrical, and computer engineers. Working with such a diverse team taught Luke the importance of effective communication and reporting. From this experience, he has a clear career goal of working on autonomous vehicles in the future.

鈥淚 am now familiar with the process of designing autonomous vehicles and am dedicated to reducing traffic accidents that hurt too many people every day,鈥� said Luke.

Getting started with this research path

鈥淚 started with the people involved in the research already. I believe the most helpful resource[s] are people. I decided to approach Dr. Folsom to learn more about his autonomous ATV research and was fascinated by it.鈥�

Learn more about the , or connect with his to learn more.

Growth through research

Over the summer, each student made meaningful contributions through their research, applying classroom knowledge to real-world challenges. By dedicating their time to hands-on exploration, they not only advanced their fields but also laid a strong foundation for future career opportunities. The summer undergraduate research scholarships helped them grow both personally and professionally, leaving them better prepared for what lies ahead.

Visit the School of STEM Research & Labs to learn more about research!