Undergraduate Researchers Making Discoveries

By Lauren Ingeno

Elizabeth Hubler, B.S. ’14, can likely be found in George Washington University’s Biofluid Dynamics Laboratory, where she is improving machines that closely simulate a human vocal tract. If perfected, these models could help treat the more than 30 percent of people who suffer from voice disorders.

It was a freshman year course with Michael Plesniak, chair of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, which sparked Ms. Hubler’s interest in experimental fluid dynamics. When she began working in his lab in 2011, the then rising sophomore never intended to pursue an advanced degree.

Three years later, Ms. Hubler is continuing her research with Dr. Plesniak and will begin a master’s degree program in mechanical engineering at GW this fall.

“Being involved in research allowed me to become more engaged in my classes, as well as within the engineering school itself,” Ms. Hubler said.

Research opportunities can be found in almost every department at GW—from natural science to the arts and humanities—said Paul Hoyt-O’Connor, director of the Center for Undergraduate Fellowships and Research.

The center provides support and guidance for students as they pursue research projects. It allocates awards and fellowship programs while also serving as a resource for students.?

“Research experiences enable students to explore in-depth a subject in which they are interested and contribute toward the generation of new knowledge in the process,” Dr. Hoyt-O’Connor said. “The experiential learning that students enjoy can make their classroom learning come alive.”?

There are also many opportunities for students to present their research at the university, nationally and even internationally, helping them to build their communication skills. GW Research Days, an annual two-day event, gives undergraduate and graduate students the chance to showcase their projects and present them to the university community as well as a panel of judges. Ms. Hubler was awarded second place in the undergraduate biomedical engineering category for her presentation at Research Days 2014.

Research experiences also provide a way for students to forge relationships with faculty and are increasingly indispensible for those who wish to apply to medical schools, graduate programs and for fellowships.

Alex Marchak, a rising senior in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, is a recipient of a Luther Rice Undergraduate Research Fellowship and has plans to become a physician. He is working with Sally Moody, a professor in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, to investigate a newly identified gene and its role in the nervous system.

Mr. Marchak said he would encourage incoming freshmen to keep an open mind when searching for research opportunities, as they may find new interests in unexpected places.

“My research has given me the opportunity to be a part of ideas that can change the future of humanity,” Mr. Marchak said. “It is a very satisfying feeling to know that your work at a young age can lead to new innovations in your lifetime and beyond.”