During his second summer participating in the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU), third-year student Owen Rector has continued to gain skills as a researcher, presenter and scientist.

“Research in an academic lab is the ultimate project-based learning experience,” says Thomas Schroeder, an assistant professor in the Department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science (TECS). “This is another way of getting that hands-on experience as well as the autonomy of seeing something through.” 

Schroeder has employed Rector, a student in textile engineering with a concentration in product engineering, in his lab studying ionic circuits in the context of fabrics since his first summer at the Wilson College. 

For Rector, the work offers a unique chance to apply his technical knowledge to various independent tasks, while also exploring the possibility of graduate school and career opportunities.

Gaining invaluable experience 

Rector’s day-to-day work in the lab involves mixing together chemicals, testing formulations and trying various methods of applying materials to fabrics. Screen printing, heat pressing and electrical testing can all determine conductive properties.

“I get to use all the skills and knowledge from my classes in my research, whether it’s general chemistry principles or more direct textile circuit work,” Rector says. “I really enjoy being able to directly apply that to my research.” 

“It feels like I’m blazing my own path.” – Owen Rector, TE `28

As an undergraduate, Schroeder was able to participate in a research program and become a co-author in a published study. That experience not only looked great on his CV, but it also taught him a variety of practical skills. Now, he gets to provide that early growth opportunity to his own students.

“Everyone who gets into the academic enterprise gets their foot in the door in some research environment, whether or not they go on to become researchers in the sciences.” Schroeder says. “So, I think that these types of opportunities are very important.”

Growing as a researcher

Working on an ongoing research project has taught Rector a variety of practical skills, like electrical testing and material testing, that will be relevant to almost any textile engineering job. Under the teachings of Schroeder and graduate students, he is getting the most out of his time in the lab.

“The way Dr. Schroeder explains things, he tells the full story. I’m able to learn the full context of what I am working on and the progress I’ve made,” Rector says.

Schroeder emphasized the impact of learning specific tools and conducting work in chemical, material and electrical analysis. Working in the physical sciences requires an understanding of an ever-evolving set of tools and equipment, and one’s understanding of those tools broadens the kind of questions they can answer.

“To give those students more tools like analytical or synthesis techniques is to, in a very direct way, equip them to do more in the future,” Schroeder says.

In his daily work, Rector gained not only technical skills but the ability to persist. Experimentation involves a lot of necessary failure, and Schroeder says it’s important to start building a thick skin early on. 

“[Research questions are] extremely squishy and open-ended in a way that the classroom typically is not. It is also often a jarring experience for someone to walk into a lab for the first time and be expected to manage their own time,” Schroeder says.

“I really liked the flexibility of it,” Rector says. “It feels like I’m blazing my own path instead of being assigned mindless tasks, making my own independent decisions and finding my own way to get various experiments done.”

Beyond research   

REU offers experience in practical lab work while also uplifting participants through professional workshops, spanning topics from conducting a literature review to using social media as a scientist. 

“Learning from faculty during REU events, where they teach us more career-relevant skills, has been really helpful for me to feel more confident and prepared for a full-time job,” Rector says.

The program requires students to showcase their progress throughout their 10-week period to practice their presentation skills, culminating in a poster presentation at the university-wide end-of-summer poster symposium. It’s another way the program prepares students for every aspect of research, including science communication and public speaking skills.

“I was always someone that was really nervous with presentations, but I’ve done so many through my research which has helped me a lot,” Rector says. “It’s come to be something that I enjoy doing and I’d like to continue once I get a full-time job.”

Schroeder views REU as an opportunity for students to try something new and intimidating, all in the interest of finding what they are most passionate about. They get the chance to see if the research environment is right for them while learning from students already pursuing research.

“You don’t know what you want to do until you have tried it — and also have tried several things that you don’t want to do,” Schroeder says. “This is a great way of getting a preview of what graduate school is like and also getting direct contact with graduate students who are going through it actively.”