Andrew Dahl: Aerospace Engineering major

Andrew would like experiential learning opportunities involving aerospace engineering, but is
open to any other programs involving other branches of engineering. Here are a few specific
opportunities available within Washington that he might be interested in.
The Space Grant Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) offers student the
opportunity to engage in research of many fields, including engineering, under the guidance of
experienced faculty. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and Washington state residents.
http://www.waspacegrant.org/for_students/student_internships/wsgc_internships/SURP_for_stud
ents.html
The AIAA through the Applied Aerodynamics, Aircraft Design, Design Engineering and Flight
Test Technical Committees and the AIAA Foundation allows all undergraduates to participate in
Cessna/Raytheon Missile Systems Student Design/Build/Fly competition. Students team up to
create an electric-powered, radio-controlled aircraft to demonstrate their innovation and
engineering capabilities.
http://www.aiaadbf.org
The Genetically Engineered Materials Science and Engineering Center (GEMSEC) at the
University of Washington offers a 10-week summer research program for undergraduates. This
program involves hands-on experiments in the fields of bio-engineering, chemistry, electronics,
materials science, optics, optoelectronics, physics, and the life sciences.
http://depts.washington.edu/gemsec/education/REU.html
Here are websites that provide many other opportunities in the engineering field:
The College of Engineering at the University of Washington offers research programs in every
field of engineering, from aeronautics to chemical engineering.
http://www.engr.washington.edu/curr_students/undergradresearch/programs.html
The Center for Experiential Learning and Diversity offers programs in a larger variety of studies,
including engineering.
http://expd.uw.edu

Dear Leslie,
After learning that you are planning on majoring in Astronomy and were interested in doing
research I set about finding research opportunities in astronomy and astrophysics.
I first looked at the UW Undergraduate Research Program search page, but only got one research
opportunity for astronomy/astrophysics. This was a bit disheartening, but I knew that there had to
be more research opportunities in this field and I was determined to find them. My search took
me to the Department of Physics homepage which I found to be most informative. A quick click
on the research tab showed me that there are currently no less than six different research projects
going on right now in astrophysics that are open to student involvement. The three opportunities
that I think would be most enriching and informative are described below and I have included
links to the website of each one.
Miguel Morales is conducting research that looks at the Epoch of Reionization to see how early
stars and galaxies formed in order to gain a better understanding of what is around us.
https://sharepoint.washington.edu/phys/research/Pages/Astrophysics.aspx
Another opportunity at the UW for research in Astronomy is the Axion Dark Matter Experiment.
I don't know enough about this topic to accurately put a summary of the research in my own
words, but I think this excerpt from the project homepage speaks for itself; The Axion Dark
Matter eXperiment (ADMX) uses a resonant microwave cavity within in a large superconducting
magnet to search for cold dark matter axions in the local galactic dark matter halo. This is a
collaborative project with people from around the world. The contact person for this project is
Professor Leslie Rosenberg.
http://www.phys.washington.edu/groups/admx/home.html
The Pre-major in Astronomy Program seems to be a great way for somebody interested
astronomy to get into research. Pre MAP is for undergraduate students interested in math and
science and is an introduction to astronomy research and research techniques. It allows students
to work in small groups on research projects and receive one on one advising and peer
mentoring.
http://www.astro.washington.edu/users/premap/projects.php
For more information on other research opportunities in astronomy, or physics in general, I
would suggest look at the UW Dept of Physics
(https://sharepoint.washington.edu/phys/Pages/default.aspx) or the Undergraduate Research
Program (http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/index.html).
Sincerely
Andrew Dahl