Spring 2024 Student Achievement Spotlights
Several of our students have been accepted into summer programs or taken jobs that will start in Fall. Here are a few highlights.
Geology
Geology scholar Candice De Anda was accepted to the Astronomy and Planetary Science Ph.D. program at Northern Arizona University. She will be working with Dr. Alicia Rutledge on glacial sediment samples from Sweden as analogs to Mars environments. They will be investigating the composition, formation, and morphology of these glacial sediments to help piece together the cryospheric history of Mars and determine the future of habitability on the planet. Candice is ecstatic about being accepted to this program. Never in a million years would she believe that she would one day get to live her dream of studying Mars and other planets! METRIC has helped give her the tools and resources needed to get here.
Geology scholar Sabrina Ansari has been accepted into the M.S. in Geological Sciences program at Central Washington University. She will be working with Dr. Hannah Shamloo on two potential projects. The first one is starting research on Goat Rocks, which is an extinct Cascade volcanic complex. They would be using zircon geochemistry to understand magmatic sequences and eruption events. Research like this has never been done on a Cascade volcano and would be the first of its kind. Another project would involve Mount Baker, which is a high threat, active volcano. They would be trying to understand its timescale eruption triggers using diffusion chronometry in crystals. These projects will be using geochemistry of crystals, petrologic modeling, lab techniques, and lab equipment to help further her research skills and prepare her for a PhD or a job with the USGS. Sabrina is so excited to start research pertaining to volcanology, she has dreamed of doing this since she started school back in 2020.
Mathematics and Statistics
Mathematics scholar Keanu Keopimpha has been accepted to the Big Data Summer Institute research program at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. This program introduces undergraduate students to the intersection of big data and human health — a rapidly growing field that uses quantitative analysis to help solve scientific problems and improve people's lives. He will choose to pursue one of the three projects involving cancer data science, data mining and machine learning in healthcare data, and genomics. The support from METRIC, which introduced him to these research opportunities and guided him through the application process was invaluable in his successful application period.
Physics
Physics scholar Chase Owen will be joining the U.S. Navy's NUPOC program after his graduation in Spring 2025. He will be working on nuclear reactors that power the Navy's ships. Chase currently works at UC Riverside helping to build a calorimeter that will be used in the new particle collider (EIC) being built in Brookhaven, NY. This summer, Chase will be working at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Berkeley, CA. Chase is elated that he will be using his skills in nuclear/particle physics to contribute to the safety of the United States. METRIC has helped give him the freedom and resources needed to get there.
Physics scholar Jose Pineda has been accepted to the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's (SAO) Summer Intern Program in Cambridge, Massachusetts from June 2 to August 10. He was also accepted from the Caltech LIGO SURF program. His summer research project will be based on the Energy Extraction via Magnetic Reconnection in a Rotating Black Hole with a Negative Spacetime Curvature. METRIC has played a crucial role in his ability to find and apply to these opportunities. Without the financial aid of METRIC, he would need to work, leaving him without much time to seek out opportunities and much less going through the process of applying. METRIC has allowed him to fully devote his time to school and pursue his research goals.
Physics scholar Jandrie Rodriguez will be attending Syracuse University's PhD program in Physics in Fall 2024. She is currently interested in working with the Gravitational Experimental Physics group. She is very excited for this opportunity as it has been a long-time goal of hers to attend a PhD program and study subjects that align with my interest in gravitational physics. METRIC was a crucial support system to reach her goal and in molding her to be the person she is now. With the benefits from METRIC, she is certain that she is ready for research at a graduate level and can maintain her own support system along with providing a supporting space for others.
Computer Science and Computer Engineering
Computer Science Scholar Oswaldo Olson was accepted to New Mexico Cybersecurity Center of Excellence's Research Experiences for Undergraduates, where he will be engaged with cutting-edge research in cybersecurity. Currently in his third year, Oswaldo is interning at two tech companies. One of them is with Pacific Gateway, working collaboratively with the city of Long Beach to prioritize problems, identify powerful solutions, and manage for results that improve community. The other one is with LA-tech, learning how to prevent cybersecurity attacks and use of AI. It is because METRIC and the mentors, Oswaldo learned about the REU program he was accepted in. The support he has received from METRIC, even after just one semester, has been so invaluable in getting him closer to his goals.
