{"id":6753,"date":"2026-05-14T14:00:37","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T18:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/?p=6753"},"modified":"2026-05-14T15:42:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T19:42:10","slug":"engaging-students-in-real-world-research-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/engaging-students-in-real-world-research-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Engaging Students in Real World Research"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Fitting a whale into a lab might sound impossible, but University of Rhode Island (URI) student Lindsey Reimels \u201925 found a way to study a whale\u2019s unique filtering system far from the ocean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of a massive whale, she built a model using acrylic and palm tree wood fiber to investigate how baleen plates in a humpback whale\u2019s mouth filter out microplastics\u2014no whale required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reimels, a marine biology major, knows that whales capture a large percentage of plastics in water flowing through their mouths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eager to discover the impacts of plastics on whales, Reimels received funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, specifically from the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) program that supports URI\u2019s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF). This initiative offers students stipends and a chance to participate in real-world research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organizers welcome students during the summer to join the URI Plastics: Land to Sea research initiative to explore and develop methods to manage locally generated plastic waste, focusing on reducing its impact on coastal communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lindsey Reimels \u201925
Marine Biology<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe program not only helps you grow as a scientist but also as a citizen.\u201d<\/blockquote>Lindsey Reimels<\/cite><\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no shortage of interest\u2014more than 160 students from across the United States applied for the 10-week program that linked them with professors in engineering, oceanography, fisheries, pharmacy, textiles, and natural resources.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Rowan Bixler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

During the summer Rowan Bixler worked on developing an optical microscopy method to identify and characterize different types of microplastics in environmental samples. The method involves tracking interference patterns created from light scattered by microparticles, which could make analyzing microplastics in samples more efficient and accessible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis research project has provided invaluable experience with scientific experimental design, microscope operation, and data analysis,\u201d Bixler said. \u201cI am excited to contribute to sustainability efforts. I am interested in pursuing a career in sustainable energy engineering, particularly in the wind or nuclear field.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elle Desmarteau worked with URI Engineering Professor Irene Andreu to observe how glitter as a primary microplastic degrades under various stressors, such as mechanical forces and particle-particle collisions as well as UV aging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlready, I have gotten the opportunity to learn and independently operate many machines: an ultra-micro hardness tester, UV aging chamber, and Raman, FTIR, and XRF spectroscopes,\u201d said Desmarteau. \u201cOne of my favorite parts of this internship has been working with a wide range of professors, graduate students, and other undergrads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Elle Desmarteau<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cURI is an incredibly collaborative research institution, where I\u2019m able to pop over to the machine shop to get my pipette tips cut off one moment, then get help from scholars at the AI Lab with image analysis techniques the next,” says Desmarteau. “I am extremely grateful for this amazing opportunity to learn more technical research skills, expand my network, and explore a whole new state with the support and resources of the URI Plastics Initiative REU program.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After gaining overall experience in the waste industry Joalys Rivera Castro became fascinated with the recycling process and materials science. Joining engineering Professor Vinka Oyanedel-Craver\u2019s lab allowed her to focus on innovating in that field while contributing to sustainability goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am able to do solution-based research on marine fishing gear waste, so that we may upcycle it into construction bricks.\u201d Castro said. \u201cThis gave me the opportunity to put to practice my degree and lab skills in this context in real world applications.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Castro shared the example of assessing product quality and the environmental challenges that could impact recycling facilities going forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThis gave me the opportunity to put to practice my degree and lab skills in this context in real world applications.\u201d<\/blockquote>Joalys Rivera Castro<\/cite><\/div><\/section><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Joalys Rivera Castro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn utilizing particulate sampler and sensors and being able to have hands on in the shredding, grinding, extrusion, and melting process of mechanical recycling I\u2019m putting my research to practical use.\u201d Reimels said she benefited from the program\u2019s stipend, which meant she didn\u2019t have to find a minimum-wage summer job and instead focused on learning and building connections for her future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an undergraduate opportunity to give students a glimpse of what is coming if you pursue research,\u201d said Oyanedel-Craver, associate dean of research at the College of Engineering. \u201cIt will give you a chance to build your strengths.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program benefits students because it provides them with experience and a research avenue they may want to pursue as a professional career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe program not only helps you grow as a scientist but also as a citizen,\u201d Reimels said. \u201cYou learn so many different skills beyond science.\u201d The REU program runs through 2027, Oyanedel-Craver and her colleagues hope the students will leave the experience impressed with the University, decide to attend URI for graduate school and ultimately stay in Rhode Island, strengthening the state\u2019s knowledge economy.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Vinka Oyanedel-Craver
Associate dean of research College of Engineering<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s an undergraduate opportunity to give students a glimpse of what is coming if you pursue research.\u201d<\/blockquote>Vinka Oyanedel-Craver<\/cite><\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fitting a whale into a lab might sound impossible, but University of Rhode Island (URI) student Lindsey Reimels \u201925 found a way to study a whale\u2019s unique filtering system far from the ocean. Instead of a massive whale, she built a model using acrylic and palm tree wood fiber to investigate how baleen plates in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5436,"featured_media":6822,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6753","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-momentum-spring-26-body"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6753","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5436"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6753"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6753\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6876,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6753\/revisions\/6876"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6822"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}