Manpreet Suri
McNair Summer Research Fellow at UMBC in Baltimore, MD
Major: Information Systems
Briefly describe your research position, including your day-to-day tasks and responsibilities.
I attend a professional development workshop daily, such as etiquette, personal statement writing, and effective presentation skills. I also write code, build and program hardware, design a three-dimensional model, print three-dimensional models, and build a prototype of my device. My responsibilities also include sending a daily progress update to my mentor.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position and what have you found most challenging?
I enjoyed the opportunity to work in an independent study environment because it allows me to make my own schedule and have flexibility in deciding what I want to work on. This freedom comes with the responsibility of having to teach myself how to complete many of the tasks that I am assigned. I am grateful to have a mentor that gives me meaningful guidance.
What have you gained from your experience that you could not have gained from another summer activity?
This opportunity has inherently made me a better learner because my daily tasks require that I learn and grasp new ideas throughout the research process. It also gives me a wonderful perspective about time management since I have to develop a healthy schedule for myself. This experience has made me a more effective communicator and public speaker.
How do you see your summer work as meaningful? Has it given you a chance to work on issues or with communities that matter to you?
I see my work as meaningful because it is geared toward an under-served community, the visually impaired. This population is often overlooked and it gives me great pleasure to be able to design and build a device that caters to their needs. Assistive technologies are meant for those who have disabilities or need assistance in their day to day tasks. The visually impaired deserve to have all the same opportunities as a sighted person.
How has your summer experience shaped the way you think about your power to impact the world?
At first I didn’t realize how significant my project was, it was something I wanted to do to learn the research process and I enjoyed building hardware. When I realized that there are 285 million visually impaired people in the world, I started to realize that the magnitude of my project is much more far reaching than I had originally anticipated. I have learned that every project we work on is a part of a bigger picture and to never underestimate the impact of our research.
McNair Summer Research Fellow at UMBC in Baltimore, MD
Major: Information Systems
Briefly describe your research position, including your day-to-day tasks and responsibilities.
I attend a professional development workshop daily, such as etiquette, personal statement writing, and effective presentation skills. I also write code, build and program hardware, design a three-dimensional model, print three-dimensional models, and build a prototype of my device. My responsibilities also include sending a daily progress update to my mentor.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position and what have you found most challenging?
I enjoyed the opportunity to work in an independent study environment because it allows me to make my own schedule and have flexibility in deciding what I want to work on. This freedom comes with the responsibility of having to teach myself how to complete many of the tasks that I am assigned. I am grateful to have a mentor that gives me meaningful guidance.
What have you gained from your experience that you could not have gained from another summer activity?
This opportunity has inherently made me a better learner because my daily tasks require that I learn and grasp new ideas throughout the research process. It also gives me a wonderful perspective about time management since I have to develop a healthy schedule for myself. This experience has made me a more effective communicator and public speaker.
How do you see your summer work as meaningful? Has it given you a chance to work on issues or with communities that matter to you?
I see my work as meaningful because it is geared toward an under-served community, the visually impaired. This population is often overlooked and it gives me great pleasure to be able to design and build a device that caters to their needs. Assistive technologies are meant for those who have disabilities or need assistance in their day to day tasks. The visually impaired deserve to have all the same opportunities as a sighted person.
How has your summer experience shaped the way you think about your power to impact the world?
At first I didn’t realize how significant my project was, it was something I wanted to do to learn the research process and I enjoyed building hardware. When I realized that there are 285 million visually impaired people in the world, I started to realize that the magnitude of my project is much more far reaching than I had originally anticipated. I have learned that every project we work on is a part of a bigger picture and to never underestimate the impact of our research.
