Interns Booklet 2014

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In the summer of 2014, 87 Princeton undergraduates affiliated with the Princeton Environmental Institute (PEI) held environmental assignments including positions with faculty-led research projects and as interns with NGOS, government, industry, and academic enterprises around the globe.

From their collective backgrounds in 17 academic disciplines, the 2014 summer interns addressed scientific, technical, policy, and human dimensions of global environmental problems. Students benefitted from strong ties to the Grand Challenges Program an integrated research and teaching program designed to address critical global environmental issues for the 21st century. Students explored a broad range of topics including: changing climate and its environmental impacts; energy technologies; environmental science, monitoring and policy; innovations in sustainability; and environmental education and outreach.

Students travelled to internship destinations in 20 foreign countries, 8 American states and the District of Columbia. Seventy-five (75) students held positions with faculty-led research projects. Several students work contributed to the development of new technologies and models. Others published journal articles and, in many instances, student summer experiences are serving as the foundation for continuing research and academic study.

This booklet provides an overview of each students assignment as experienced through the 2014 internship program. The diversity of students backgrounds, talents, interests, and contributions is evident in the summary descriptions of their projects and experiences.

For more information, please contact us via e-mail at [email protected].

Aubree Andres 17 .....................73EJ Baik 16 .....................................40Colleen Baker 16 ......................... 6Raymond Bartolucci 17 ............ 7Scott Bechler 17 ........................ 41Eric Bolton 15 ............................... 8Conleigh Byers 15 .....................42Ethan Campbell 16 ..................... 9Alison Campion 16 ...................10Joan Cannon 15 ........................43Elliot Chang 16 ...........................44Emily Chen 17 ............................45Tiffany Cheung 15 ....................46Carol Chiu 16 ..............................47Benjamin Culver 16 .................. 74Bristee Das 16 .............................48Alex Dominguez 16 ................. 11Jacob Eisenberg 16 .................. 12Allen Fang 17 ..............................49Atleigh Forden 16 ..................... 13Jesse Goodman 17 ...................50Katie Grabowski 16 ..................75Kevin Griffin 17 .......................... 14Abby Grosskopf 17 ...................51Devansh Gupta 17 ....................76Stacey Huang 16 .......................52Brendan Hung 17 ......................77Corrie Kavanaugh 17 ............... 15Elijah Kolmes 15 ........................53Matteo Kruijssen 16 .................16

Haley Lane 16 .............................78Nicholas Lavrov 15 ...................54Suk Yung (Mike) Lee 16 ........... 17Amanda Li 16 .............................18Weimen Li 17 .............................. 19Andrew Licini 16 .......................20Jonathan Lin 17 .........................55Jessica Luo 15 .............................79Dee Luo 16 ..................................80Daniel Ma 17 ...............................56Jason Manley 17 ........................21Dayton Martindale 15 .............81Ryan McNellis 15 .......................57Alana Miller 15 ...........................58Jacob Miller 15 ...........................59Taylor Morgan 16 ......................82Ahmed Musse 17 ......................22Rachel Myers 15 ........................60Derek Ou 15 ................................ 61Anchal Padukone 16 ................83Annelies Paine 16 .....................84Kevin Pardinas 16 .....................62Eric Principato 16 ......................23Austin Pruitt 17 ..........................63Sarah Sacco 16 ...........................64Natalie Saenz 15 ........................24Kasturi Shah 16 ..........................25Kasturi Shah 16 ..........................65Emily Shuldiner 16 ...................66Zoe Sims 17 .................................26

Stephen Soerens 15 .................27Marcus Spiegel 17 ....................85Levi Stanton 15 ..........................67Connor Stonesifer 16 ...............28Michelle-Ann Tan 16 ................29Rebecca Terrett 16 ...................68Adrian Tasistro-Hart 17 ...........30Sol Taubin 16 .............................. 31Aditya Trivedi 16 .......................69Joshua Umanksy-Castro 17...32Matthew Walsh 15 ....................70Olivia Watson 15 .......................71Alex Wheatley 16 ......................86Adam Yabroudi 15 ....................33Helen Yang 15 ............................87Vivian Yao 17 ..............................34Young Yi 17 .................................35Bridget Zakrzewski 17 .............36Rka Zemplni 16 .....................37Jennifer Zhao 16 .......................38Katherine Zhao 17 ....................88Angela Zhou 16 .........................39Jack Zhou 15 ...............................72

INDEX OF ALL INTERNS ALPHABETICALLY

INDEX OF PROJECTS BY CATEGORY

Sustainability

Colleen Baker 16 ......................... 6Raymond Bartolucci 17 ............ 7Eric Bolton 15 ............................... 8Ethan Campbell 16 ..................... 9Alison Campion 16 ...................10Alex Dominguez 16 ................. 11Jacob Eisenberg 16 .................. 12Atleigh Forden 16 ..................... 13Kevin Griffin 17 .......................... 14Corrie Kavanaugh 17 ............... 15Matteo Kruijssen 16 .................16Suk Yung (Mike) Lee 16 ........... 17Amanda Li 16 .............................18Weimen Li 17 .............................. 19Andrew Licini 16 .......................20Jason Manley 17 ........................21Ahmed Musse 17 ......................22Eric Principato 16 ......................23Natalie Saenz 15 ........................24Kasturi Shah 16 ..........................25Zoe Sims 17 .................................26Stephen Soerens 15 .................27Connor Stonesifer 16 ...............28Michelle-Ann Tan 16 ................29Adrian Tasistro-Hart 17 ...........30Sol Taubin 16 .............................. 31Joshua Umanksy-Castro 17...32Adam Yabroudi 15 ....................33

Vivian Yao 17 ..............................34Young Yi 17 .................................35Bridget Zakrzewski 17 .............36Rka Zemplni 16 .....................37Jennifer Zhao 16 .......................38Angela Zhou 16 .........................39

Climate & Energy

EJ Baik 16 .....................................40Scott Bechler 17 ........................ 41Conleigh Byers 15 .....................42Joan Cannon 15 ........................43Elliot Chang 16 ...........................44Emily Chen 17 ............................45Tiffany Cheung 15 ....................46Carol Chiu 16 ..............................47Bristee Das 16 .............................48Allen Fang 17 ..............................49Jesse Goodman 17 ...................50Abby Grosskopf 17 ...................51Stacey Huang 16 .......................52Elijah Kolmes 15 ........................53Nicholas Lavrov 15 ...................54Jonathan Lin 17 .........................55Daniel Ma 17 ...............................56Ryan McNellis 15 .......................57Alana Miller 15 ...........................58Jacob Miller 15 ...........................59Rachel Myers 15 ........................60Derek Ou 15 ................................ 61

Kevin Pardinas 16 .....................62Austin Pruitt 17 ..........................63Sarah Sacco 16 ...........................64Kasturi Shah 16 ..........................65Emily Shuldiner 16 ...................66Levi Stanton 15 ..........................67Rebecca Terrett 16 ...................68Aditya Trivedi 16 .......................69Matthew Walsh 15 ....................70Olivia Watson 15 .......................71Jack Zhou 15 ...............................72

Development

Aubree Andres 17 .....................73Benjamin Culver 16 .................. 74Katie Grabowski 16 ..................75Devansh Gupta 17 ....................76Brendan Hung 17 ......................77Haley Lane 16 .............................78Jessica Luo 15 .............................79Dee Luo 16 ..................................80Dayton Martindale 15 .............81Taylor Morgan 16 ......................82Anchal Padukone 16 ................83Annelies Paine 16 .....................84Marcus Spiegel 17 ....................85Alex Wheatley 16 ......................86Helen Yang 15 ............................87Katherine Zhao 17 ....................88

6 2014 Environmental Research Experiences

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Y Colleen Baker 16Anthropology

Project: Catch Share Design Center Fisheries Research

Organization/Location:Environmental Defense Fund, San Francisco, CA

Adviser(s):Kate Bonzon, Environmental Defense Fund

Globally, 87% of assessed fish stocks are either overexploited or fully exploited. Overfishing is pushing our oceans to a breaking point. The Environmental Defense Fund advocates catch shares as a solution to this problem. A management technique that financially incentivizes sustainable fishing, catch shares have proven incredibly successful. My work with the Catch Share Design Center focused on area-based catch shares, or territorial use rights for fishing (TURFs), where fishermen are allocated an area of fishing grounds and are held accountable for sustainably fishing the stock within that space. I was involved with database entry, research, and writing briefs on different catch share programs globally, and each taught me more and more about the important connection between culture and environmental action. I learned that solutions which are built from the bottom up are much more effective than those that are forced upon a culture; and as an anthropology major, this opened many research doors for me. This internship has given me new skills, like policy and governance analysis, data management and quality assurance, and a desire to pursue a career in implementing sustainable solutions.

Sustainability

72014 Environmental Research Experiences

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The two principle goals of our field research group were to collect geological samples of hard-bodied Ediacaran fossils (specifically Cloudina) for three-dimensional morphological analysis back at Princeton, and to observe the context in which these samples were found, in order to gain an understanding of the climatic environment in which these organisms lived. We contextualized the samples we took from two primary sites in southern Namibia by taking stratigraphic sections, creating digital elevation models through drone flights, and mapping the thrombolitic reefs in which Cloudina fossils were found. By being in the field for two months, I developed keen skills of observation and a better understanding of how different rocks formed and what different features may indicate about the paleoclimate of the region. The experience of camping and actually living in my research for two months was life-changing for me. It taught me how to go about planning and carrying out research, and also taught me the importance of truly observing and gaining a context for my subject. All of these skills will help me to continue analyzing the data from this trip back at Princeton, and to carry out my own research in the future.

Raymond Bartolucci 17Chemical and Biological Engineering

Project: Field Geological Study of the Evolution of Life, Climate, Magmatism, and Geography

Organization/Location:Maloof Group, Geosciences Department, Princeton University, Namibia

Adviser(s):Adam Maloof, Professor, Geosciences; Blair Schoene, Professor, Geosciences


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Y Eric Bolton 15Geosciences

Project: Field Geological Study of the Evolution of Life, Climate, Magmatism, and Geography

Organization/Location:Maloof Group, Geosciences Department, Princeton University, Australia


This summer I did field work in Australia with two graduate students in the Geosciences Department at Princeton University. The topics of their research were different, but were focused on the same region in Western Australia: the Pilbara Craton. One goal of our research was to use paleomagnetism and geochronology to retrace the geographical location and movement of the craton through study of the 2.7 Ga. Fortescue formation. The other goal was to use geochronology to understand the history and internal structure of the Muccan and Mount Edgar granite domes within the craton. We camped, hiked and drove around the Pilbaran wilderness to find and collect rock samples. The paleomagnetism research involved drilling to collect core samples of basalts, and collecting sediment samples for geochronology. The granite dome research involved studying deformation of granites in different parts of the domes and collecting block samples for geochronology. I learned a lot about mineralogy, petrology and structural geology, plus I learned many important life skills over the course of the summer. As a result of this internship, I plan to work on thermal diffusivity models to better understand the cooling history of the Pilbara granite domes for my senior independent work.


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Under the guidance of Professor Stephen Riser of the University of Washingtons School of Oceanography, I spent the summer analyzing data from Argo profiling floats drifting in the Weddell Sea region of Antarctica. The Weddell Sea is an area of great interest due to its marginal stability and influence on global heat, carbon, and freshwater budgets, yet it is historically under-sampled. Its remote location and sea ice cover continue to hinder shipborne observation; however, the recent development of autonomous floats has enabled year-round profiling of the region, even from beneath winter sea ice. While exploring temperature and salinity measurements from this array of floats, I found evidence of dynamical processes near the seamount, or underwater mountain, known as Maud Rise. Multiple signatures of these processes were apparent, including a halo of persistent low sea ice concentration and warm, upwelled water in the vicinity of the seamount. In addition to this finding and other discoveries, I spent much of the summer preparing the Argo data set for further quantitative analysis for my upcoming Geosciences junior paper, which I look forward to writing.

Ethan Campbell 16Geosciences

Project: Seasonal Cycle of Oxygen in the Weddell Sea from Autonomous Profiling Floats

Organization/Location:School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Adviser(s):Jorge Sarmiento, Professor, Geosciences; Stephen Riser, University of Washington


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Y Alison Campion 16Geosciences

Project: Late Paleozoic Ice Age: Carbon and Oxygen Isotopes in Carbonate Parasequences

Organization/Location:Maloof Group, Geosciences Department, Princeton University, England

Adviser(s):Adam Maloof, Professor, Geosciences

The Late Paleozoic Ice Age occurred approximately 300 million years ago and is an ancient analogue to the Plio-Pleistocene Ice Age, our modern climate system that is characterized by alternating cold glacial climate and warm, interglacial climate. During this ice age, England was a tropical platform, recording environmental information in the deposition of carbonate and siliclastic rocks. This past summer I went to England and measured stratigraphic layers, noting bed thickness, lithology, grain size, facies, fossil abundance, and sedimentary structures to learn about the environment recorded in the deposition of the rocks. I collected approximately 1200 samples from outcrop and core material to measure carbon and oxygen isotope ratios; from this we can interpret global temperature, ice volume, and atmospheric carbon dioxide at the time of the deposition. This semester I will analyze the physical and chemostratigraphy of the sections from England to better understand how Earths climate was changing at the beginning of the Late Paleozoic Ice Age. Not only did I gather a lot of interesting data this summer, I also had an amazing experience and learned so much about how to improvise, adapt, and overcome challenges during research. My research from the summer will contribute to my junior paper this semester and is the start of a two-year senior thesis project.


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My summer was spent addressing the problem of over-nitrification in the Mississippi River. The river has a watershed that encompasses a massive area, causing a great deal of nitrate-based farm fertilizer to make its way into the river. Ultimately, these nitrates are the catalyst of hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. The first step to solving this problem is understanding how nitrogen can be removed from the system. Through a bacterial process called denitrification, nitrates can be broken down to nitrogen gas and removed from the river. Throughout the summer we collected water and sediment samples from different parts of the river system and analyzed them in order to find conditions that can maximize denitrification. With this knowledge, the river can be managed to increase biodiversity and combat over-nitrification. Personally, I was just as comfortable in a lab coat as I was up to my neck in swamp water. The vastness of the Mississippi River alongside its flora and fauna provided the perfect antithesis for the atomic level analysis we were doing in the lab. This opportunity really helped me appreciate the interdependence of systems in biology and I hope to pursue more biological research in the future.

Alex Dominguez 16Chemical and Biological Engineering

Project: Analysis of Mechanisms of Nutrient Cycling in Floodplain Lakes of the Lower Mississippi River

Organization/Location:University of Mississippi Department of Biology, Oxford, Mississippi

Adviser(s):Lars Hedin, Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Clifford Ochs, University of Mississippi


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Y Jacob Eisenberg 16Chemistry

Project: Shedding Light on Plant Respiration

Organization/Location:Bender Group, Geosciences Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, Sweden

Adviser(s):Michael Bender, Emeritus Professor, Geosciences; Paul Gauthier, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Geosciences

The goal of my summer internship was to investigate plant respiration, and whether or not it is inhibited in the daytime at high latitudes. There has been previous work that suggests that the rate of respiration, which results in CO2 being released into the atmosphere, is lower in the daytime than the nighttime. It is important to further understand and investigate this phenomena, as the rate of plant respiration has an impact on the overall carbon balance and the quantity of CO2 in the atmosphere. We were fortunate to travel to Abisko, Sweden to observe whether this daytime inhibition would occur in plants that were under 24-hour sunlight in the summer. While there, we were out in the forest every day measuring the gas exchange rates of trees under different light conditions. We found that under these conditions there was no inhibition of respiration. This internship was my first experience with fieldwork and all of its exciting aspects and challenges. Being embedded in a lab group gave me the opportunity to observe and be part of the process of academic research. Im looking forward to extending this internship and the skills I learned into my independent work in the future.


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The overall goal of my project this summer was to study how plant respiration behaves in the 24-hour daylight of summer in the high arctic of Swedish Lapland. My partner and I spent the first part of this project on campus in the lab, familiarizing ourselves with the various systems we would be using in the field in Sweden. While in Sweden, the primary machine we used was the Licor 6400, a machine that measures the gas fluxes within a chamber compared to outside ambient concentrations and extrapolates its photosynthetic rate and other parameters. We monitored the rate of photosynthesis of birch trees at different light intensities throughout the 24-hour arctic day for a week and found almost no inhibition of leaf respiration at higher light intensities. Through this internship I learned how to function within a research group, how to handle all of the uncertainties and mini-disasters of working in the field and how to process many different types of data. This internship confirmed my desire to pursue graduate school in some capacity; I loved the work and continually learning new things. I enjoy the challenges and the constant engagement that research demands.

Atleigh Forden 16Geosciences


Organization/Location:Bender Group, Geosciences Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, Sweden



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Y Kevin Griffin 17Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Project: The Princeton BioDigester Project

Organization/Location:Princeton University Office of Sustainability, Princeton, NJ

Adviser(s):Shana Weber, Director, Office of Sustainability

This summer I researched a process called anaerobic digestion, which converts food waste into compost and natural gas by using bacteria cultures to decompose organic matter. To study this phenomenon, I built a system called a biodigester on Princetons campus. This system will be used as a research platform for studying how anaerobic digestion responds to changes in temperature, changes in pressure, the introduction of bacterial cultures and enzymes, and the use of different waste materials, and how these changes affect the system pH and the health of essential bacteria. This summer, I organized the construction of the biodigester, developed electronic systems for monitoring the digester and collecting data, and researched the dynamic biological systems that will need to be balanced for the biodigester to perform well. Through this internship I developed my communication skills by overseeing the installation of the biodigester, learned the C programming language, gained practical experience working with electronics, and learned some of the biochemistry and microbiology of anaerobic digestion. This project has reinforced my academic interests in sustainability technologies, and it will likely lead me toward a certificate in sustainable energy and eventually a career in sustainable engineering.


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The Peru team of Engineers Without Borders - Princeton University has worked to provide clean water to the community of La Pitajaya, Peru since 2011. The water pipeline for the upper half of the community was completed in the summer of 2013. This summer, five Princeton students and I traveled to Peru to build a water pipeline to bring potable water to the lower half of the community, La Pitajaya Baja. We collaborated with professional engineers and local masons in order to implement the system design that we had created during the past academic year. Over the course of six weeks, our team completed this pipeline, successfully bringing clean water to all of La Pitajaya. We also made improvements to the existing system. During this trip I was able to practically apply the theoretical knowledge I learned in class to a real-world engineering application. It was amazing to see the technical designs that we had done during the school year come to life as we built this pipeline. This trip not only gave me practical experience in an engineering discipline, but it also gave me an appreciation for using the knowledge that I have gained at Princeton to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

Corrie Kavanaugh 17Civil and Environmental Engineering

Project: Potable Water Project for La Pitajaya, Peru

Organization/Location:Engineers Without Borders, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, Peru

Adviser(s):Peter Jaffe, Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering


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Y Matteo Kruijssen 16Operations Research and Financial Engineering

Project: Adding Precision to Agricultural Practice Through Simultaneous Chlorophyll Fluoresence

Organization/Location:Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, CA

Adviser(s):Kelly Caylor, Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering; Lyndon Estes, Associate Research Scholar, Woodrow Wilson School

Crop production experienced a rapid increase during the Green Revolution (1960-1980), a time of widespread adoption of better crop management techniques. However, this production has recently stalled. Given a quickly rising world population and climate change, the ability to accurately predict crop yields and to optimize management practices is becoming increasingly important. Models currently exist to predict crop yields, but the impact of factors such as nitrogen and water stress on these models remains largely unknown. The goal of our project was to explore in depth one of these models, the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) program, to evaluate its ability to help determine optimal management practices and to identify potential weaknesses that can be improved upon. This summer, I was in charge of exploring the DSSAT code and performing a sensitivity analysis test to determine which variables are most important for a plants growth. I learned a lot about the biological processes that occur during plant growth, and I will be continuing this project during the school year to understand some strange results we observed over the summer. Moving forward, I may even incorporate this project into my senior independent research project.


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The goal of the Rapid Forest Triage project, the focus of my summer internship, was to survey a forest autonomously with a quadcopter. Using stereo vision, the quadcopter would traverse the forest while noting the location and diameters of trees to estimate a forests biomass. The quadcopter would also take microclimate data measurements with an onboard sensing unit. Using the microclimate and tree data, I created intra-forest ecology maps in MATLAB. Test data sets of forests were also created with manual surveys. We put both sets of data on an interactive website that incorporated a Google Earth embed of surveyed forests, along with corresponding survey data, tree data, and ecology maps. I learned many different technical skills, such as working with the robotics operating framework ROS, the languages of C++, MATLAB, HTML, jQuery, and D3. On a broader level, I really enjoyed using robotics to directly interact with nature. This summer experience verified my love of robotics and fieldwork; I am now considering working specifically on robotics with applications in the natural world. I couldnt have asked for a better place to work over the summer than JPL, where the talks, the employees, and the current missions redefine what it means to dream big.

Suk Yung (Mike) Lee 16Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Project: Rapid Forest Triage by Sub-Canopy Micro Air Vehicle


Adviser(s):Kelly Caylor, Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering; Adam Wolf, Associate Research Scholar, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology


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Y Amanda Li 16Ecology and Evolutionary Biology




This past summer, I had the amazing privilege of working together with the community of La Pitajaya, trenching with them along the side of the Andean foothills, carrying needed materials up the mountain and searching for solutions to all of the problems that we inevitably faced in building a system to bring clean, potable water to the community. I came to Peru in 2013 as a travel team member of EWB-Princetons Peru chapter, where I worked on the water system for the upper part of the community of La Pitajaya. This summer, I returned as a Program Manager, and was able to work on and achieve our goal of finishing the water system for the lower part of the community. We got to see the moment when clean potable water flowed through every tapstand in La Pitajaya. My involvement with the EWB-Peru team gave me so much knowledge and insight into the world of international development. It showed me the many considerations, the planning, the commitment, the obstacles, and the reward that comes from implementing an international project. Being pre-med and having the dream of working in medicine and health, I hope to engage myself in global health beyond college, through medical school, and into my professional career.


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BILITY

My internship with the Mid-Infared Technologies for Health and Environment (MIRTHE) research group involved modeling and designing a waveguide for 16 m quantum cascade lasers (QCLs). The primary purpose for the development of an infrared laser at this wavelength was to allow for sensing of trace gases in the environment, whose absorption spectra lies dominantly around =16 m light. The work I did this summer consisted of using the COMSOL multiphysics software to design a waveguide for the laser. I also used MATLAB to implement models that can be used to help optimize waveguide designs. In the course of my work, I gained a rudimentary knowledge of photonic and semiconductor devices, and of how they are developed in research and used in industry. I also learned to program in MATLAB and use COMSOL multiphysics software, both of which are useful skills that may assist me in the future. Finally, I gained an interest in the field of semiconductor devices and photonics, which is a possible major track within the Department of Electrical Engineering here at Princeton. In that regard, I have the opportunity to return to working in the same laboratory for any junior or senior independent work, or thesis, if I so wish.

Weimen Li 17Electrical Engineering

Project: Quantum Cascade Lasers and Detectors for Mid-Infrared Sensing of the Environment

Organization/Location:Mid-Infared Technologies for Health and Environment (MIRTHE), Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

Adviser(s):Claire Gmachl, Professor, Electrical Engineering


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Y Andrew Licini 16Chemistry

Project: Optical Reflectivity of Reversible Electrochemical Mirrors

Organization/Location:Bernasek Research Lab, Chemistry Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

Adviser(s):Steven Bernasek, Professor, Chemistry

I was able to perform research this summer on the properties of reversible electrochemical mirrors (REMs), a promising field that deposits metal electrochemically onto surfaces to create controllably reflective layers on otherwise transparent panels. These panels, if perfected and implemented, would generate enormous energy savings, since windows allow in extravagant amounts of heatREM windows could be switched off to reflect heat away when rooms are not occupied, or even fine-tuned to be partially reflective while still allowing a view outside. While working to develop these panels, I had an amazing experience working in a fully-stocked, professional research lab. Not only was I able to perform electrochemical tests on a sample cell, but I was also involved in all of the steps of preparation and analysis: assembling a full-scale drybox to perform the water-sensitive reactions, synthesizing the cutting-edge ionic liquid electrolytes, and even conferencing with top research groups halfway across the country. Working with my departmental research advisor over the summer also gave me a great taste of life as an academic researcher and as a chemistry graduate student.


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The Molecular Discovery Lab at Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) uses the sea urchin to study the processes of aging and cancer, since sea urchins do not appear to show any signs of deteriorative aging or development of cancers. My project branched off this to look at their remarkable regenerative capacity, which is critical for maintenance of tissues over their long life span. I used a novel regeneration assay developed in the lab that uses photography and image analysis to measure percent regeneration of external appendages (spines and tube feet). By using this assay in the presence of inhibitors of specific molecular pathways, we were able to identify mechanisms that play a role in tissue regeneration. In addition, I used molecular techniques (e.g., quantitative polymerase chain reaction) to measure the expression of stem cell and cell proliferation markers. Although stem cells are controversial in echinoderms, our lab hypothesizes that they are critical for the processes of tissue regeneration and my early results indicate their presence. This project taught me about a lot of critical laboratory skills, experimental design, technical writing, and problem-solving when things didnt go so well. I really enjoyed working in the lab and look forward to pursuing more research opportunities at Princeton.

Jason Manley 17Physics

Project: Mechanisms of Resistance to Genotoxic Stress in Sea Urchins

Organization/Location:Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), Bermuda

Adviser(s):Andrea Bodnar, Bermuda Institute of Oceanic Sciences; Helena Reinardy, Bermuda Institute of Oceanic Sciences


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Y Ahmed Musse 17Electrical Engineering

Project: Quantum Cascade Lasers and Detectors for Mid-Infrared Sensing of the Environment

Organization/Location:Mid-Infared Technologies for Health and Environment (MIRTHE), Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

Adviser(s):Claire Gmachl, Professor, Electrical Engineering

My summer internship, hosted by MIRTHE in conjunction with PEI, focused on infrared sensing of the environment. Our goal was to build what is called an Optical Coherence Tomography system. This system would provide cross-sectional images of biological systems allowing for the detection of toxic compounds within biological tissue. My responsibilities involved aligning the superluminescent emitter to optimize the amount of signal we received, which also included filtering out noise from the signal. In addition, I was responsible for developing code in MATLAB that was able to control the location of the movable mirror in our OCT setup, and the amount of data collected from the lock-in amplifier. While building the system, I learned about the process of research and the amount of organization that is involved. This internship gave me insight into how technological breakthroughs are made through clever modifications of known concepts. This experience also reinforced my interest in an electrical engineering major. The intersection of medical imaging and electrical engineering involved in my internship has prompted me to think of how I can use electrical engineering practically in the medical field for future research.


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BILITY

The goal of my project this summer was to develop a workflow for ecological observation with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). UAVs offer advantages over other remote sensing technologies like satellites or manned aircraft because of their spatial and temporal resolution. The resolution collected from UAVs is comparable to that of satellites, but because UAVs are much cheaper to fly and can be flown on demand, they can be a smart alternative to other techniques. I developed workflow for extracting data from collected images; this included performing field work and developing flight checklists as well as developing programs to create and align large orthomosaics of the area of interest. This involved surveying available programs to perform the ortho creation, and writing computer vision programs in Matlab and Python to rectify and process that imagery. I enjoyed this project because as a Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering student, I was able to contribute to an ecological project in the Department of Civil and Engineering. I think there are a lot of opportunities for different fields of study to contribute to each other, and I enjoyed the opportunity to do just that this summer. Im continuing to work with Dr. Estes this year, and I see it potentially developing into a possible topic for independent work.

Eric Principato 16Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Project: Closing the Spatio-Temporal Gap in Ecological Observation with UAVs

Organization/Location:Caylor Group, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, Kenya

Adviser(s):Kelly Caylor, Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering; Lyndon Estes, Associate Research Scholar, Woodrow Wilson School


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Y Natalie Saenz 15Chemistry


Organization/Location:Bender Group, Geosciences Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ


How do we know that we have accurate estimates for incorporating plant respiration when calculating carbon dioxide fluxes in the atmosphere? For my project this summer, I aimed to understand the influence of light intensity on plant metabolism. More specifically, I used stable carbon isotopes to uncover the metabolic origins of the Kok effecta phenomenon not fully understood and that is seen in plants at low light intensities. As part of the Bender lab, under the supervision of Dr. Paul Gauthier, I had the opportunity to build my own gas-exchange chamber and to learn how to use various laboratory instruments such as the mass spectrometer in depth. I was able to apply my chemical background to illuminate a biological process that has kept scientists in the dark for more than half a century. Over the course of this school year, I will be continuing these experiments in greater depth for my senior thesis.


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The goal of my summer internship was to investigate the evolution of Himalayan glaciers under changing climate conditions. Using raw data from automated weather stations in the Himalayas as well as climate model output from the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL), I investigated the correlation between temperature and precipitation over the last 60 years and developed an ablation and mass-balance model for glaciers, specific to the region of the Himalayas that they were in. I then began work on investigating the relationship between temperature and precipitation using predictions from the model to forecast the future evolution of glaciers. I really enjoyed working on a self-driven research project, and the range of seminars and discussions at GFDL and the Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences program was extremely stimulating! I intend to continue this research for either a junior paper or my senior thesis.

Kasturi Shah 16Physics

Project: Evolution of Himalayan Glaciers under Changing Climate Conditions, Peru

Organization/Location:Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL), Princeton, NJ

Adviser(s):Olga Sergienko, Research Glaciologist, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences


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Y Zoe Sims 17Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Project: Leafing Through Rainforest Tree Competitive Strategies in Nutrient Limited Ecosystems

Organization/Location:Pacala Group, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, Costa Rica

Adviser(s):Stephen Pacala, Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Cleo Chou, Ph.D. Candidate, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Tropical rainforests are among the earths most productive and diverse ecosystems. Yet, while they have potential to sequester carbon from the atmosphere, perhaps mitigating climate change, their growth is limited by low soil nutrient levels. How do the dynamics of nutrient limitation vary across tree species and functional types? How are they affected by light availability? This summer, I approached these questions as part of an ongoing fertilization study in the lush lowland tropical rainforest of Costa Rica. Working with Cleo Chou, a PhD student in Princetons Department Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB), I measured, fertilized, photographed, and collected leaf samples from the projects study trees. I also designed and conducted an independent study to examine how leaf traits size and mass per area interact with nutrient limitation. This knowledge contributes our understanding of forest dynamics and applications such as climate modeling. In the process, I learned the essentials of fieldwork, particularly perseverance in the face of challenge and unpredictability. The experience reinvigorated my passion for ecology and the critical, big-picture questions it allows us to pose. It opened my eyes to the career possibilities within ecology and academia, and reinforced my awe for the science and mystery of the natural world.


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As part of the Princeton Ecohydrology Lab this past summer, I investigated how trees use water in response to different environmental conditions. The way in which tree species will respond to drought and other consequences of climate change is an important variable in climate models. To understand these ecosystem changes, we need to determine how species balance the risk of damaging their tissue (cavitation in the xylem) with the reward of photosynthesis in order to outgrow and outlast their competitors. In researching this question, I used methods that employed both low-tech, mostly homemade instrumentation, and the more hi-tech LI-COR gas exchange system that is familiar to the plant physiologist. These methods required thorough troubleshooting as complications arose, but provided me with the experience needed to confidently investigate plant hydraulic systems. Ultimately I was able to gather meaningful data that demonstrated the value and validity of the combination of methods used. After mastering the methodology and gathering some promising data over the summer, I hope to be able to further investigate drought response as part of my senior independent research.

Stephen Soerens 15Civil and Environmental Engineering

Project: What Trees Could Learn From Alan Greenspan

Organization/Location:Caylor Group/Pacala Group, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ



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Y Connor Stonesifer 16Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Project: Lignin Phenols in Microbial and Marine Organic Matter Production in the Open Ocean

Organization/Location:Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), Bermuda

Adviser(s):Natasha McDonald, Research Specialist, Bermuda Institute of Oceanic Sciences

As an intern for the Bermuda Bio Optics Program, I worked with scientists at the Bermuda Institute for Ocean Sciences (BIOS) to investigate a class of dissolved organic molecules within the ocean known as chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM). CDOM acts as a kind of sunscreen, regulating the amount of UV-Vis light that penetrates the subsurface ocean. In acting as a light-limiter, CDOM can control the photosynthetic activity of the oceans primary producers. By studying the molecules in CDOM, we can better understand how the underwater light field is regulated and come to a more accurate picture of the health of the marine ecosystem. My summer research focused specifically on one molecule within the CDOM pool: lignin, a plant-based polymer. I worked alongside a photochemist and a microbiologist on two experiments that tested the hypothesis that lignin is degraded by the metabolic processes of marine microbes within the Sargasso Sea. Wonderfully, our data supported our hypothesis! I studied and implemented analytical chemistry techniques, had access to top-notch scientific equipment, and had the pleasure of being able to shed light on a really interesting question in oceanic research. This summer has taught me skills in critical thinking and experimental planning that I know will be invaluable in my senior thesis research.


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In the Department of Commerce Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Lab (GFDL), scientists have developed a computer model called the ESM2M, meant to portray physical and chemical trends and interactions in the ocean and atmosphere all over the world. However, there has been a discrepancy between the way the model portrays chlorophyll concentration seasonality in the Southern Ocean and our observations of this seasonality based on BioArgo floats and other field data collections. This summer, I worked with Dr. Rebecca Asch in the Sarmiento Group to further investigate what biological and physical controls of chlorophyll concentration in the Southern Ocean are most important according to the ESM2M, how these controls work according to the ESM2M, and how these controls might be different according to our observations. I used the graphing and statistical tools in Matlab to observe the nature and strength of these control-to-phytoplankton concentration relationships to better understand what was going on in the model. Though not directly related to the research I might undertake as a future molecular biologist, my internship was an enriching experience. I developed Matlab skills, which can take on many different applications; I learned to appreciate the integrated nature of the science of oceanography; and I learned to appreciate the work that goes into a model and the importance of accurate models.

Michelle-Ann Tan 16Molecular Biology

Project: Biological and Physical Controls on Phytoplankton Growth in the Southern Ocean

Organization/Location:Sarmiento Group, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

Adviser(s):Jorge Sarmiento, Professor, Geosciences


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Y Adrian Tasistro-Hart 17Geosciences

Project: Field Geological Study of the Evolution of Life, Climate, Magmatism, and Geography, Namibia

Organization/Location:Maloof Group, Geosciences Department, Princeton University, NJ, Namibia


Ray Bartolucci and I worked for two months as field assistants to a PhD student, Akshay Mehra, in Namibia. Our work focused on finding and mapping 540-million-year-old reefs in which one of the first bio-mineralizing organisms, Cloudina, is present in large quantities. Whenever we encountered a reef, we studied its overall shape as well as the morphologies of the structures within it. We also sampled the best-preserved specimens of Cloudina, which we will process here at Princeton. Finally, we used a drone to take hundreds of high-resolution aerial images, which we are now compositing into 3D models of the terrain, in the hopes that we can compute spatial statistics on the regions that we mapped and sampled from. Through this internship I learned a lot about the scientific process and effective data collection. We developed the ability to constantly question our observations as we honed our observational skills, and we also learned how to adapt to our new ideas to collect data that was meaningful. My first experience with fieldwork during this internship helped solidify my intention to major in Geosciences, and I definitely want to continue fieldwork for my own independent work.


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In the last decade, Brazil has seen millions of hectares of its native biomes logged and burned in response to rising global demands for raw goods and cheap food sources. These explicit regional changes in land use, in conjunction with global climate trends, have spilled over to affect local climactic patterns, energy fluxes, and ecosystem health, and have further marginalized populations already vulnerable to anthropogenic and climactic pressures. Interning at the Amazon Environmental Research Institutes field site, I had the opportunity to work side-by-side with leading scientists, policy makers, and field technicians on these issues. I learned cutting-edge methodology in data collection and field research, experimental design techniques, and data analysis in R; was exposed firsthand to deforestation for agricultural production, and improved my Portuguese. My personal projects included writing code to interpret and visualize eddy flux tower data and helping collect and treat water and soil samples for electro-conductivity and contamination experiments. My internship was an incredible experience, and has informed my plans for junior independent work and my senior thesis. I hope to build on the foundation of spatial modeling and statistical analysis of converging socio-environmental pressures that I developed this summer, and further explore the intersection of environmental change and marginalization.

Sol Taubin 16Civil and Environmental Engineering

Project: Quantitative Outcome Analysis & Sustainable Development Policy in the Amazon Basin

Organization/Location:Amazon Environmental Research Institute, Brazil

Adviser(s):Paolo Brando, Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM)


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Y Joshua Umanksy-Castro 17Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering




This summer, I worked in Peru as part of Princetons Engineers without Borders travel team to finish building a water system for the community of La Pitajaya. Our third implementation trip, we had already brought water to the upper part of the community, La Pitajaya Alta, and were now starting the water system for the Baja part of the community. As the source was located 3km away, most of our work involved trenching and installing the pipeline, as well as carrying materials up and down the mountains to where they were needed. After six weeks, we managed to get water flowing in every single tapstand in La Pitajaya Baja, as well as connect two more community members to the Alta system. Looking ahead to next summer, we plan to assess both water systems, as well as search for potential projects in the area. While my post-graduate plans are undecided, this summer made me realize Id like to pursue a career where I can make this same type of impact, and know that Im making a difference in the world.


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The retrieval of dendrometric measurements in forests can be time-consuming and imprecise. Autonomous micro-aerial vehicles, like quadcopters, have the ability to gather data much faster and more accurately than humans. One measurement of significance in forest ecology is diameter at breast height (DBH). This measurement is generally taken 1.3-1.4 meters off the ground. To obtain such a measurement autonomously the micro-aerial must not only isolate and track the tree trunks in a forest using computer vision but it must also compute the ground plane to precisely measure DBH. Over the summer at JPL-NASA, my role was focused on creating and testing the computer vision algorithms to isolate the ground plane in cluttered environments. I was also involved in development of the tree detection algorithms. After these were paired with other student work in the project, we were able to map the forests for further scientific studies. This internship influenced me personally by showing me a whole new field where robotic and technological solutions could provide value. It also allowed me to get a sense of how research is conducted in a non-university setting.

Adam Yabroudi 15Electrical Engineering

Project: Rapid Forest Triage by Sub-Canopy Micro Air Vehicle




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Y Vivian Yao 17Undecided

Project: Chinas Climate and Energy Policy

Organization/Location:Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), China

Adviser(s):Alvin Lin, China Climate and Energy Policy Director, Natural Resources Defense Council

This summer I interned for the Climate and Energy Team at the Asian headquarters of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) where I focused on coal cap and shale gas research. Stationed in the worlds most polluted city and Chinas capital, Beijing, I had the opportunity to travel to all corners of the city to meet influential experts and policymakers in the field of environmental protection. I was able to sit in on strategic steering committee hearings regarding the development of Chinas coal cap regulations, and to attend events held by the U.S. Embassy for the 2014 Strategic and Economic Dialogue, a series of meetings between U.S. and Chinese officials on the balance between the environment and rapid economic prosperity. These once-in-a-lifetime opportunities provided me with a means to obtain the most recent and groundbreaking research and data to analyze. Our team produced fact sheets and reports to inform not only policymakers and government officials but also the Chinese community. Beijing is beginning to see an unmistakable correlation between health complications and the worsening air, water, and soil pollution. This summer allowed me to hone in on the clear relationship that exists between various branches of science and human health, and it encouraged me to continue on a science-focused path at Princeton.


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I worked as a summer intern with Keith Rodgers, a researcher in the Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (AOS) department, to study the impacts of climate change on the Pacific Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC). The EUC is of interest because it is a bottleneck where waters from several different origins mix together and flow across the entire Pacific Ocean along the equator. We first conducted 30 simulations of the climate system, encompassing the years 1950 to 2100, using an Earth System Model. Then, I utilized MATLAB to analyze the model outputs and to create visual representations of the changes in the EUC. Through this research opportunity, I developed proficiency in MATLAB and a general understanding of oceanography. I also enjoyed seeing computer science in application, and now I am thinking about pursuing my undergraduate studies in Geosciences. I hope to continue studying the effects of climate change on the oceans and also to consider how scientific breakthroughs dealing with climate change can be readily and accurately presented to the general public.

Young Yi 17Geosciences

Project: Identifying Equatorial Pacific Ocean Upwelling Sources

Organization/Location:Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

Adviser(s):Keith Rodgers, Research Scholar, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences; Robert Key, Research Oceanographer, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences


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Y Bridget Zakrzewski 17Environmental Engineering

Project: Vertical Structure of Ocean Mesoscale Eddies in the Southern Ocean

Organization/Location:Sarmiento Group, Geosciences Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

Adviser(s):Jorge Sarmiento, Professor, Geosciences; Ivy Frenger, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

Though the ocean as a whole is mysterious, the most perplexing region is perhaps the Southern Ocean. The Southern Ocean surrounds Antarctica and is particularly difficult to study due to freezing temperatures, sea ice, and seasonal darkness. The goal of my project was to study whirlpool-like currents in the Southern Ocean called eddies in order to gain a better understanding of the current systems and mixing properties in this region. To study eddies, I modeled previously gathered oceanographic data from Argo floats and AVISO satellites using MATLAB. Once data was collected and modeled, I researched various properties of eddies by reading scientific articles and other academic resources. From my summer experience, I learned more about ocean dynamics and its importance to the sustainability of the global climate. I was also fortunate enough to attend many seminars about current climate, oceanographic, and meteorological research. Because of the positive experience I had during my PEI internship, I have shifted my future study focus from chemical engineering to environmental engineering.


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I spent this summer with the Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation in Ecuador, working with a womens micro-enterprise development project. I spent eight weeks in the tiny community of Camarones helping a small group of women develop their soap-making micro-enterprise. The project provides a source of income for the women, who would otherwise have limited access to any jobs. It also enhances sustainable practices; the women use the seeds of the locally grown pion seeds to make organic, handmade soaps. I performed a range of tasks to facilitate the development of the micro-enterprise. These included working with wood to assemble a drying box for the soaps with basic bicycle mechanics to enhance efficiency of the oil press, making soap and experimenting with various natural additives for coloring and scent, developing a webpage and a business plan for the micro-enterprise, and meeting with clients for the soap. As a result, we helped advance the project to a state at which the operation could generate an income and improve of the livelihood of these women. This internship gave me invaluable insight into how sustainable development can be put into practice, and reaffirmed my interest in studying further and perhaps later working in this field.

Rka Zemplni 16Economics

Project: Womens Micro-Enterprise Development

Organization/Location:Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation, Ecuador

Adviser(s):Paola Durango, Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation


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Y Jennifer Zhao 16Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Project: Finding the Fastest Fish

Organization/Location:Levin Lab, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, Sweden

Adviser(s):Simon Levin; Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; James Watson, Visiting Associate Research Scholar, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

It is widely acknowledged that fishing efforts affect marine populations, though to what extent is less understood. Analyzing the impact of fishing intensity on marine systems can inform policy on redirecting fishing efforts, but first this diversity must be quantified. This summer, I joined a project on the U.S. West Coast, a forefront of marine research. I modeled patterns of fish diversity using government trawl survey data. Trawl surveys use a large net which trails behind the survey vessel to unselectively catch fish in the trawl area, making it independent of environmental and fishing pressures and thus useful to quantify and predict diversity as a function of those factors. To quantify diversity I used the Shannon-Wiener index, an index that represents the entropy of encountering fish at a location of a trawl survey. Exploratory data analysis indicated structural outliers in the Southern California Bight area, with anomalously low diversity warranting further study. This summer, I built on my knowledge of data analysis and coding, and hope to continue the research by producing a model of fish diversity as a function of fishing effort and environmental factors. My summer experience confirmed my desire to continue pursuing EEB.


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Traditional fisheries management policies remain uninformed by an understanding of the social dynamics and connectivities of fishing communities. Fishermen make decisionswhich are affected by their social communities, different norms and economic incentivesto compete or collaborate for resources. These individual decisions play out through communication and information-sharing about fishing locations, and affect fisheries management as a whole. A competitive fishing strategy, for example, has different implications for sustainability than a more collaborative one. Unfortunately, its difficult to precisely measure and characterize these information-sharing behaviors, beyond reviewing anecdotal interview evidence from fishermen. GPS-reported tracks of fishermens movements, however, provide strong signals about fishermens behavior. During this internship, I applied machine learning techniques to the movement data to infer the fishing behavior of the vessels, and worked with an agent-based model of fishermen to investigate how information sharing impacted catch rates. I learned how data mining techniques can be used to inform more sustainable management practices. This work on connecting decision theory to statistical inference from spatiotemporal data has furthered my interest in decision theory in general, connecting my interests in statistics, data science, economics, and the social sciences.

Angela Zhou 16Operations Research & Financial Engineering

Project: Finding the Fastest Fish

Organization/Location:Levin Lab, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, Sweden

Adviser(s):Simon Levin; Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; James Watson, Visiting Associate Research Scholar, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology


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EJ Baik 16Civil and Environmental Engineering

Project: Measuring Methane Leakage from Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells

Organization/Location:Civil and Environmental Engineering Department and Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

Adviser(s):Denise Mauzerall, Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering and Public and International Affairs

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that is contributing to global warming, a fact which underlines the importance of monitoring methane leakage sources around the world. Abandoned oil and gas wells are a significant source of methane that has not been explored before. For this internship, I was responsible for looking at the geologic formations of the abandoned oil and gas wells we measured. Geologic formation provides important background information for abandoned oil and gas wells as it shows what oil or gas fields the wells may be tapping into. This summer, I worked a lot with ArcGIS, a mapping and spatial analysis program. It was a wonderful experience, learning a new programming language as well as learning more of what a research opportunity at a university entails. It was also valuable meeting and talking to people who were working in the field in which I was interested. As a junior, I will be continuing my work throughout this semester as an independent study. Using the geologic information that I obtained, I will be expanding on this topic to explore the effective permeability of the wells that we observed over the summer.

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The focus of my project this summer was to determine the environmental effects that a new solar material, organometal (lead) halide perovskites, could have if it was used commercially. This solar material has seen rapid increases in efficiency, but it is still unstable compared with its counterparts, silicon based solar panels, which are currently in use today. Furthermore, the new material contains lead, which is toxic and could cause serious consequences if released into the environment. This summer I worked in Guyot Hall on campus and leached functional solar cells (with efficiencies of about 8%) with synthetic rainwater. The solar cells were received from a collaborator at the University of Washington, and the formulas for the synthetic rainwaters came from the Environmental Protection Agency and have been used on solar panel waste in the past. I found that large amounts of lead were leached from these solar cells, so my goal in the future is to try to optimize the structure of the solar cell so that we can maximize its efficiency while minimizing its environmental effects. After this incredible opportunity working in the Geosciences Department, I decided to pursue geosciences as my concentration. I plan to continue working with my advisor on this project.

Scott Bechler 17Geosciences

Project: Environmental Behavior of Indium, an Element Critical to Emerging Energy Technologies

Organization/Location:Geosciences Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

Adviser(s):Sarah Jane White, Visiting Associate Research Scholar, Geosciences


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Conleigh Byers 15Civil and Environmental Engineering

Project: International Energy Security

Organization/Location:Bureau of Energy Resources, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC

Adviser(s):Faith Corneille Rios, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Energy Resources, Office of Electricity and Energy Efficiency

I spent the summer in the Energy Transformation Group at the U.S. Department of States Bureau of Energy Resources, which leads government efforts to promote international energy security. My placement was in the Office of Electricity and Energy Efficiency, which works globally to transition power systems to more sustainable fuels and technologies and achieve sustainable and global access to electricity. One of my major projects was researching developmental stages of electricity markets post-liberalization with the goal of identifying best practices to promote grid capacity expansion, reduce system losses, and encourage the entrance of independent generators. I also consulted on the feasibility of hybrid solar-diesel microgrid solutions for U.N. refugee camps, drawing on experience I had gained last summer in Jordan. My internship this summer gave me insight into how a federal agency operates and helped me develop skills in effectively conveying technical knowledge in the policy sphere, which will be critical if I decide to pursue a career in energy policy.


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Joan Cannon 15Geosciences

Project: Studying the Past Carbon Cycle with Fossil-Bound Organic Matter

Organization/Location:Sigman Lab, Geosciences Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

Adviser(s):Daniel Sigman, Professor, Geosciences

My PEI summer internship in the Sigman Lab focused on developing a method for measuring the carbon isotopic ratios of organic matter trapped in planktonic foraminifera fossils from a tropical Atlantic sediment core using a mass spectrometer. Our goals were to better understand the carbon cycle over the past 800,000 years and to investigate how biological and chemical changes in the ocean affected past atmospheric carbon concentrations. Over the summer, I researched and collected a shallow North Atlantic sediment core from the Lamont-Doherty Core Repository and then extracted and sorted the different species of foraminifera fossils from the sediment. I cleaned the extracted foraminifera according to a pre-determined procedure and then prepared the samples for mass spectrometer analysis. I ran the samples in the mass spectrometer and analyzed the resulting carbon isotope ratios. I learned all the hands-on skills of how to process sediment core samples from beginning to end: obtaining a core, picking out the desired fossil species, cleaning and prepping the samples, analyzing them in a mass spectrometer, and interpreting the results. This internship has encouraged me to continue doing research on this topic for my senior thesis and to possibly pursue graduate studies in this field.


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Elliot Chang 16Environmental Engineering

Project: Use of Alginate and Chitosan to Purify Leaf Distillates of Organic Contaminants

Organization/Location:Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

Adviser(s):Kelly Caylor, Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering; Stephen Pacala, Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Adam Wolf, Associate Research Scholar

The goal of my Smith-Newton Research Project this summer was to purify tree distillates of organic contaminants using algae and chitosan hydrogel beads. The current standard of using activated charcoal as a purifying agent is not sufficient. My solution to this, a new bio-sorption technique using algae and chitosan to purify these tree distillates of organic contaminants, looks to be promising in allowing for more accurate study of water isotopes, and allows for a deeper study of water transportation amongst competing trees. This summer, I increased my familiarity with cryogenic vacuum distillations, and learned how to use Picarro Incorporateds Isotope Ratio Infrared Spectrometer, giving me the necessary skill sets to analyze and understand water isotopes. This research project will be used to inform my senior thesis. I look forward to continuing my work with mentor, Adam Wolf, and civil and environmental engineering professor Kelly Caylor, in understanding the effects of organic contamination on measuring isotopic signatures of water.


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Emily Chen 17Geological Engineering

Project: Whats Going on with Antarctic Sea Ice? Insight from Climate Models

Organization/Location:Sarmiento Group, Geosciences Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

Adviser(s):Jorge Sarmiento, Professor, Geosciences; Carolina Dufour, Post Doctoral Research Associate; Adele Morrison, Post Doctoral Research Associate

In contrast to the Arctic sea ice, which has been decreasing, the Antarctic sea ice has been growing at a small but significant rate in the past decades. My PEI summer internship aimed to understand the mechanisms that are driving the sea ice growth around Antarctica. To analyze the trend and test possible contributors, I worked with several different climate models, primary from the Geophysical Fluid Dynamic Laboratory, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) lab in Princeton, NJ. My analysis determined that the primary driving mechanisms of the Antarctic sea ice trend were natural variability and indicated convectionthe transport of cold water down and the transport of warmer water to the surface. From this internship, I not only learned how to code in Python (a programming language), but I also gained a general understanding of the climate, oceans, and atmosphere through the many seminars, journal club meetings, and weekly read-throughs of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports. This experience has shaped my future academic study, as I plan to major in geological engineering, which is sponsored by both the Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Geosciences departments.


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Tiffany Cheung 15Geosciences

Project: Multimedia Science Communication on the Southern Ocean Role in the Climate System

Organization/Location:Climate Central, Princeton, NJ

Adviser(s):Jorge Sarmiento, Professor, Geosciences; Heidi Cullen, Climate Central

As a multimedia communications intern at Climate Central, a non-partisan climate research and journalism organization, I worked on a number of projects supporting the organizations research and media outreach programs. One such project was to develop an online portal for Professor Jorge Sarmientos Southern Ocean Project, Unlocking the Mysteries of the Southern Ocean, using a storyboard layout. This portal will engage the public about the importance of the Southern Ocean, while furthering interest in its related current scientific research. I also researched various media sources to evaluate public perception of the role of climate change in extreme weather events, such as the 2013 Australia Heat Wave, as part of Climate Centrals new World Weather Attribution project. Furthermore, I examined media coverage of the organizations work on a daily basis, coverage which ranged from weather broadcasts in local television markets to climate research reports published in national outlets. From my internship experience, I learned the importance of science communication, particularly in furthering public awareness of todays climate research. I will continue my work at Climate Central as a media analyst during the school year, tracking media coverage, aiding with press releases, and monitoring the progress of Climate Centrals Climate Matters program with local broadcast meteorologists.


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Carol Chiu 16Chemical and Biological Engineering

Project: Global Change and Primary Production in Polar Waters

Organization/Location:Morel Research Group, Geosciences Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

Adviser(s):Franois Morel, Professor, Geosciences

For my PEI internship this summer, I focused on two projects in the Geosciences Department. My first project was to study nitrogen fixation occurring in microbial samples taken from Sippewissett Marsh in Massachusetts and the Everglades in Florida. I measured the N2 fixation rate in these samples using the acetylene reduction assay (ARA). My second project was to isolate and identify a siderophore or Fe-binding complex produced by the purple nonsulfur bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris under Fe-deplete conditions. Throughout this project, I obtained a diversity of skills such as cell culturing and harvesting, cell counting, protein and pigment extraction, microscopy, using the GC-FID, using the spectrophotometer, and performing the CAS Assay and BCA Protein Assay. Nonetheless, I believe that the most important skill I obtained as a result of this internship is the ability to troubleshoot equipment and interpret experimental data. My wonderful experience doing research in the Geosciences Department this summer has encouraged me to continue doing research with R. palustris during the academic year. Currently, I am studying the potential of the bacterium as a source of biofuel for my junior independent work.


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Bristee Das 16Chemical and Biological Engineering

Project: Crystallization of Perylene Diimides for Organic Field-Effect Transistors

Organization/Location:Loo Organic and Polymer Electronics Laboratory, Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

Adviser(s):Lynn Loo, Professor, Engineering and Chemical and Biological Engineering

This summer, I worked on a research project optimizing the performance of organic field effect transistors (OFETs). The field effect transistor is a major component of modern electronics and circuitry. In particular, the OFET is a type of field effect transistor made up of a polymer or organic small molecule. Interest in OFETs within the energy and scientific communities has piqued over the last few decades due to their low cost, easy processability, and potential for a variety of applications, such as large-scale displays. Throughout the summer, I investigated various methods to control and direct the crystallization process within the channel region of the transistors, which is important since controlling crystallization can help optimize the electrical output and conductivity of the transistor and thus lead to high performance. By the end of the summer, I gained skills relevant to the fabrication of OFETs, was able to extend materials science concepts I had learned in the classroom, and learned the importance of making the best of both every failure and success. My summer research helped cement my passion for and interest in materials engineering in the energy sector, and I am excited for what the future has in store.


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Allen Fang 17Math

Project: Effects of Insect Attacks on Forest Carbon Sinks

Organization/Location:Medvigy Research Group, Geosciences Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

Adviser(s):David Medvigy, Professor, Geosciences

As a research assistant studying the New Jersey Pine Barrens, I used and modified the Ecosystem Demography 2 model to analyze how periodic gypsy moth defoliation affects the ability of the Pine Barrens to act as a carbon sink. The New Jersey Pine Barrens is a unique environment where pines and oaks are the dominant tree species. In an undisturbed environment, oaks thrive better than pines. However, the gypsy moth periodically defoliates the Pine Barrens, with a heavy preference for oak over pine trees. This causes changes in forest composition and growth, as well as alterations in the nitrogen, carbon, and water cycles. Using the Ecosystem Demography 2 model, I looked at the relationship between ecosystem heterogeneity and the effects of the gypsy moth defoliation. I gained insight into how to design and build models, as well as how to debug and organize code. This internship helped me realize how interested I am in applied math, and the many ways in which math can be utilized in the sciences.


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Jesse Goodman 17Computer Science

Project: Encapsulating Phase-Change Materials in Nanoparticles via Layer-by-Layer Assembly

Organization/Location:McAlpine Lab, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

Adviser(s):Michael McAlpine, Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Protein-loaded microspheres have recently gained influence through promising applications such as drug delivery and tissue engineering. However, it has always been challenging to control the release rate of the loaded protein(s). This summer, I worked to understand how certain fabrication parameters affect the release profiles of these microspheres. My project focused on monitoring the release of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) from PLGA microspheres manufactured via the double emulsion solvent evaporation method. After tweaking certain parameters in the fabrication process, I could then monitor how these changes affected the release of HRP over a 24-hour time period. Through collaboration with another research group in the Operations Research and Financial Engineering (ORFE) department, mathematical models describing the parameters versus protein release relationship were developed and used to target specific protein release profiles. Such optimization techniques were necessary, as each release profile experiment proved to be tedious and time-consuming. While this internship did not alter my choice of concentration, computer science, it did provide me with the invaluable experience of playing a major role in a professional research project.


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Abby Grosskopf 17Chemical and Biological Engineering

Project: Crystallization in Constrained Channels

Organization/Location:Loo Organic and Polymer Electronics Laboratory, Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

Adviser(s):Lynn Loo, Professor, Engineering and Chemical and Biological Engineering

My internship with the Loo Group exposed me to the world of materials science and organic electronics. This summer I worked with Triethylsilylethynyl anthradithiophene (TES ADT), a solution-processable organic semiconductor. Thin films of TES ADT spherulites, a type of crystal, have lots of exciting applications such as solar cells, and organic thin film transistors. My task was to develop and refine methods for growing TES ADT in narrow channels. By understanding more about the growth of TES ADT in channels, we hope to pattern electronics in more elaborate and efficient ways to create new devices and save energy. Recently collaborators in Mikko Haatajas group in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) department developed a computational model of TES ADT growth and theorized that below a critical channel width, the crystallization process becomes arrested by physical forces. In order to verify these results experimentally, I used patterning techniques to fabricate constrained channels and observe the crystallization behavior of TES ADT. I learned new lab techniques, data analysis skills, and the fundamentals of day-to-day laboratory research. I have a new perspective on the vast amount of applications of chemical engineering in scientific research, and hope to use what I learned this summer in future independent work.


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Stacey Huang 16Electrical Engineering

Project: Environmental Trace Gas Monitoring

Organization/Location:Clausthal University of Technology, Germany

Adviser(s):Michael Khring, Technical University of Clausthal

There is a continuing need for sensitive and durable gas sensors for use in fields such as environmental monitoring and regulation of emissions. Quartz-Enhanced Photoacoustic Spectroscopy (QEPAS) is a flexible technique that takes advantage of a quartz tuning fork to sense pressure changes induced by modulated laser light in a gas sample. This technique offers many advantages over traditional spectroscopy techniques and is an attractive choice for countless applications. This summer, I worked at Clausthal University of Technology to examine and further develop existing QEPAS technologies being built up for various industry applications in gas sensing. I was able to work with both optical and electrical components, running calibration tests on a laser used for methane sensing, testing optimal LEDs for an ozone detection system, and finally constructing as well as optimizing existing circuitry to be integrated in a system for measuring nitric oxide. By working alongside a myriad of researchers, I was able to begin developing an effective approach toward problem-solving and working efficiently. I was able to gain both valuable first-hand as well as theoretical knowledge, and I look forward to continuing down the road in the field of electronics and laser spectroscopy.


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Elijah Kolmes 15Physics

Project: Innovative Fusion Confinement Concepts

Organization/Location:Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ

Adviser(s):Samuel Cohen, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

The primary goal of my internship at PPPL was to study fast ion slowing-down rates in a background plasma. I used software called LSP to simulate fast ions slowing down under the conditions that might be found in a field-reversed configuration (FRC) device. FRCs are a potential alternative to the mainline approach to magnetic confinement, with a couple of significant advantages. Fast ion slowing-down is important to the performance of these devices. I measured the dependence of the slowing-down rate on a number of factors, including the charge of the fast ions and the density of the plasma. I also investigated a couple of different properties of the simulation software itself. In particular, LSP simplifies physical systems by clumping together individual particles into macroparticles, and I studied the implications that this had for our results. During this summer, I learned a great deal about computational plasma physics, and about scientific research in general. This project has reinforced my interest in pursuing physics research in the future.


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Nicholas Lavrov 15Chemical and Biological Engineering

Project: Photochemistry at Hematite (Fe2O3) Surfaces for Production of Renewable Hydrogen

Organization/Location:Koel Lab, Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

Adviser(s):Bruce Koel, Professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering

With the increasing costs of fossil fuels and the continual introduction of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, providing clean, renewable energy has become an intense area of research. One alternative fuel source is hydrogen gas obtained from water splitting. In order for hydrogen fuel to become a viable fuel source, however, efficient means of water splitting must be developed. This summer, I worked in a lab with the goal of creating a catalyst that would lower the voltage required to split water, making it more economically feasible. I explored the use of plasma treatment to alte

Documents

Interns Booklet 2014