DAY 1

Legos, Marketing and Campers, Oh My!

During the first day of my Work Experience Program, I was introduced to the Cra – Z – Brain environment, as well as the campers. Cra – Z – Brain focuses on the importance of early childhood education, and also acts as a track out camp for elementary school children The average camper age falls in the range of kindergartners to rising sixth graders. The first half of the camp day was geared towards working with the students and inspiring creativity, as well as getting to know the kids. We played with Legos, which sounds really arbitrary until you realize what is actually happening during this activity. Kids are given the opportunity to create freely, with no restrictions. This allows them to work in areas they are passionate about. One of the students I worked with was very excited about cars, so he designed a Lego car with the fastest speed and most stable weight distribution possible. Another child designed a house, and specifically color coordinated each room to match the purpose of the room. While these activities may seem like pointless time fillers, they let kids experience what it is like to be an engineer or an interior design artist. After spending time with the kids, I discussed advertising and the inner workings of the business with Mr. Rothrock. During this time I also created an outline of what I wish to accomplish in the upcoming weeks. I plan to spend the morning camp working on advertisement and marketing, and work with students in the afternoon. From this structure of internship, I will glean information about both business and education. After lunch, I led a camp session independently to help the kids get used to my presence in the business. Most of the revenue comes from returning members, so it was strange for the kids to see a new face on “campus”. I’m very excited to continue tomorrow, as I had a wonderful first day!

Working with a student to create a stop motion lego video, as she likes creating videos at home with her older sister.

Mr. Rothrock and I at the RTP Cra – Z – Brain location.

Day 1 – Creating Bone Adhesive Samples

This afternoon, I began my Work Experience Program at Dr. Ken Gall’s lab in the Chesterfield at downtown Durham (a Duke labspace). After receiving a short tour of the lab space from a friendly student, I met with the supervisor Dr. Kirillova and Olivia, one of the undergraduate students working in the lab, and we discussed the specific project they are currently working on. Dr. Kirillova is working with another startup, Launchpad Medical LLC, to create a bioresorbable bone adhesive that can ideally be used efficiently and effectively with future medical patients that require bone treatment. To my surprise, the creation of such mineral-organic bone adhesive was inspired by the sandcastle worm, an animal that secretes unique fluids that has the power to “glue sand together.” I learned today that the bone adhesive used in the lab is formally known as “tetranite,” a powder made up of tetracalcium phosphate (Ca4O(PO4)2) and O-phospho-L-serine. The adhesive is unique in that its initial powder form turns gooey immediately after contacting water and eventually solidifies into a solid. In theory, the adhesive may be applied in between two broken bones and solidify quickly to hold the bones together. The substance’s strength and porosity can be adjusted based on the porosity of the bone marrow being treated. For example, a cortical bone requires a “uniform layer of adhesive” because it is less porous and a cancellous bone will host an “irregular adhesive that penetrates into pores” due to its higher porosity. Additionally, the bone adhesive is biodegradable, so in theory, the adhesive will extinguish itself overtime within the bone and new bone marrow will form to fully heal the broken bone. In fact, previously conducted research on a rabbit revealed that 75% of original bone tissue reformed in just one year after it was originally broken, using the bone adhesive to mend the broken bones back together.

As I mentioned earlier, the bone adhesive can be modified for different strengths and porosity using “fillers.” (Usually, higher porosity will decrease the strength of the adhesive, so finding the right balance for different applications is crucial to the use of these adhesives). The three main fillers I learned about were NaCl, fibers, and powdered titanium, which we tested today in the lab for the first time! Generally, adhesives with added NaCl demonstrate higher porosity and that with added fibers yields higher strength; the titanium has yet to provide conclusions. Today, I learned how the samples of bone adhesives with added fillers are made in the lab prior to being tested for strength and porosity. Olivia prepared samples with added titanium powder, and I had to exciting opportunity to prepare samples with added NaCl.

The process by which the sample is made is quite interesting. I was provided with the luxury of using a pre-made mixture of tetranite and NaCl, but in theory I would have first calculated the right amounts of each separate powder and mixed them together. After massing out the correct amount of the combined powder into a small mixing apparatus, I ensured that the powders were mixed homogeneously to create the most accurate sample. I then pipetted 405 microliters of deionized water into the mixer and quickly mixed the water in before the bone adhesive started to solidify. The immediate reaction between the powder and the water really surprised me at first! To create a sample of a specific shape and size, I put the new gooey substance into a syringe and excreted it into a small cylindrical mold, scraping off the top edges for excess material in order to ensure a smooth sample. The substance fully solidified after about 15 minutes, and I used a drill bit to pop it out of the mold and put it in a phosphate buffered saline. This vial was placed in a warm water bath at 37*C (close to body temperature), and we plan to polish the samples after they sit in the water for another 48 hours. The solid samples will be strength tested in order to predict their strength performance in real-world applications, like when inside patients’ bones.

I am happy to say that my first day at the Chesterfield lab was an exciting and rewarding one. I was delighted to be given the wonderful opportunity to actually create some samples myself! At first, I was a bit apprehensive of my abilities to create a sample that would match the quality of the ones Olivia made. Yet, after about three tries, I can confidently say that I made a sample that was much better than what I had expected. After spending less than four hours in the lab today, I left feeling that I had accomplished something substantial and learned about a project that truly intrigued me. Overall, the state-of-the-art lab equipment in Suite 420 was more impressive than anything I have ever laid my eyes on, and I cannot wait for another day of learning at the lab tomorrow!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Day 1 – Introduction to Aerodynamics

Arriving on NC State’s Centennial campus, I was warmly greeted by Dr. G and two Ph.D. students. They gave me an introduction to aerodynamics and showed me their current research projects: understanding, formulating, and calculating equations that fully represent the motions and aerodynamics of a bug’s wing during flight.
As an introduction to aerodynamics, I learned about Reynold’s number, leading-edge vortex, CFDs, and more. The Reynold’s number is essential in computing the aerodynamics of an object, accounting for four variables: size, viscosity, velocity, and density. When Reynold’s number stays constant, the aerodynamics of the object stays constant. The leading edge vortex is created when an airfoil is angled in a way that does not allow fluid to pass over it smoothly. Other vortices can form and detach at the tail-end of the airfoil. Below is an image displaying the change in vortices due to the change in airfoil angle. CFDs, also known as computational fluid dynamics, accurately and colorfully shows how fluid would pass over an object.

Figure #1. The Forming of Vortices in Relation to Airfoil Angle.

Day 1 – Learning The Office and Design Meetings

Design Plans of Student Union for Local Community College

My first day in the big city! My morning definitely started off different then most as I am not used to commuting or city driving for that matter. I made it all in one piece though, and was able to find my WEP company, LS3P Associates, in the daunting, massive BB&T building. My initial nerves went away when Ms. Peele, the Executive VP of Practice of the company, welcomed me in. In fact, all the staff were extremely friendly and welcoming, as well as the four new college interns. My morning consisted of learning more about the company and what they do, and actually sitting in a meeting about the exterior design choices of a new elementary school project in Raleigh. I was encouraged to participate if I so desired, but I mostly just listened trying to keep up with all the new vocabulary and concepts they tossed around. From this point I was treated out to lunch with the interns and some of the staff where I got a Chicken and Waffles Sandwich… Yum! I got to shadow two different people in the afternoon, learning about how subtleties in architecture can transform how welcoming a building is. I also learned about the harsh truth of architecture: the constant battle with budget. Often the architects on the project have to make compromises from their initial vision to fit into the budget restrictions of a client. This was not entirely a negative thing though, as it creates fun problem solving situations and can lead to interesting design choices that were possibly overlooked without the restrictions. Lastly, I was invited into another meeting about the interior design elements of a local community college student union. I was amazed by the staff’s ability to look at the two dimensional drawing (see Image), and picture the three dimensional structure. I loved how in both meetings everyone throws around ideas and jump off each others to come up with awesome concepts. My first day was a blast, and I can’t wait for the coming days!

Day 1: A Busy Day

My experience with the Fuquay-Varina Pediatrics office didn’t start on May 29th, but instead in the weeks leading up to it in which I completed close to two hours of HIPPA training. Of course, I passed with streaming colors, all 100s after my third and fourth attempts at the test, but I am incredibly educated in the Health Insurance Portability Act. This specifically surrounded around information that I could and could not know and share, specifically with personal patient information. After handing my two certificates in this morning to the clinical manager, we were off to the races with a number of costumers lining up for the walk-in clinic appointments starting at 8 am. Of course, with already close to 14 people signed up for these morning appointments (8-10), Dr. Dupuy could not accomplish this on his own. Instead, a physicians assistant student from Campbell was there to assist, Morgan. We all entered each room to be faced with a different kid with a different problem, whether a viral infection, a simple wellness check, developmental problems, or bacterial infections. I was immediately blown away with the sophistication and importance of Dr. Dupuy social attitude, whether tickling the toddlers that were crying or comforting a new mother. Although it was the cause of us getting behind schedule, Dr. Dupuy didn’t hesitate to be incredibly thorough with each patient, not only supplying patients with medication, but really helping them understand why each pill was going to be used for their child. As one mother quoted “I learned more from you in these thirty minutes than I have in our five months at Duke hospital”. With this particular five month old premature baby post open heart surgery, Dr. Dupuy took exceptional patience to answer each of the mothers questions with incredible truthfulness while providing a blanket of comfort. His patience, thoughtfulness, and true care for each patient was very memorable. Yet, this attitude shown because he was really passionate about each of his patients and what he did. I asked him why he choose pediatrics specifically and he responded with “I couldn’t resist these kiddos”. He cares about the welling of each of his patients and that shows through his work and care with the thirty costumers we saw today.

Most of his patients were toddlers or newborns, and only a few ranged into the adolescent or teen ages. However, one of the most memorable cases that we looked at today was with a middle schooler who had second degree sun burns. His skin had huge blisters filled with yellow pus, and his skin was completely red. Morgan, the physicians assistant, took charge with his two year background in dermatology, and we brainstormed how to bandage the wounds without using adhesive tape. Another memorable case was a kid who came in with an incredible itchy and painful rash, which happened to be hot tub folliculitis. Morgan educated Dr. Dupuy and I on this disease caused by hot tubs, and I eventually decided that I will never go into a hot tub again.

With a very busy day, and numerous patients to see, I was always entertained and always learning something new. Of course we saw many different diseases and problems in kids but I was able to observe the preparation of a strep sample, a hemoglobin test, a vaccine shot, and I was even able to listen to a baby’s heart. I learned so much today, and am so excited for these next few days!

Image result for fuquay varina pediatrics

The office

5/29/18 – Calculating Girth

Today we worked on familiarizing ourselves with exactly what we were going to be doing. My current job is to determine how to calculate girth given a person’s BMI so that we can fill in missing data. I was given a research paper to assist in determining what is required to calculate a person’s girth. Currently, I have identified that a person’s sex, ethnicity, BMI, and age have an effect on the waist circumference; however, it appears as though my numbers are consistently higher than the actual values, potentially indicating that APOE-e4 has some kind of effect on a person’s girth, making it smaller than the normal person. More values need to be tested to make a more conclusive decision.

Due to privacy rights, I don’t have anything that I am legally able to share at the moment in terms of images because we have been working, for the most part, solely with data from real humans.

Day 1 – Getting Used to Things

To be honest, going into my work experience I was uncertain about whether or not I agreed with the practice of lobbying. Like many others, in my mind the practice of lobbying consisted of secret meetings involving large sums of money being transferred to achieve a desired ends. After the first hour or so I realized that lobbying revolves so much more around the actual relationships created between lobbyist and representative.

My day began as I entered the Legislative Building at 9:15 A.M. where I met with Ms. Laura Devivo and Ms. Angel Sams of Devivo and Sams Policy Partners. Soon I found myself following these two to the office of Senator Ralph Hise. The focus of this trip and, as I found out, the entire day was on establishing hospitals in areas where constituents found themselves far away from adequate medical treatment. As explained to me current legislation greatly impedes these areas from effectively presenting a demonstrated need for such hospitals, and our goal was to add a provision in some sort of bill which would counteract and nullify such legislation. Senator Hise was not at his office so we sat in on joint committee targeted at adjusting the NC budget in expectation that he would also be there. He did show up and I was able to watch as Ms. Devivo and Ms. Sams took him off to the side to have a quick conversation with him explaining the need to have the hospital provision in some sort of legislation. These short conversations soon became a motif of my early lobbying experience. Throughout the day we would meet with other representatives such as Representatives Josh Dobson and Justin Burr to have these quick meetings regarding the hospital issue.

However, as I also learned, representatives and senators tend to be very tied up at the legislature building in various meetings and other commitments, so often times a lobbyist has to spend his or her time waiting for these legislators in order to have a brief, sometimes very brief, conversation. This naturally results in downtime when waiting for legislators. Often we spent this time talking with the staff of legislators, other unaffiliated legislators, or even other lobbyists. Today we spent a bit of time talking to Justin Burr’s secretary while waiting for him and at lunch we had a very fascinating conversation with Senator Jerry Tillman.

What a day! Ms. Devivo and Ms. Sams promised me that today was a rather ‘slow’ day for business but I still found their work so intriguing. I can’t wait for what’s to come!

Day 1- Introduction and Information!

Today was quite the research-heavy day. This week we are at the Entigral office, a software company. The company created a software called Cartrax that puts a tag on vehicles to allow a more swift process when buying a car. This software is then used to collect data. They sell this software to car dealerships. Jonathon and I arrived at the office about 9:30 and met with Mr. Self. We began the day with a brief meeting regarding the logistics of the company. The company created a software product that has the ability to tag things and track them. This week specifically we will be working with Cartrax. As you can see in one of the pictures, we were told about the majority of the products that the company has been successful with. After this, we were tasked to create a spreadsheet of all the car dealerships in the area and where to reach them, as you can see in the other photo. We created this spreadsheet to aid us in our phone calls to the actual car dealership tomorrow to try and sell the product.

Today I went to Mr. Walker’s house where he works from. He gave us an introduction into what sort of data we were going to be looking at and analyzing. Over the next two weeks we will be analyzing a bunch of data and determining the correlation it has to Alzheimer’s and its progression. Our goal is to determine what factors put someone more at risk for Alzheimer and preventative non-drug options. Today I started analyzing this data and calculating means and standard deviations to start plotting data for determining connections between certain traits. I do not have any photographs as the stuff we work with is mostly confidential. Tomorrow I will continue studying the data and looking for connections.

Day 1 – The North Carolina Symphony

To say I was nervous for this day is an understatement, I hardly got any sleep last night. But I am very excited to say that my first day interning at the NC Symphony went very well. Maria Ewing, my supervisor for my time with the symphony, first took me on a tour of the office, introducing me to the other employees and familiarizing me with the other departments.

I am working as part of the Marketing and Audience Analytics Department. The Marketing Department, not only comprised of the Box Office (where most ticket sales are made), but also a team of people finding many different ways to get the various events scheduled and publicized.

The NC Symphony is also made up of the Philanthropy department which overseas donations and sponsorships. The Artistic department which works closely with the orchestra on creating the wonderful performances that the organization holds. And the Financial department which keeps everyone on track and within budgets.

My first day consisted of many hours of tech problems, getting to know my knew cubical buddy (and other supervisor, Kim Little) and spreadsheets analyzing past ticket sales and how they can be utilized for projecting this coming season’s revenues.

Needless to say, I have learned so much in my first day alone and I am very excited to continue gaining knowledge from this experience.

P.S. Everyone should check out the upcoming Summer Fest events being held a Koka Booth! Gonna be a blast and you’ll get to see me in action!!