RJ Vogler's REU Experience (Summer 2018)

During week 4, I got to perform some new experiments in the lab and enjoy a lunch with others in the program. One major experiment that I got to do in lab was the addition of polyacrylic acid (PAA) to a manufactured polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane, which if done correctly, allows the pores of the membrane to change size depending on the pH of the inlet solution and the membrane. Therefore, the amount of fluid that can flow through these membranes depends on pH. I attempted to observe this behavior by performing filtrations using the setup below and recording how long it took for a certain amount of fluid to pass through the membrane at different pHs. According to theory, the flow rate should go down as the pH increases. While I was able to observe this behavior when going from a pH of 4 to 5.5, the opposite occurred when I increased the pH from 5.5 to 9. Therefore, I will spend some time next week redoing this experiment with a different sample to see if I can ob...

Week 3 of the REU program was interesting as it involved a variety of experiences. I started off the week by attending the annual conference for the North American Membrane Society (NAMS). Also, I got to present an overview of my project to my fellow REU students towards the middle of the week and worked in the lab during the end of the week. The NAMS conference was an awesome experience. I was exposed to different applications of membranes by great scientists in the field that I am researching. One of my favorites was a membrane with enzymes on it that converted lignin, a common compound in plants, into something more valuable. Also, I was able to attend multiple presentations conducted by my lab-mates and see some of their posters to find out more about what they have been working on. Aside from presentations, NAMS included some social events, including a reception, a lunch, and a banquet. At these events, I had the opportunity to meet some students from other schools. Furthermore,...

Week two of the REU program consisted primarily of further defining my goals with others' assistance, learning how to do some different types of experiments, and attending the beginning of the annual conference for the North American Membrane Society (NAMS). After talking with my lab mentors and faculty advisors, who were a great help in the goal setting process, I learned that the project that I will work on will involve making membranes from cellulose that are capable of breaking down organic compounds and performing water separations. Also, I learned that I will compare these membranes to others made from polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) that have the same purpose. In lab this week, I learned how to carry out a few different types of experiments. One of these was the measurement of DI water flux, which is the outlet volume flow rate per area of membrane when a deionized water inlet is used; the other was the determination of selectivity, which involves finding out the percen...

My first week as an REU student was action packed and interesting! Lots of this week's activities involved getting to know my fellow students. This week, I got to spend time with them at Mellow Mushroom (a pizza place) and during meetings throughout the week. Furthermore, I feel that I was able to get to know them better during our trip to the Life Adventure Center on Friday (6/1/18). During this event, we took part in many fun team-building activities. Also, during lunch and the car rides there and back, I had some down time to talk with them about sports and what it is like where we live and go to college. Aside from getting to meet my fellow REU participants, I got to meet some of my research advisors, lab mentors, and other members of the lab that I am working in. All of these people were friendly, encouraging, and receptive to any questions that I had. The time I spent in the lab this week either involved observing others to learn about different procedures or receiving t...