Note: UCF’s Student Research Council advises the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) on programming and other efforts. Over the next few week, council members and other outstanding undergraduate researchers will be telling their stories about how they got into research and how it has benefited them.
My name is Nicole Clark and I am a Senior majoring in Biomedical Sciences. Research has very much changed my life since completing the F.-L.E.A.R.N. program during my first year.
Research has changed what I wanted to do with my career as well as open a lot of doors to many great opportunities during my years at UCF.
~Nicole Clark, Biomedical Sciences Major
Starting out, I wanted to go to medical school. After spending time in Dr. Santra’s research lab and working on projects having to do with nanoscience, I realized I had a passion for nanoparticles and the medical applications that could be explored with nanoscience. Now, I hope to pursue a PhD in chemistry and work on ways that nanoparticles could be used for pharmaceutical purposes. Currently, I am a part of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program, and I am working on a joint undergraduate project with another undergraduate student in the lab. Last fall, I became a peer mentor for the Office of Undergraduate Research where I help other undergraduates get into research positions. This has been such a rewarding experience and I would recommend anyone interest in getting started in undergraduate research to meet with a peer mentor. Being in undergraduate research has also given me the opportunity to be a part of the Student Undergraduate Research Council where I get to help develop and spread undergraduate research throughout UCF. Ultimately, I am so grateful to be in undergraduate research and I am so thankful for the ways it has changed me and for all of the opportunities that it has given me. I recommend for all students to look into being a part of the research community here at UCF.