Analyzing data is perhaps one of the most important aspect in the STEM fields. This week I was able to fully experience the process of analyzing data, thus giving me an understanding of data collection and interpretation.

At the start of this week Dr. Bi assigned me to measure methylene blue (MB) degradation from different types of titanium dioxide (TiO2). The data that was produced from this experiment was very intriguing and helped me realize the importance of reproducible outcomes. The amount of time researchers spend on analyzing and interpreting data without computer assistance amazed me as well as for it took me a long time to complete this process.

By the end of this week I had to present all of the information that I had discovered. This was a very unique experience for me to meet with parts of my group. I was able to discuss information about different parts of our overall project and goal for the research we were conducting. Constructive criticism was given out to help better my presentation and knowledge of MB, TiO2, and photocatalysis in general. For this upcoming week I plan on creating a MatLab program to help me analyze all of the data I receive so I can spend more time of experimenting with new photocatalyst.

I am starting to figure out how I can balance my research and individuals back from home. Today was Father’s day and my little four year old sister’s piano recital. I experienced a bittersweet moment when I Skyped my Dad and saw my little sister play the piano. I am really proud of my sister playing in front of a really big audience without playing the wrong key or song. Hopefully this week will be a lot better with cooler temperatures, the high for today and this week was 120 degrees.