Student Researcher
We are so happy to have Joab in the Biological & Nanoscale Technologies Division. A 4th year Ph.D. candidate at Binghamton University in Biomedical Engineering with a specialization in wearable biosensors and bioelectronics, he's also Haitian-American. When he is not working in the lab, he occasionally likes to paint, explore nature, and visit different restaurants.
My goal after I finish my Ph.D. is to be a part of a government research facility in a leadership position conducting research in polymer and material science. Being a part of this internship helps me better understand potential futures in this field.
During my 3rd year of my Ph.D., my university held a research exposition contest for all student researchers to share their research through oral and poster presentations. I presented an oral presentation and was awarded first place as a graduate student oral presenter for my research in stretchable paper-based bioelectronics.
The best advice I received was during my last internship at the US Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory; this time in my academic career is the best time to apply myself to as many spaces I can. This has helped me acquire skillsets and experiences that I wouldn’t think I needed but ended up helping me as I got into my doctoral degree.
Working closely with my PI during my time in the internship, Christopher Tabor, I have gained much insight into the tasks and objectives performed at this level in a government facility like the Air Force Research Laboratory. I have also enjoyed learned a lot about the science behind liquid metals and their uses in developing bioelectronic devices, as this will be valuable as I finish my doctoral degree.
During my undergraduate degree I was able to be at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York where I found my passion in for research in government facilities. Now pursuing a graduate degree, and knowing that working in government would be an ongoing passion of mine, I wanted to explore internship opportunities that would help me acquire the skills and resources to prepare me. That is when my university PI pointed me in the direction of the NBMC internship with UES, which allowed me to conduct work at the Air Force Research Laboratory.
My advice would be it doesn’t matter if you are in high school or in graduate school, acquiring any skill you can, will make a difference as it will help you apply yourself to many different areas in the field. The key is to make yourself as applicable as possible.
Check out the many positions posted at The UES Careers Page.