Princeton Correspondents on Undergraduate Research

The Beauty of Mentorship

Posted on April 23, 2025April 21, 2025 by Haya Elamir

the purpose is to represent the main idea of the post: mentorship — *A mentor guiding two students on a startup project*. *Photo Credit: Danielle Alio.*

I think mentorship can be highly overlooked in the undergraduate community. This is mostly because we feel that professors and Ph.D. students can be so far in their own fields, and so we’re just intruding in on their time. They’re so impressive that it is almost intimidating. However, in hindsight, you start to realize how important their mentorship becomes in your life. I think a lot of undergraduates value mentorship in the sense that they’re being given an opportunity in the current moment to do research or work on a project. This is the perspective I had on mentorship when I entered research. Luckily, for me, mentorship turned out to be so much more; it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

Cracking Cold Emails: Reaching Out to Professors in a Way that Works

Posted on April 21, 2025April 11, 2025 by Angel Toasakul

Screenshot of the Princeton Computational Memory Lab that shows the main faculty, staff, and post-docs in the group. — *“People” page of Princeton Computational Memory Lab*

Cold-emailing a professor can feel like yelling into the void. You’ve pinpointed your field of interest, done the research on the lab and professor you want to work with, and yet—there’s so much uncertainty. You don’t know what the response will be, or if you’ll even get one at all. You don’t know if the void will yell back, or if your voice will simply disappear.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t maximize your chances. After crafting and sending a few emails, I started to see what actually makes a difference—and it’s not just about hitting “send.”

Paying it Forward: A Faculty Perspective on Mentorship in Research

Posted on April 18, 2025April 15, 2025 by Shannon Yeow

David Walker is a Professor of Computer Science at Princeton University whose research focuses on programming languages, formal methods, and computer systems. Known for his commitment to advancing both theoretical and practical understanding in the field, Professor Walker also plays a central role in mentoring students.

As someone who completed my junior independent work under Professor Walker’s guidance last semester, I’ve had the chance to witness his thoughtful mentorship firsthand. In a research culture where both the technical challenge and emotional uncertainty can feel overwhelming, I’ve come to appreciate how crucial the human side of research is—how we learn from and grow with those who guide us. With that in mind, I sat down with Professor Walker to explore how he thinks about mentorship: what it looks like, why it matters, and how he helps students, like me, find their footing in the world of research.

The Importance of Humanities and Social Science Classes: In which a STEM major reflects

Posted on April 16, 2025April 15, 2025 by Haya Elamir

Exterior of Frick Chemistry Laboratory — *Frick Chemistry Laboratory. Photo Credit: Iris Rubinstein.*

A lot of my previous posts are mostly concentrated on research and science, and that’s because those are the things I love. However, taking a psychology class this semester that had a more social sciences approach made me think about my story in STEM. In particular, a part of the lecture that stuck with me was the “stereotype threat”. The stereotype threat is the fear of proving a stereotype right. I’m not good at math, and I’ve always thought that would just be the way life goes, but last year, I took MAT103, and I did quite well (it’s one of the easier math classes of course, but the bar is low for me). In fact, it was my easiest class. This really changed my perspective on my math skills. When I reflected on my experience with math, I realized that this mindset I have about it was cultivated by my gender.

“The Luckiest Man in the World”: An Interview with Professor Robert P. George

Posted on April 14, 2025April 10, 2025 by Ignacio Arias Philippi

Professor George speaking at an event in Tempe, Arizona. Photograph by Gage Skidmore.

Robert P. George is McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and the founder and director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. His courses, Civil Liberties and Constitutional Interpretation, have long been famed, loved, and sometimes feared by students for their intellectual rigor and exact grading. Over the course of his 40 years of teaching at Princeton, he has mentored and inspired scores of students. For our seasonal series on mentorship, I asked Professor George about his experience both as a mentor and a mentee.

Now & Next: Illuminating Solar Innovations with Barry Rand

Posted on April 11, 2025April 3, 2025 by Shannon Yeow

Professor Barry Rand stands at the frontier of sustainable electronics and energy solutions as a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment at Princeton University. His work in thin-film electronics and photovoltaic materials offers promising paths toward greener technologies, with real potential to reshape how we power our world.

As a student in his ENE 431: Solar Energy Conversion course, I’ve had the privilege of learning from Professor Rand this semester. This course has challenged how I think about energy and prompted me to look more closely at the systems that power the world. What stood out to me wasn’t just the technology, but the sense of possibility it held. I found myself thinking more seriously about what the future of energy could look like, and who’s shaping it. That curiosity led me to interview Professor Rand for Now & Next, where we discuss his research in thin-film electronics and where he sees the field heading.

Classwork Meets Research Work: A Unique Field-Based Experience in Death Valley

Posted on April 9, 2025April 3, 2025 by Advik Eswaran

*The author and the rest of the GEO 372 field trip cohort at Dante’s View, Death Valley*

Many of us might think of classwork and research as two separate entities. Here at Princeton, we might think, we take classes to learn and to prepare ourselves for independent work, but the two are distinct concepts. But reality is, of course, much more complex: classes at Princeton can and do incorporate elements of independent research work. This spring break, I had the opportunity to conduct field research as part of one of my classes, GEO 372 (Rocks!). We flew down to Death Valley National Park for a week, collecting various rock samples and learning about the regional geology. For the rest of the semester, we’ll be analyzing the samples to answer our given research question.

Heads Up: You Might Need Study Approval from the Institutional Review Board

Posted on April 7, 2025April 3, 2025 by Alexis Wu

Image of a fountain in the foreground whose spray creates a rainbow. Background includes the School of Public and International Affairs — *A rainbow at the Fountain of Freedom (colloquially called the “SPIA Fountain”), taken during a break from working on my thesis*

Independent research at Princeton offers an incredible opportunity for students to explore their academic interests and gain experience in the research world. This year, I’m working on my Senior Thesis with Professor Aleksandra Korolova, conducting an audit of Google ad delivery optimization algorithms. Specifically, I am studying whether aspects of advertisements—the image, text, links, and so on—impact the demographics of the audience to whom the advertisement is delivered.

In the fall, many people were curious about how my thesis was progressing. The truth was, for a few weeks, I hadn’t started running any experiments, since I first needed my research to be approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Through this experience, I both gained insight into the IRB process and found that many students had never even heard of the IRB. In this article, I share my experience and offer advice for students who are planning to conduct independent research.

Office hours are weird. Here’s how to make the most of them.

Posted on April 4, 2025April 3, 2025 by Gabriel Ascoli

Sign showing office hours — *Office hours signage. Photo Credit: Weingarten Center, University of Pennsylvania*

If you’re like me, you’ve been here. Standing awkwardly outside your professor’s door, notes in hand, heart racing slightly as you rehearse your question for the tenth time. When I first got to Princeton, my professors felt larger than life – giants in their field, accomplished researchers and authors. As an undergraduate, I felt like an ant in comparison. I felt afraid to go to their office hours, because their time felt so much more valuable than mine.

Research is Better with the Right Mentor—How I Found Mine

Posted on April 2, 2025April 7, 2025 by Angel Toasakul

Glass brain plots from the data analysis of the project I’m working on with my mentor, who spends a couple hours every week going through the fundamentals of coding in neuroscience with me. When I started working with him, I didn’t even know I could make plots like these. Our weekly meetings paid off.

When I first came to Princeton, already interested in neuroscience research, I kept hearing about all the incredible opportunities available to undergraduates. Professors conducting groundbreaking neuroscience studies, cutting-edge labs filled with brilliant minds—it all sounded amazing. But as a first-year student, I had no idea how to actually get involved. Everyone seemed to know what they were doing, while I was stuck wondering: Where do I even start? Will a professor really take time to mentor someone like me? If I cold-email them, will they even read it?

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