Trustee Reading Room, Firestone Library. Photo credit: Matt Raspanti.
“So what does this data mean?” My professor asked, looking at me expectantly. What does the data mean? “What does this data tell you about the cancer cells?” If he thought rephrasing it made it any better, it didn’t. I am not quite sure what I said to save face (and frankly, I really do not want to remember), but I must have said something because my professor just nodded. “When you look at your data, I want you to create a story. It may be a mystery, but then you’d be providing a certain set of clues.”
It is very easy to get caught up in generating data, especially if the data is particularly tricky and you’re concerned about making sure it looks right, generating the right graphs, having the right axes, numbers and titles. It can be a headache. By the time the graphs are done, I would rather not look at it anymore or think too hard about the numbers. However, as lab reports and analysis questions stack up for our classes, it becomes prudent to know how to analyze these graphs. While I am not a seasoned veteran, I have a few tips that helped me approach these types of situations.
Princeton alumni P-rade, 2013. Photo credit: Daniel Day.
As Princeton students in 2024, we’ve all heard other students throwing around the terms “connections” and “networking.” Although I myself was eager to take advantage of Princeton’s vast resources, I didn’t quite know where to start, or how to start. To those of you who are facing a similar dilemma, let me introduce you to an incredible, vastly underutilized resource: our alumni network.
Students working in Firestone Library, perhaps sending an email to an adviser!
In a world where instant responses to messages are possible, it can be especially frustrating when, after several days, you’re still waiting for a response on a time-sensitive issue. Many of us have experienced this before: asking an adviser a question, checking with a teammate if they’ve completed their tasks, and so on. Yet even with conventional wisdom on how to receive a response (crafting a compelling subject line, personalizing a message, or keeping an email short and sweet), responses can be elusive.
The truth is, the people we work with as students, researchers, or employees often have busy schedules. They may have several responsibilities vying for their attention, and sometimes an email just falls lower on their list of priorities. We want to resolve our questions and continue making progress as quickly as possible, yet help does not always come that quickly. In this article, I share key tips I’ve learned through discussions with my managers, colleagues, and advisers over the course of my time as a student and working in industry.
Dr. Augustin Hennings and I in the MRI control room, C Level, PNI
It felt a little odd to begin an email with, “I wrote about your lab in my application to Princeton!” but it was the truth. Since high school, I had been fascinated by memory and its profound effects on shaping our lives, which motivated me to pursue a degree in neuroscience. Professor Kenneth Norman’s work in the Princeton Computational Memory Lab captured my attention while I was exploring Princeton’s resources for my application essays. I wrote about how I wanted to be a part of the lab and study human memory, specifically focusing on how the brain and mind can overcome the emotional consequences of trauma-based memories. After arriving at Princeton, I had been eagerly awaiting the right time to reach out to Professor Norman about getting involved in his research.
What is research? Perhaps we can ask the Internet…
If you’re anything like me, you first thought that “research” essentially amounted to surfing the Internet. Back in the glory days of middle school, “research” meant the rewarded privilege of getting to use the laptop carts, productively using class time on googling information about our various project topics (and definitely not secretly playing games). Now, as the mature, worldly college student you now are, perhaps you think you know better. “True” academic research, the clever reader now knowingly tells themselves, is historians dusting through archival documents and scientists mixing frothy chemicals in the lab.
Yet there’s a missing part here: a crucial element that takes us back to our elementary and middle days of excited googling. To make any significant intellectual contribution to any field, one first has to understand the current state of knowledge in that same field. To borrow the term favored by the Writing Program, we need to understand the scholarly conversation. How do we know if we’re making a contribution to something, if we don’t understand what that something is? Understanding the current state of research in a given field is a crucially important skill—really, a prerequisite—for conducting your own effective research in that field.
Photo of a chem-bioengineering lab, photo credit to Iris Rubinstein.
When I first walked into the lab this summer, I thought research was all about running experiments and gathering data. What I didn’t expect was how much the people around me—the mentorship and the shared triumphs and failures—would shape so much of my learning and how I view scientific research.
Starting a research position at a bioengineering lab over the summer was really intimidating for me, especially as an undergraduate. At the start, I felt like the most inexperienced person in a room full of graduate students, postdocs, and faculty who seem to have it all figured out. Although I’ve learned or at least seen a lot of the quantitative and qualitative components in my Chemical and Biological Engineering course, I did not have much hands-on experience and critical thinking that comes with actually doing experiments. That’s when I realized how big of a role a mentor plays.
Princeton moves fast. The semester is short, the classes are dense, and before you know it, you’re taking midterms and turning in papers for your writing sem. At least, that was my experience as a first year. Even now as a sophomore, it can feel hard trying to keep up with the pace of the orange bubble. Balancing the demands of coursework alongside the demands of work for research teams and professional clubs can limit how productive I feel at any given moment. Those moments, when I feel I’ve done all the readings I can do and written everything I can think about, are so challenging because it feels like I’ve hit an academic wall. That’s when I find ways to shake things up with a study break. For me, that looks like taking a walk. I know it sounds cliche, but taking a walk can be one of the best solutions because it’s so simple.
Spotlight on the Summer Internship Project of Princeton Politics Junior Mai Kasemsawade
Mai Kasemsawade at the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia for Political Financing meeting at the Malaysian Parliament, which she helped to host with The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs.
Many students walk into Princeton intending to change the world, Mai Kasemsawade ’26 is an extraordinary example of how one’s summer research can kickstart global political change. This past summer, Mai worked within the The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as an intern in the Princeton International Internship Program. She connected her interests in political science research and data science to pursue an ambitious project in advancing Malaysia’s laws on funding for political parties in order to encourage a more democratic political scene. Her experience meeting with Malaysian government leaders, hosting a political engagement workshop, writing articles on critical policy, and conducting interdisciplinary research exemplifies the multitude of eye-opening opportunities that a research experience can offer!
PCUR is back! We hope everyone had a great summer and is excited for the upcoming year. Posts are starting back this week on Wednesday, October 9, written by both returning and new correspondents, so check your email on Wednesday and get excited!
Bottom row (left to right): Alexis Wu, Rebecca Cho, Yubi Mamiya, Angel Toasakul, Stanley Stoutamire. Middle row: Virginia Cobbs, Nathan Nguyen. Top row: Gabriel Ascoli, Advik Eswaran, Ignacio Arias Philippi. Not pictured: our most recently joined correspondent, Haya Elamir.Photo credit: Nicole Tacconi.
Welcome back to our returning PCURs, Alexis Wu ’25, Rebecca Cho ’26, and Yubi Mamiya ’27! In addition, Virginia Cobbs ’25 is returning as Chief Correspondent. We are excited to welcome our new correspondents Angel Toasakul ’27, Stanley Stoutamire ’27, Nathan Nguyen ’27, Advik Eswaran ’27, and Ignacio Arias Philippi ’25. Take a look below to find out more about each of our correspondents, their experiences, and what they bring to PCUR.
Virginia Cobbs ’25
Chief Correspondent
Concentration: African American Studies
Degree: A.B.
Research Interests: Racism in healthcare, Tech mediated bias in criminal justice, bumble bee social behavior, Parkinson’s Disease
Bio: My name is Virginia and I am a senior in the African American Studies department. I grew up in Birmingham, AL (roll tide!) and as someone pursuing a career in healthcare, my research interests are often at the intersection of race and medicine. I spent a gap year before Princeton studying Parkinson’s Disease, and a summer after freshman year researching bumble bees. I also worked with with Prof. Fuentes studying racial bias in medical algorithms, and Prof. Benjamin’s Just Data Lab studying how technology mediates bias and racism in the criminal justice system. When not in the lab, you can find me either competitively sailing or volunteering as an EMT with the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad.
Certificate Programs: Medieval Studies, Roman Language and Culture
Degree Program: A.B.
Research Interests: Legal history, German language and culture, Polyliteracy, Paleography
Bio: My name is Ignacio Arias and I am a senior from Puerto Rico. My research in the History department has focused on legal history of various kinds, especially canon law, from Late Antiquity to Early Modern times. Other interests include Austrian history and classical music. Outside of academic research, I am also involved with the Aquinas Institute, the Princeton Tower Club, and Sinfonia.
Posts by Ignacio Arias Philippi coming soon
Gabriel Ascoli ’27
Humanities Correspondent
Concentration: Classics, Molecular Biology
Degree Program: A.B.
Research Interests: Ancient Greek and Roman Literature, History, Philosophy, Oncology, Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences
Bio: My name is Gabriel, and I’m a sophomore from Northern Virginia. As a pre-health student studying classics and biology, I’m interested in ancient Greek and Roman literature and philosophy, particularly when it comes to treating the sick, their ideology towards the values of other lives, and other humanistic and philosophical questions (think famous physicians such as Hippocrates or Galen, as well as philosophers and poets!). I’m currently a part of the Kang lab at Princeton, investigating how we can harness the human immune system and bolster it to attack early-stage breast tumors before they metastasize to other parts of the body. I’ve also conducted research in microbiology (developing a solution to antibiotic-resistant bacteria), and classics (exploring the connection between ancient Roman history and literature and modern-day white supremacy). At Princeton, you’ll find me taking excessively long walks, or taking advantage of free coffee somewhere.
Posts by Gabriel Ascoli coming soon
Rebecca Cho ’26
Natural Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Geosciences
Degree Program: A.B.
Certificate Programs: Environmental Studies
Research Interests: Biogeochemistry, Climate Science, Reconstruction Modeling, Environmental Science
Bio: I am a sophomore from Long Island, NY, looking to concentrate in Geosciences! My research interests include the exploration of past climate-tectonic interactions and the past marine environment to understand how different aspects of the physical planet are responding to rapid climate change. I am also interested in the influence of these physical changes on public health and society. Outside of research, I love listening to music and reading. On campus, you can find me dancing or performing the cello and piano.
Research Interests: Cellular function and microbiology
Bio: My name is Haya, and I am a part of the Class of 2027. I’m from Buffalo, NY with an unfortunate dislike for the winter. I’m majoring in molecular biology because the intricacy of cells and the details you find in this subject are fascinating to me. My research has always been geared towards immunology, whether cancer or the disease of the gut microbiome. Knowing I can contribute in some small way to the health of others means a lot to me. When I’m not in the lab, I’m usually in and out of coffee shops (my favorite places to study!) or hanging out with my friends.
Posts by Haya Elamir coming soon
Advik Eswaran ’27
Natural Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Geosciences
Degree Program: A.B.
Research Interests: Glaciology, Paleoclimate, Climate Science, Machine Learning, Earth History
Bio: My name is Advik, and I’m a sophomore from the Seattle area. I’m interested in researching how Earth’s climate has changed in the past, so that we can better understand how it might change in the future. Currently, I’m part of the Maloof Research Group, where I work on developing machine learning methods to reconstruct ancient fossils; I’ve also been involved with research at the University of Washington on reconstructing Antarctic snowfall trends since the onset of anthropogenic climate change. Outside of research, you can find me competitively sailing, wandering around the outdoors, or reading.
Posts by Advik Eswaran coming soon
Yubi Mamiya ’26
Engineering Correspondent
Concentration: Computer Science
Certificate Program/Minor: Engineering Biology, Global Health and Health Policy
Degree Program: B.S.E.
Research interests: Artificial Intelligence, Neurotechnology, Disease and Disorders, Mental Health, Reproductive Justice, Healthcare, Educational Equity, Sustainability, Music and Art in Social Movements
Bio: I’m Yubi and I’m a sophomore from Shoreline, WA interested in computer science. I hope to develop artificial intelligence-based software that improves the effectiveness and accessibility of healthcare for underserved communities. Outside of research, I love singing at Saturday Morning Arts, running with Princeton Running Club, and reading.
Research Interests: Bioengineering, Biomolecular Engineering, Chemical Reaction Engineering, Renewable Energy, Machine Learning and AI
Bio: Hi everyone! I’m Nathan, and I hail all the way from Hanoi, Vietnam. Before Princeton, though, I lived in the sunshine city of Brisbane, Australia. I am most interested in topics related to sustainability and renewable energy. In my free time, I sing Baritone for Princeton’s FRESHEST low-voice acapella group, the Princeton Footnotes, upcycle and thrift clothes, and hike with friends.
Posts by Nathan Nguyen coming soon
Stanley Stoutamire ’27
Social Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: TBD
Degree Program: A.B.
Certificate Programs: TBD
Research Interests: Rural Medicine; Healthcare Equity; Neglected American History; Social Implications of Meteorology; Narrative Fantasy
Bio: My name is Stanley and I am a sophomore from the Birmingham, Alabama area. My most recent research has been focused on eliminating inequalities in health outcomes, but I have a variety of interests that I am always glad to talk about! When I’m not working on academics you can find me singing with the Glee club, spending time with the Trenton Youth Orchestra, or enjoying a good book.
Posts by Stanley Stoutamirecoming soon
Angel Toasakul ’27
Natural Sciences Correspondent
Concentration: Neuroscience
Degree Program: A.B.
Certificate Programs: Planets and Life, Cognitive Science
Research Interests: Neuroscience, Memory, Cognitive Science, Neurochemistry, Neurobiology, Healthcare
Bio: My name is Angel, and I’m a member of the Class of 2027 from Bangkok, Thailand. As a neuroscience major with aspirations in healthcare, I am passionate about the brain and its functions, particularly in relation to memory and cognition. In high school, I conducted a behavioral and psychological study on how recalling positive memories influences creativity, sparking my interest in research. Currently, I am part of the Norman Lab, where I work on utilizing fMRI neurofeedback to understand memory pathways and induce unwanted memory suppression in PTSD patients. Outside of research, I spend my time volunteering both on and off campus and serving as an International Center Leader, organizing International Orientation for incoming students and coordinating cultural activities on campus throughout the year. In my free time, I love getting lost in a good book and discovering new favorite reading spots around campus.
Posts by Angel Toasakulcoming soon
Alexis Wu ’25
Engineering Correspondent
Concentration: Computer Science
Degree Program: B.S.E.
Research Interests: Applications of Computing, Machine Learning, Computer Systems, Public Policy, Game Theory, Ethics, Art History
Bio: My name is Alexis and I am a senior from San Diego, California. I am passionate about integrating my interests in technology and policy to tackle critical issues such as algorithmic fairness and the ethical development of technologies. This is my third year with PCUR, and the articles I’ve written over these years capture the evolution of my academic and research interests. I hope there is an article that excites you, and I would love to hear from our readers about topics they would like to see more of. On campus, I am currently the Undergraduate President of Colonial Club and a student tour guide for the Princeton University Art Museum.
Many Princeton students, when writing their senior theses, will be required to submit something resembling a “literature review,” where they give a broad summary of the extant literature on their respective senior thesis topics. Surveying the extant literature on a topic can help students to develop their own independent thoughts on the matter. For many students, the literature ends up being a very important part of the actual final text of the senior thesis.
After reaching this stage when researching my senior thesis topic, a relatively-unknown Arabic Christian legal text from 18th-century Lebanon called the Mukhtaṣar al-Sharīʿa of ʿAbdallāh Qarāʿalī, I realized that only a few paragraphs and couple footnotes had been written about the text in English. All told, the entire body of English-language academic work on the Mukhtaṣar totalled a mere two pages. This lack of a developed scholarly conversation about my topic came with its own challenges and opportunities. The relative obscurity of this topic was a large part of why I chose to write my thesis about it— I found it to be very intriguing and wished there was more written about it. In this post I intend to look back at my own experience writing a thesis on such a niche topic, and hope to offer some considerations on how such a project might be approached.
