Over the last few weeks of the semester, I needed to make two posters. In preparation, I attended a poster workshop that made me think more intentionally about how to make an effective poster. I’ve outlined some of my key takeaways below that I hope can offer guidance to anyone preparing a poster of their own.
Just this year, I had the opportunity to travel through Princeton twice: once over winter break for my senior thesis and PIIRS Undergraduate Fellowship fieldwork in Taiwan, and again over spring break through ART 481: Alaskan Art, Spirit, and Being: Healing Histories of Dispossession, when I traveled to Alaska for class. As a senior in my final spring semester, spending both my last winter and spring breaks traveling for academic purposes has been more than fulfilling. It has been one of the most meaningful parts of my Princeton experience.
Both trips reminded me that academic travel is about much more than going somewhere new. Traveling with purpose changes what you notice, who you meet, and what you are able to learn. It opens up conversations, relationships, and opportunities for insight that you likely would not have had otherwise.
Getting accepted to a conference can feel like the end of a long marathon. After months of conducting research and several iterations of writing, you hit submit, you wait, and you refresh your inbox until finally, the email arrives. You’ve been accepted! Now, you have the opportunity to poster at a conference and share your work with a broader research community.
First of all, congratulations! It is no small feat to get your work reviewed and accepted, and you should be very proud of your accomplishments.
After the excitement and the celebration, you might be wondering what comes next. Acceptance is not just a milestone, but also the beginning of a series of steps to actually poster at a conference. It’s now time to finalize your submission for publication, decide how you will attend, and determine how you will present your research. I hope this practical guide helps you navigate the steps after acceptance.
Continue reading Congrats, You Got Accepted: Now What?
One of the greatest benefits of being a Princeton student is the unparalleled access to international opportunities. Whether it’s traveling for classes and clubs, completing an IIP (International Internship Program), doing fieldwork through HMEI (High Meadows Environmental Institute), taking a Global Seminar course through PIIRS (Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies), or participating in Princeton’s many language programs abroad, many students find ways to leave the Orange Bubble—literally. To become better-informed global citizens, it is important not only to study the world from Princeton, but also to spend time in the world beyond Princeton.
One powerful way to do this is by conducting research abroad. When I was a junior preparing for my senior thesis, I knew I wanted to incorporate an international dimension into my work and, if possible, travel over winter break of senior year. Although I had been fortunate to travel domestically through Princeton, I hadn’t yet taken advantage of any study or research opportunities abroad. Winter break of senior year is one of the last, and most popular, chances to do so. Princeton has a wide range of thesis funding sources, which makes it very possible to take your research to an international site.
Continue reading Beyond the Orange Bubble: A Guide to Thesis Research Abroad
When I attended my first conference, I was overwhelmed by the number of events—from keynote speakers and lightning talks, to career fairs and research presentations. Over time, through attending several conferences, I learned how to navigate these spaces strategically and make the most of the few days I had at each one. Conferences are an opportunity to connect your academic interests to real-world communities and open doors for future opportunities. From resume databases to poster sessions, conferences can open doors to new research and career opportunities.
Continue reading Making the Most of Conferences
Having facilitated a precept discussion in COS 436: Human-Computer Interaction, I was able to reflect on what it means not just to thoroughly read a research paper, but also to guide my peers through a structured discussion based on common threads reflecting their thoughts and insights. COS 436 explores how technology and design shape human behavior and counts towards computer science degree progress as a fulfillment of the breadth category. Engagement with foundational research papers in the field and a semester-long research project are the core components of the course. Each week, students are responsible for writing discussion posts on assigned research papers and take turns facilitating precept discussions.
Continue reading Facilitating a Research Discussion in COS 436
On April 14, 2025, Blue Origin launched its 11th human spaceflight, NS-31, marking the first all-women commercial spaceflight crew. Aboard the New Shepard capsule were Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen, Gayle King, Katy Perry, Kerianne Flynn, and Lauren Sanchez. While the flight made headlines as a symbolic milestone, it also marked a change in how we think about access to space and accountability in a warming world.
In 2021, I worked alongside the U.S. Space Force at the Air Force Research Laboratory during the year Virgin Galactic launched its first fully crewed spaceflight. A few days after the flight, I visited Spaceport America to see the launch site in person, an early glimpse into the operational reality of commercial space. When Blue Origin’s NS-31 mission made headlines this year, I was genuinely excited. It brought back the sense of possibility I felt standing at Spaceport America years earlier. Commercial spaceflight had taken another step forward, and I wanted to understand what that meant. What does this flight reveal about the technical maturity of suborbital travel? And how might it shape the future of spaceflight design, regulation, and environmental impact? In this article of Now & Next, I take a closer look at what NS-31 tells us about the state of commercial space, and where it’s headed.
Continue reading Now & Next: The All-Women Spaceflight and the Expanding Horizon of Commercial Space
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.
Continue reading Paying it Forward: A Faculty Perspective on Mentorship in Research
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.
Continue reading Now & Next: Illuminating Solar Innovations with Barry Rand
In light of recent discussions in the scientific and engineering community, I wanted to take a closer look at Microsoft’s latest announcement in quantum computing. As someone deeply interested in the intersection of research and innovation, I was curious about what this means for the field. Is this truly a turning point in quantum computing, or is there still more work to be done? As part of Now & Next, a new series dedicated to exploring current events, groundbreaking research, and forward-looking trends in engineering, this post delves into Microsoft’s research, the promise of topological qubits, and how the research community is responding. This could be the dawning age for quantum computing, or another step in a long journey. Let’s dive into what’s going on now and what’s coming next with Microsoft’s quantum computing announcement.
Continue reading Now & Next: Microsoft’s Quantum Computing Breakthrough—Revolution or Overstatement?
