Alexis Vittengl participated in the Cross-institutional Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) which is sponsored by the the Intercollegiate Biomathematics Alliance. She conducted her research in the summer of 2018 under the direction of Dr. Angela Antonou and Dr. Megan Powell from St. Francis University.
How did you find out about your research experience, and what was the process for applying?
I found out about the research project from the CURE conference. Dr. Ryan, my advisor, told me about this cross-institutional undergraduate research experience. The process to apply to attend was a short online form.
Can your can summarize your project and talk about it how it fit in with your other summer activities?
Our project this summer looked at the effect of interventions that can be taken on the Influenza Virus in a closed population such as a boarding school or a small college. Our goal was to determine the best interventions that can be taken to stop the transmission of the virus in hopes that the schools will not have to close for a period of time. often schools have to close to stop the spread of the flu.
One of my favorite parts of my research was that it gave me flexibility to do research while also doing other things I really wanted to do. I had a strong desire to work at a summer camp last summer but I also wanted to do research. My research project allowed me to do both things. So this being said I completed my research while at summer camp in Branson, MO. 6 days a week I was working at the camp and on my one day off a week I did research.
How did you benefit from this experience?
This experience allowed me to I learned a lot. I learned how to work with minimal guidance and how to diligent in making progress on the project. I gained more experience in presenting scientific work and became more confident in defending my ideas with scientific data. This experience brought great growth academically.