Pursuing an Undergraduate Analysis Alternative Program undertaking (or two or three) is a quintessential a part of the educational expertise at MIT. The program, generally known as UROP, permits college students to be “shoulder to shoulder” with school, graduate college students, and affiliated researchers in MIT’s labs.
Given the plethora of analysis choices and disciplines — every little thing from getting a crash course in advancing quantum computing to growing neuroprosthetics — it’s no shock that over 90 % of undergraduates find yourself doing a UROP by the point they graduate.
The half-century-old program continues to evolve, adapting to scholar curiosity. Think about the expertise of rising senior Alexander Edwards, a nuclear and mechanical engineering scholar and cadet within the Military ROTC program. The Alabama native leveraged his navy coaching due to a brand new fellowship with the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies (ISN), an endeavor during which MIT, the U.S. Division of Protection (DoD), and business companions work collectively to develop applied sciences that advance the safety, survivability, and mission capabilities of the U.S. Armed Forces. That friendship is due to a present of alumnus and ROTC graduate Aneal Krishnan ’02, who commissioned as an infantry officer within the U.S. Military. Right here, Edwards and Krishnan describe the distinctive UROP expertise and supply recommendation for future college students.
Q: What was particular about having a UROP targeted on the challenges {that a} soldier within the subject would possibly face, such because the decades-long challenges of managing extra weight whereas additionally having correct ballistic safety?
Edwards: Having a UROP particularly designed for MIT ROTC cadets has allowed me to develop my technical abilities whereas additionally serving to contribute to nationwide protection. The ISN works on an array of various attention-grabbing analysis tasks associated to protection applied sciences in any and each STEM self-discipline.
Crew members collaborate on primary analysis to create new supplies, gadgets, processes, and methods, and on utilized analysis to transition promising outcomes towards sensible merchandise helpful to the battle fighter. U.S. Military members on the ISN additionally give steering on soldier safety and survivability wants and consider the relevance of analysis proposed to deal with these wants.
These collaborations assist establish dual-use purposes for ISN-derived applied sciences for firefighters, cops, different first responders, and the civilian group at massive.
Krishnan: The ISN was based at MIT in 2002, and since its founding, the ISN’s analysis has been the genesis of over 140 patents, greater than 50 startups, and dozens of main transitions of fieldable merchandise. Via the MIT ROTC/ISN fellowship, the ISN advantages from the work of remarkable science and engineering college students from MIT, who will even be future navy leaders and might carry a real-world perspective to their work. The ROTC cadets profit by pursuing analysis as a part of their diploma in areas during which they’re passionate, and that can profit them of their endeavors after commencement. An overarching success of this fellowship is that there’s now a connection between ROTC and MIT’s DoD labs that didn’t exist in my time as an undergraduate. As a tangible success on this regard, in March 2024, Lt. Common Maria Barrett, the commanding basic of U.S. Military Cyber Command, carried out a go to at MIT coordinated by each ROTC and the ISN, additional elevating the profile of the Institute amongst the DoD prime brass.
Q: What was your particular undertaking?
Edwards: My undertaking for the previous yr has been associated to calculating the losses on a radio-photovoltaic thermo-nuclide generator (RTG), also referred to as a nuclear battery.
My classmate, fellow Military ROTC cadet and fellowship recipient rising junior William Cruz, labored with nanocomputing and piezoelectric fibers to create heartbeat-sensing clothes. He and I can attest that each tasks have been extremely fulfilling, each personally and professionally.
Alongside the UROPs, Mr. Krishnan took us on a day journey in January to Washington D.C., the place we have been handled to a number of wonderful networking alternatives at an array of organizations that search to transition innovation out of the lab and into the entrance traces equivalent to Silicon Valley Protection Group, JP Morgan, Peraton, and from In-Q-Tel, the worldwide, not-for-profit strategic investor for the U.S. nationwide safety group and America’s allies, hosted by fellow MIT alumnus David LoBosco ’02.
Q: What classes or takeaways did you achieve from this expertise? What recommendation would possibly you share with different college students?
Edwards: My most important takeaways from all these conferences have been, first, the significance of correct communication between the personal sector and the federal government, one thing that has been missing of late, and secondly, how I could possibly apply my technical background to consulting, funding, or many different fields.
General, I’d suggest this program to future MIT ROTC cadets, and each Cadet Cruz and I are exceedingly grateful to Mr. Krishnan and the ISN for the chance.
Krishnan: Cadets Edwards and Cruz will now be capable to share their experiences with the following class of potential cadet researchers, thereby rising the fellowship’s attain and impression. Future initiatives are to develop the fellowship to MIT’s Air Power and Navy ROTC packages, schedule extra visits of senior navy leaders to each ROTC and ISN, and join fellowship recipients with ISN startups for profession alternatives. And personally, I’m extremely lucky to have met such excellent People as cadets Edwards and Cruz. I’m excited to see the place life takes them and hope to be a mentor alongside the best way.
