Maria Piwko

I applied and developed my skills in programming and data analysis. I also gained insights about the experimental methods used, the applied theories and the connections to the acquired data. I would encourage applying for a summer scholarship. It is an opportunity to advance research progress in a field, learn and maintain various skills, and work with people to different degrees.

My summer project consisted of data analysis for a characterization study of boron targets. This project was part of a larger, ongoing study within the department of nuclear astrophysics, in collaboration with LUNA and the University of Notre Dame. The targets will be used to investigate the importance of certain nuclear reactions in the life of stars.

Throughout the project, I applied and developed my skills in programming and data analysis. I also gained insights about the experimental methods used, the applied theories and the connections to the acquired data. The project was also an exercise in commitment, as I regularly travelled to campus to do the work.
 

Programming isn't my strong suit, but I still enjoyed the overall experience. I appreciated having something to do over the summer, being part of a wider project, and learning more about the field itself. I am now also slightly more proficient in LaTeX.
 

I would encourage applying for a summer scholarship. It is an opportunity to advance research progress in a field, learn and maintain various skills, and work with people to different degrees. There are several ways to find a project, such as browsing existing scholarships, talking to professors and reaching out to researchers via email. However you find your project, I would say it's important to get to know your supervisor and the tasks you may do in advance.