Engineering physics student awarded scholarship for summer research

Though in-person classes will not take place at the University of Illinois this summer, research continues. That goes for faculty and students.

Rising senior Michelle McCord was recently named a DaRin Butz Foundation Research Scholar through the Grainger College of Engineering’s Illinois Scholars Undergraduate Research (ISUR) Program.

With the generosity of the DaRin Butz Foundation, the Illinois Scholars Undergraduate Research (ISUR) Program offers women undergraduate students funding to do research in the summer. The foundation’s support of the ISUR summer program is aimed to encourage women to pursue careers in science and engineering.

“I primarily applied for this scholarship so that I could pursue my research interests more in lieu of working full-time this summer,” McCord, an engineering physics major, said. “This opportunity also comes as a great resource to continue to develop my skills as a researcher, since I will take a class from the college in the fall to connect with presenting researchers and present my own project as well.”

“I have observed her to be a motivated student outside of the classroom, wanting to expand her understanding through hands  on research,” NPRE professor Caleb Brooks said of McCord. “Curiosity is a valuable asset in an experimental research group and Michelle brings great energy to explore new ideas.” 

DaRin Butz Foundation Research Scholars conduct research in the areas of computer science, aerospace, electrical, computer, materials science, nuclear engineering, physics, or astronomy. Scholars will work with faculty mentors who will supervise, guide, and instruct them on their research during the project. They are expected to do research 30 to 35 hours per week for 10 weeks in the summer.

Through the learning-by-apprenticeship model, the scholars will not only develop their research skills but also their science communication skills (verbal and written) and presentation skills as a researcher in the undergraduate research seminar ENG 199 UGR, which they will take in the fall semester. DaRin Butz Foundation Research Scholars will also present their work in the Fall Engineering Research Fair or the annual ISUR poster expo in the spring semester.

In current circumstances, the research process will be a bit different compared to summers in the past. “Michelle is eager to get back into the lab, but with the present circumstances, we have reworked the research milestones,” Professor Brooks said. “We have some preliminary data that can be used to study the phenomena, understand the measurements, and refine the experimental procedures. Spending some time studying the preliminary data can also help guide a more focused literature review.”

McCord, a native of Canton, Ga., said her research this summer “will focus on studying the film boiling phase of systems after reaching critical heat flux in hopes to identify some of the key characteristics that cause the uncertainty in this phase.”

“I have full confidence in Michelle’s ability to take the reins on this project and she has support from a graduate student in the group,” Brooks said. “We will meet regularly to share findings and discuss challenges.” 

After completing her project, McCord said she plans on graduating this December. “After graduating, I hope to continue on to get a Master’s in nuclear engineering before looking for a research and development role in the field of nuclear energy,” she said.