Utah State University's ASPIRE recently threw open its doors to undergraduates nationwide, inviting them to a two-month summer research experience, but this isn't just any academic retreat; it's a deep dive into the electrified transportation frontier. "Through the REU program, more motivated undergraduate students outside ASPIRE campuses can be introduced to exciting and broad activities about electrifying roadways," Hailei Wang, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Utah State University, told USU Today, emphasizing the program's focus on high-power, fast EV charging tech.
It's not always easy for undergrads, especially those from community colleges, to get their hands on cutting-edge research experience during the sultry summer months, Hailei’s colleague, electrical and computer engineering professor Hongjie Wang, also everything from mentoring in the REU program to facilitating the students' development of research skills; they learn about cutting-edge research in electrified transportation-related fields, which polishes their career paths and readies them as an engineering workforce, so advanced they might be the ones to carry the baton of new technologies into the future, according to USU Today.
This isn't your standard research gig, and mechanical engineering undergrad Sofiia Goncharuk can attest to its impact: "Before the program, I was 100% confident that I wouldn't go to grad school and would work in industry my entire life, but doing actual research changed my mind," she confessed to USU Today. The program is hands-on, letting students like Aaron Paddy translate classroom studies into tackling real-world challenges. "I've gained hands-on experience with simulation tools, deepened my understanding of smart infrastructure, and improved my communication and collaboration skills," Paddy said, further revealing a newfound interest in research which, before this, he had never taken seriously.
