What former students say about the REU program...


Before coming to Oak Crest for the REU fellowship, I had some lab skills and basic research experience, but nothing like the research I did at Oak Crest. I was immediately immersed into the research and I have to admit, the first couple of weeks, I had no idea where to start or how I was going to go through my research project. So I spent this time learning the equipment and talking to fellow drug delivery researchers about the process of making and coating particles. Then, my drug arrived, and I started my research. I felt I didn’t know much about the pharmaceutical field or about the chemistry involved in my project, but the beauty of it all is that I knew that what ever was going to happen, I would have people there before me helping me in my struggles.

I have to say that the equipment at Oak Crest was like bringing my organic chemistry class to life. In the school lab, all we did was ‘cook book’ chemistry. Oak Crest set me free from that, giving me the ability to use and better understand the equipment and theories behind the chemistry techniques better.  

Before starting at Oak Crest, I knew I wanted to do research. Now I can’t wait till I get my degree and go into the field of research. The feeling of getting stuck, solving the problems, and then the feeling of accomplishment afterwards is all worth it. It’s like climbing a mountain for the first time; you're not used to the strain and patience required to reach the top, but you quickly adapt. And yah, it’s hard at first, but by staying determined and steadfast, you reach the top, and look back at the struggles you went through and say, ‘that was so worth it, let's do it again some time.’

--Ibrahim Hajjali
(Fall 2006 REU)
(transferred from Pasadena City College to UC San Diego)

...When I first applied to Oak Crest, I was very insecure about my scientific research abilities. The idea of conducting original research was very intimidating, considering that I had never had an opportunity to do that before. The only thing I knew was how to follow a procedure that had been already laid out for me, as in my chemistry and biology lab courses.

...Having the opportunity to do research at Oak Crest has definitely increased my self confidence. Given the opportunity, I was able to realize that I am capable of research and that it is not as unfeasible as it once seemed. Over the course of my internship, I designed and carried out my own original experiments and was able to exercise my knowledge of chemistry and biology. It was only by having the experience at Oak Crest that I now know I am capable of doing the kind of research I have always looked up to.

--Savannah Appleby
(Fall 2006 REU)
(transferred from Pasadena City College to UC Berkeley)

...Oak Crest has a totally different environment from laboratories at school. At Oak Crest, the students who are conducting research determine the direction that the research will take...Oak Crest provides a free and creative environment that allows students to try many things relevant to their projects. At Oak Crest, students can come up with different ways to conduct the research and mentors will give them advice and analyze the possible outcomes based on their experience and knowledge, instead of limiting the methods a student can use. Moreover, mentors show strong support and provide anything necessary, including chemicals and scientific journals that need to be purchased.  

...Through this experience, I know myself better. Because I can freely schedule my time, and plan for the reactions, I found that I like to work and stay in the laboratory for long periods of time, like the whole day. Also, I like to repeatedly consider one thing and find many possibilities for that. When I face undesired results of reactions, I can positively accept it and actively try to find the possible reasons for those results. I get excited when I think of a new way to conduct research, and I can work with my mentors well and become friends with my co-workers.

--Pao Wen "Rain" Wong
(Fall 2006 REU)
(transferred from Rio Hondo College to UCLA)


I benefited greatly from my REU experience at Oak Crest because, as a post-graduate returning student interested in studying science, I had no previous exposure to scientific research and had no clue as to what it was really all about.  The many science classes that I have taken, both before and after my REU, have been interesting, but gave no indication of what it would be like to do real scientific research.  

...While at Oak Crest I gained confidence in my ability to work comfortably and independently in the lab.  I learned to independently set-up experiments, observe and collect data, and test hypothesis through experimentation in a practical, purposeful context. 

Oak Crest does an excellent job of providing students with quality scientific research experience and it is extremely helpful to gain such experience early on in one’s undergraduate career.  I am definitely going to be a research scientist and my REU at Oak Crest had everything to do with providing me with the confidence to enthusiastically pursue my goal.

--Robyn Latimer
(Fall 2006 REU)
(Current student at Pasadena City College)

Before I applied REU program at Oak Crest, I asked my friends who are undergraduate students and had scientific research opportunities about their experiences. They told me that they didn’t really conduct their own research, but they did what their mentors or supervisors told them to do. They said it was like taking one more laboratory class. So, before the Oak Crest REU program, I expected the same things from Oak Crest. But I was totally wrong. I actually had to conduct my own research, study about my project, plan my own experiments, and analyze data by myself. My mentors Dr. Moss and Baum were always in the lab, but they really didn’t tell me what to do. But they guided me in the right direction when I asked them questions.  After finishing the REU program, I have lots of confidence that I can conduct my own research. Now I am working on the another project and having a great time.

...My skills as a scientist improved a lot at Oak Crest. Especially, I learned how to analyze science literature, plan experiments, collect data, interpret data, and speak and write scientifically through the process of working every day in the lab. I think those skills are not skills that someone can teach, but they can be learned through experience. In terms of learning, Oak Crest is an excellent place for students.


--Hyunwoo "Matthew" Rim
(Fall 2006 REU)
(transferred from Pasadena City College to Western University of Health Sciences)