Impact
The Research Experience
“I really loved this experience. I am a rising senior, and I was on the fence about what major to pick because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to pursue scientific research. This experience really affirmed that research was a good fit for me, and I'm super excited about pursuing it now!”
— Layasri Ranjith ‘20, mentored by Dr. Isabelle Jourdain
“I am so lucky to have been a part of Talaria! The community aspect is one of the most positive parts of the organisation, and the ability to learn new skills with an international team really boosted my confidence throughout. Taking part in the research program was one of the most exciting experiences, allowing me to work with a PhD researcher to write my own scientific paper. The skill set obtained from Talaria strengthened my desire to become a woman in STEM!”
— Ideja Bajra ‘20, mentored by Dr. Stefan Taubert
“I think expanding my general knowledge [about plastics and sustainability] was a huge success for me. I hadn’t really studied polypropylene in the past, so I think this experience gave me a more detailed understanding of how these different qualities and properties influenced the final [plastic] product. Also, a lot of the work I’ve been doing is ideas about sustainability, but now I’ve attacked the issue from a molecular perspective. Overall, this was such a great learning experience for me…”
— Anoushka Soni ‘21, mentored by Dr. Diana Iovan
“Working with Dr. Gao this summer was an exciting and inspiring experience. Walking into this project, I only knew that I wanted to major in computer science because I had an interest in programming. However, during this project, I learned more about the real world applications of computer science and [narrowed down] what I hope to do in my future.”
— Anantya Kasturi ‘21, mentored by Dr. Mingchen Gao
“I felt like I actually made conclusions which other scientists can build off of [...] My favorite part was putting the nucleotide sequence into the database and waiting for the results because it was kind of like the lottery […] and then you got to investigate with the genome database like Sherlock Holmes.”
— Shyla Lensing ‘21, mentored by Dr. Cynthia Silveira
“This was my first time conducting an independent research project, and I learned a lot of skills like scientific writing and data collecting. I was also introduced to lots of new knowledge related to robotics. This experience also taught me to be communicative and efficient, especially in managing my time, because I had to balance school and this project.”
— Isabelle Alexandra ‘21, mentored by Dr. Priyanka Rao
“It was really interesting because I had never considered [the correlation between] ADHD and neuroplasticity… [The research] was very interesting without being overly difficult.”
— Arani Hiritharan ‘21, mentored by Dr. Lauren Laboissonniere
“The best part of [Talaria] was just learning everything. The first two weeks were definitely the hardest because I was getting so much new information. [...] When I first started, I was a little bit nervous because I knew I wanted to learn about skin cancer, but I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to center my project around global warming or research skin cancer from a more biological perspective, but Dr. Manning really helped me tie everything together.”
— Athena Krikorian ‘21, mentored by Dr. Amity Manning
“I felt a lot stronger about my future plans [after Talaria]. My interests are in cellular and molecular biology, so being introduced to new technology [during my project]. It also helped me gain experience. Even though I’ve taken AP courses and done labs, it was not as interesting as this hands-on independent research experience. It also gave me a chance to understand what research is and to make progress in research with my mentor.”
— Anonymous ‘20
“At first, I did not know anything about the topic of my research project. I did not know much about cellular biology nor did I take physics, which made me excited. After taking a glimpse at the article, the unfamiliar scientific words made it difficult to understand, so I was a bit nervous. Reading more in the article, I began to understand the general idea, and soon more and more about the details. I became more confident in writing a research paper, which grew my interest in doing more research in that area of study.”
— Audrey Shin ‘23, mentored by Dr. James J. Feng
“It was definitely new, to say the least, but after the first week, it became an enjoyable experience. Initially, it felt like finding clues (information) to resolve a top-secret case (my selected research topic) which made the process more enjoyable as it progressed. As I read more articles and journals about my selected topic, I became more curious about the content I was reading. […] From previously thinking that research was only an analysis of lab studies, I realized that literature is also a legitimate form of research that is easily accessible and just as informative. Writing the research paper with all of the information I found felt satisfying, similar to how I would spend ten or more hours on a piece of art. Knowing that all of the work done during the first two weeks contributed to the end result made me proud of my project and the time used making it.”
— Allison Paredes ‘23, mentored by Dr. Brahmjot Kaur
“Participating in Talaria motivated me to push through my research barriers. The educational materials offered in the program also helped me improve my research skills and develop my abilities in listening, speaking, reading and writing. In addition, the teacher assigned to me in the program was guiding me and providing me with important notes and comments that helped me to improve my level of research significantly. In the end, I had the necessary confidence to deal with scientific sources in English and to participate in scientific research in a better way. I can only thank the Talaria team for providing this important opportunity for development and improvement in the field of scientific research”
— Alaa Reda Kalifa ‘23, mentored by Dr. Muhammad Waseem
“Taking part in Talaria this summer was the best decision I've ever made!”
— Phoebe Chen ‘21, mentored by Dr. Sayonnha Mandal
The Mentorship Experience
“I don’t think I would’ve been able to do it without her. It’s a daunting topic. I was interested, but I didn’t know how to go about writing a literature review, where to find the sources, or how to format the paper, and my mentor was a huge help.”
— Graciela Bachu ‘21, mentored by Dr. Naomi Nishimura
“It was really nice to get insight into the scientific field that I am interested in [...] I thought it was an extremely rewarding experience overall!”
— Anonymous ‘20
“I feel like at times it was kind of intimidating, because asking questions to someone who knows so much is kind of daunting, but my mentor was super happy to answer any questions I had and walk me through the whole process.”
— Maia Berthier ‘21, mentored by Dr. Emily Naylor
“[My mentor] was very patient and understanding while getting me throughout the course of this project. It was such a fun and enlightening experience to work with someone so accomplished in this field.”
— Anonymous ‘20
“I had a large learning curve because I didn’t know anything about the topic… [my mentor] was very patient with me, and we had one-on-one sessions where they taught me about the topic. They gave me the opportunity to access their data cluster and computers at their university.”
— Bethena Balanon ‘21, mentored by Dr. Laura de Sousa Oliveira
“My first language is not English, and I don’t speak English in my daily life, so the language was a bit complicated [...] However, my mentor was super patient and helpful throughout the process, so it has been an amazing journey for me.“
— Therresa Budihardjo ‘21, mentored by Dr. Sarah Bean Sherman
“Working with my mentor was really really great… she actually took me on a tour of her Yale lab where she was doing postdoctoral work. She gave me really good advice whether about the research itself or what I should do in the future. She even introduced me to other people in her lab including her PI and invited me to work in her lab.”
— Swetha Somasundaram ‘21, mentored by Dr. Jinghua Ge
“[My mentor] was totally inspiring, highly encouraging, a wonderful teacher, and immensely supportive. When I hit roadblocks, I was initially a little afraid to ask for help, but, eventually, I just came clean to my mentor and told her that I didn’t understand some things or there were some discrepancies in my data that I couldn’t interpret, and she was there every step of the way to help me through that.”
— Kimia Shahriyar ‘21, mentored by Dr. Olga Chaim
“I learned from this experience the importance of research and how it connects ideas and topics together in a way that leads to new challenges to solve.”
— Yostina Khalf Mareed Ibrahim ‘21, mentored by Dr. Tiphaine Martin
“Collaborating with my mentor was a valuable aspect of my Talaria Summer Institute experience. While she maintained a calm demeanor, her guidance was consistently helpful. We formed a productive working relationship, discussing research challenges and refining my project's direction. Her insights and practical advice extended beyond research, encompassing valuable life skills. Despite not displaying exuberant enthusiasm, her consistent support and genuine interest in my progress created a positive and respectful environment for learning and growth.”
— Thuy P. Nguyen Le ‘23, mentored by Catarina Fontes
“My experience with my mentor was pretty good. Although busy, my mentor always found time to meet with me and reply to my emails. She explained information I didn't understand and helped guide my research, as well as give honest feedback on my paper while I was writing it.”
— Victoria Zhang ‘23, mentored by Kanupriya Sinha
“My experience was incredible! My mentor, Teesha Baker had actually gone to the university I am going to in the fall, and we discussed schooling and how this project could tie in and be applicable to lots of the classes I will be taking this year. While meeting in person several times, we had cleared up many important concepts, gave each other tasks for our next meeting, and progressed in our research. Teesha Baker was just a text or phone call away, and very helpful and kind with her explanations.“
— Anna Rodionovna Tikhonova ‘23, mentored by Teesha Crystal Baker
“It is truly through [my mentor’s] guidance that I gained confidence in research, and her support propelled me to continue to want to do research.”
— Anita Osuri ‘21, mentored by Ms. Mary Petrone
“[My mentor] was really amazing and offered some great statistical advice to tackle my question.”
— Karina Samuel ‘21, mentored by Dr. Gleb Zhelezov