Week Five

I can't believe it's already July and I'm already halfway through my research experience! We've gotten a lot done already, but it still feels like there's so much left to tackle, so it's crazy to think there are only five weeks left.

Outside of my research, which has been very interesting and is teaching me a lot, I've been having a really positive overall experience at UIUC. Since I'm from Champaign, I'm obviously no stranger to this area, but this is the longest amount of time I've been able to spend here since I started college, so it's been nice to explore and appreciate it again! Last weekend, my friend and I drove half an hour out of town to see the rodeo, and the weekend before that, we made the trek all the way up to Chicago to attend a public viewing of the USA-Portugal game in Grant Park (photos attached!). Both were really fun and great chances to get away from the lab for a while and spend sometime out and about.

Within the lab, I've been having a great time getting to know the other students in my research group, as well as the other groups who share our office space with them. I'm the only non-UIUC student here, but my familiarity with the campus and its surroundings means I have a lot of friends, interests, and experiences in common with the people I work with, so it's been very easy to fit in. Luckily, everyone here is into soccer, so I have plenty of folks to commiserate with over World Cup drama.

We've started testing non-Newtonian fluids on our textures this weeks, and the results have been promising so far! I should have some more finite updates on that in the coming weeks. Until then, hope everyone is doing well and has a great Fourth of July!

Nikita