The Undergraduate Research Program would like to showcase the accomplishments of one of our current students, Connor Yass. Connor received both 2nd place and the People’s Choice Award at the 2017 WISYS Quick Pitch event on September 25th.
The event requires participants to present their research in a quick 3-minute pitch. This gives students the opportunity to learn how to condense their research into something interesting, informative, and brief. It also gives students the chance to gain more exposure for their research.
“The second place and people’s choice awards came as a surprise to me. I hate public speaking so I was not expecting to win anything at all. It just goes to show that there can be a lot to gain from going out of your comfort zone.”
Connor Yass is currently a double major in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics here at UWW. On top of his coursework, Connor took on the additional challenge of pursuing an Undergraduate Research project.
With a strong interest in gaining more real world experience in 3D-printing, Connor took on a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship through the Undergraduate Research Program. Along with his mentor Dr. Lynn Gilbertson from UWW’s Communication Science department and fellow students Tiffany Bianco and Julia Clayton, he worked through the summer to develop a digital model of a human larynx that can be 3D-Printed by anyone.
“She [Dr. Gilbertson] had an idea for project in mind but needed someone with 3D printing experience, so I was actually referred to her by someone else who had seen my previous work in the field.”
Yass hopes that the resulting model will provide more opportunity for hands on learning in the field of human anatomy. As the model would be accessible to anyone with a 3D printer, the project has the potential to help students and teachers all over.
“The goal of our research was to create something that anyone could use to learn more about the human body. Hopefully some day we can release our designs and 3D models online so that people around the world can use it and learn from it themselves.”
Connor feels that his time spent working on his project and participating in the Undergraduate Research Program has benefitted him greatly, providing meaningful opportunities and experiences.
“My public speaking skills, time management skills, and creative problem solving skills have all been tested and enhanced because of my participation in the UR program.”
To all those looking to take on some form of undergraduate research, Connor has some inspiring words:
” I know it can be nerve-racking to take on such a big responsibility, but the skills you will gain and the doors it will open for you are much bigger. Participating in the Undergraduate Research program is a phenomenal way to learn more about a particular interest you might have, and also teach others about your findings.”
Anyone interested in the Undergraduate Research Program should head over to our website at uww.edu/urp or send us an email to urp@uww.edu.