Are you wondering what a day in the life of a UNH student looks like? Welcome back to our Day in the Life of a UNH Wildcat blog series, where we put the spotlight on students from different academic majors and class years.
Today, Pedro '26, a McNair scholar, walks us through a summer day in his life, presenting research he did through the UNH John Olson Advanced Manufacturing Center at the UCLA McNair Conference.
Meet Pedro Doukas '26
Hometown: Dover, NH
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Pedro Doukas
The McNair Scholars Program, a TRIO program, helps first-generation, low-income and minority students go to graduate school. It offers undergraduate research experience to these students and helps them attend conferences to present their research. This program allows me to take all the skills I have built in the past and shine a spotlight on them while gaining even more research experience, propelling my ability to get into grad schools.
My research is with the John Olson Advanced Manufacturing Center, in collaboration with Purdue and Baylor University, as a part of the NSF grant Understanding the Sustainability Framework for Convergent In-Space Manufacturing. My study aims to determine if robotic blacksmithing is a viable method of manufacturing for in-space applications. Here's a day in my life presenting my research over the summer at the UCLA McNair Conference.
Morning
8 a.m.
I sit in the lobby of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Luskin Conference Center with my peers excitedly awaiting the start of the UCLA McNair Conference. This conference is a place where all McNair students from across the U.S. can present their research, network with peers and engage with graduate school.
Waiting for the start of the UCLA McNair Conference.
9 a.m.
My McNair peers and I get on the bus to the University of Southern California (USC) to take a tour of the campus. I'm looking forward to hearing about their engineering programs and looking at the labs they have on campus.
My McNair peers and I on the bus to the University of Southern California (USC) to take a tour of the campus.
Afternoon
1:30 p.m.
I present my research to other McNair scholars from across the country. The conference is interdisciplinary, covering topics including English, philosophy, biology and engineering. This allows me to practice and improve my ability to explain complex topics to a general audience.
Presenting my research to other McNair scholars from across the country.
4:30 p.m.
My McNair peers and I go for walk to explore LA near campus. We run into a building with a hazard identification sign. The sign shows that there are level 4 hazards, the most dangerous level, in each category, health, flammability and reactivity. Of course, because we are all nerds and most work in labs we have to get a photo.
While exploring LA, we ran into this building with a hazard identification sign.
Evening
7:30 p.m.
We are in LA, so we have to celebrate a successful conference with a special dinner you can’t find near Durham. My friends and I go to a Korean barbecue restaurant, and it's an amazing experience. The all-you-can-eat dinner leaves me bursting at the seams.
Eating Korean barbecue for dinner.
10 p.m.
To end this long and eventful day, I take a trip to the beach. You have to go to the beach if you are in California, even if it is for a conference and you are only able to go at night. The water is surprisingly cold to me, nearly identical to what we have here by the Seacoast. There are groups setting up fire pits in the sand and the atmosphere is so relaxing.
To end this long and eventful day, I took a trip to the beach.
I want to thank UNH and the McNair Scholars program for granting me the opportunity to attend this conference, my mentor, Dr. Brad Kinsey, for allowing me to join him and for his continuous support of my research, and my McNair peers for always supporting me in my research. Finally, one last thank you to my family for always being there for me and helping me. Plus, a home-cooked meal is always a nice touch. This trip was so fun I can’t wait to go to Maryland for the next one!
- Read all of our Day in the Life blogs.
- Learn more about the McNair Scholars Program at UNH.
- See the John Olson Advanced Manufacturing Center at UNH.
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Durga's UNH Day in the Life
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