Persistence in Practice by Aidan Carey

When I first began my summer research, I had only a small crumb of an idea of what I had gotten myself into. While I did learn a significant amount about my field, the skillset I began developing is what I consider my most valuable takeaway.

Fundamentally, the main thing it takes to do research is a strong degree of motivation and perhaps a bit of stubbornness. It’s a lot like running a 10K race. With training, most people have the ability somewhere within themselves – but no one can do it for you, it has to come from within.

Through my process, I learned that research requires self-determination, trust, communication, confidence, and persistence. At a glance, you might think: “that just sounds like a laundry list of generic positive values.” Point being, by the end of the summer, I had learned to know these “positive values” so that they now resonated on a personal level. My hope is that if you engage with research, you’ll feel the same way.

To be honest, I don’t think it’s possible to learn these values secondhand. I could cry from the rooftops about the benefits of research but the bare truth is that you are not going to learn these lessons unless you, yourself, go out and give it a shot.

Certainly, I also gained significant new knowledge about my field. My experience began with a project that ultimately became an independent study in Electrical Engineering. The goal was to build, from scratch, a self-standing audio amplifier that could be plugged into a standard wall outlet and function properly without catching on fire – much more of a challenge than you might expect! This project was chosen because the design was exceedingly well documented, which meant it would be easier to solve any technical pitfalls that arose.

Soon after, I accepted an invitation to a second project working on code and electronics testing for cochlear implants with the Applied Hearing Sciences Lab at UW Seattle, a project highly relevant to my previous background as an audio engineer. I felt there was no way I could turn it down. Against my better judgment, I was now involved in not one, but two distinct projects.

After brainstorming, my solution was ultimately to maintain my 5 credit independent study in the Audio Amplifier Project to focus on engineering fundamentals and use the Cochlear Implant Project as a 1 credit opportunity to get acquainted with the field for future research (which I’ll continue for another 6-12+ months).

As biomedical devices that augment patients’ hearing, cochlear implants run advanced math in order to process audio (math that one might need a graduate education to fully grasp and quite daunting for me as an undergraduate). Since cochlear implants are implanted into the inner ear (with close proximity to many nervous structures), there is lengthy testing, review, and documentation in order to ensure that their code is ready to be used with human patients without potential for side effects like dizziness, vertigo, and more.

Working on two difficult projects at the same time was no small feat. The biggest challenges were time-management and switching contexts. Partway through the Amplifier project, it also became clear that there was no possible way to get it done by the initial deadline. Dr. Jesi Egan, Director of Undergraduate Research, was supportive and helped me workshop ways that I could modify my project timeline and communicate with my advisor.

If, and when, you face problems in research – I have learned it is absolutely key to not give up and, instead, workshop creative solutions before you “throw in the towel”. Some things are going to be messy and progress can be nonlinear. You have to stay flexible and open to looking at problems under a variety of lenses.

With the complexities I faced, I never would’ve made sense of such a “gordian knot” without open communication with my advisors and resources like 1-on-1 mentorship with Dr. Egan. So, remember to use your resources! My opinion is that we are incredibly fortunate to have support from the Office of Connected Learning and I sincerely hope that funding and opportunities will be maintained for others to walk the same path.

I won’t sugar-coat it, research is difficult and I don’t think it comes naturally to almost anyone. It will humble you, make you doubt everything you know, and more. I’m here to reassure you that there is an immense degree of satisfaction that comes when you are finally able to come out on the other side.

Learn more about the Research & creative projects for undergrads at UW Bothell.