Reflective Essay

Throughout my undergraduate years at TRU, I have had the privilege of participating in many research activities. From literature reviews to conferences, I have experienced them all, but the most influential research activity I got to engage in was my UREAP 2024 summer project with Dr. Brewer. Throughout that summer, I acquired a range of skills and knowledge, such as developing my research article comprehension and gaining a deep understanding of the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) instrument. I also worked on my flexibility in the lab and maintaining a work-life balance, specifically while juggling my research, part-time job, and personal relationships. During my summer project, my experiment’s plan had to shift rapidly when the availability of an essential reagent was hindered, stopping my project in its tracks for a month. This reagent, trifluoroacetic anhydride, was the pinnacle of my research, and no other reagent was able to replace it. 

The first challenge that this reagent presented is that it needs to be kept under a nitrogen atmosphere. This gave me the opportunity to learn how to utilize a glove bag under a nitrogen atmosphere which is not done during typical chemistry lab courses. Since the glove bag is not commonly used at TRU, I had to design and build a frame to hold it up which allowed me to expand my scope outside of analytical chemistry and take a small step into engineering. The second challenge that the reagent presented was that it was unavailable to reorder for a month. During this month, I could not proceed with my experiment, but instead of wasting a valuable month, I spent my time learning a brand-new method that I could compare to my original method. This forced me to gain flexibility in the lab and introduced me to new techniques.

This research project was dedicated to developing a new method for detecting and determining the concentration of haloacetic acids (HAAs) in local water samples, including tap, swimming pool, and hot tub water. There were several factors that made this work important. Firstly, the health effects of high HAAs. When consumed, high concentrations of HAAs are linked to liver and lung cancer. With the Canadian federal government setting a limit of 80 ppb of combined HAAs to prevent negative health effects, it is essential to be able to detect these carcinogens in our water. The HAAs are formed in our water when it is sanitized with chlorinated or brominated products, which is what our local municipality uses to keep our drinking water safe. While the City of Kamloops tests for HAAs annually, the federal government actually recommends quarter-annual testing. Developing a new method leads to factor two, accessibility of testing. While there is a standard EPA method for analyzing HAAs in water, a GC-ECD instrument is required. Of course, not every lab will have the ECD, but by expanding to the use of GC-MS there will be more access to detecting HAAs. 

This research has already greatly impacted my future. As all students do, I was still figuring out exactly what I wanted my career to be in my 3^rd year. While many ideas had floated around my head, nothing was concrete. After getting to spend my summer in the chemistry lab, I found that there was nowhere else I would rather be. Before, I had brushed off the idea of furthering my education after my Bachelor’s degree as just a dream, but I now cannot see myself being satisfied with just a Bachelor’s after performing my research. This spurred me to investigate pursuing a Master’s degree, after which I fell in love with the idea. Performing undergraduate research has altered my life’s plan, and encouraged me to look outside of the standard industry jobs. While pursuing a Master’s is currently a long-term plan, this experience will also assist me in the short term as it will be displayed on my resume and showcase the skills mentioned above.

Over the course of my project, my perception of research was greatly altered. When I first entered the world of academia, my thought process was very cut and dry. The system felt like it was pass or fail, good results or no results. There was no space for the in-between states of research. Throughout my undergraduate degree, I have learned that is not the case at all. Research lies in the world of greys. By performing my own research, I quickly had to face the reality that my results would never be perfect, and even what I would have considered as bad results were actually good. The system of good and bad results in research was flawed. As I have discovered, all results further my knowledge of the subject and provide intimate details of how the world operates.

As my time doing research has passed, I have noticed a significant shift in my communication styles. When I was a student in high school, my main writing style was very creative. Everything could be told in the way of a story, with flowery language and a lot of beating around the bush. I had struggled to write more formally, or in other words, scientifically. The switch to more formal writing was very gradual. Through endless lab reports and paper analysis, my style changed completely. While I still take joy in writing like I did in high school, my writing is straight to the point. This has altered my communication style drastically, making professional writing my default setting. Since I no longer have to think about being formal while writing, it makes report and email writing natural. This has made professional communication instinctive, which only brings positives when corresponding with other academics and potential employers.

Overall, my undergraduate research experience proved to be a net positive on my short-term and long-term future.