Sample UTRA Summaries

This past summer, I was able to work with Professor P on a research project entitled, "Numerical Simulations in Liquid Crystals." This project was an excellent opportunity for me to learn about the process of theoretical physics research, in addition to the more explicit goal of learning about liquid crystals and how to simulate them using specifically designed computer programs. There were two main goals to be reserach. They were to gain a survey knowledge of the critical practices of postcolonial studies now current, as well as indepth knowledge of particular texts, thinkers and issues of particular concern and value. This was a group UTRA, and at the beginning of the summer, I worked together with the other students in the lab. We studied the fluid dynamics of bat flight. I defined my individual project, to research the mechanical properties of bat wing skin. I tested the stretchiness of skin from different areas of the wing, analyzing stress-strain relationships. I also made plans to use electromyography to study the muscle activity of the occipto-pollicalus. Our work centers around a corpus of transcripts of child speech in the southern African language Sesotho. My job this summer was to develop computational tools that can analyze the underlying structures of this speech, both at the sentence and the word level. The long term goal is two-fold; to make such tools available to the linguistics community, and to get our data into a more useful form for future research on child language acquisition. Our Project is set up to explore the effects of heavy water (D2O) on a bats ability to navigate safely through a rotating tunnel which we constructed. The heavy water distorts the bats sense of balance in flight and we are looking to determine how the bat reacts and potentially compensates for the distortion. We do this by filming the bat as it flies through the rotating tunnel both when it as consumed a measured dosage of the heavy water as well as when it has consumed the same measured dosage of regular water. The flights are to be digitally converted and analyzed using specific computer programs and interpreted by us. Architecture of the Night is a study of the illumination of skyscrapers in the 1920's and 1930's in the United States and abroad. This phenomenon originated in World Fair's across the globe and was gradually naturalized into the urban context. Despite the costs of such displays and the culture of consumption associated with electrical light spectacles, the practice continued and grew throughout the Depression years in the US. My particular area of work involved compiling a catalog of interesting and important illuminations installations as well as research into the conditions that permitted and encourage the growth of floodlighting in the Depression.