Bon Voyage! Ball State IN LSAMP Scholar accepted to the France/Belgium REU

Charles (Chuck) Barrios, a 2017-18 IN LSAMP Scholar at Ball State University, is selected to attend the 2018 France/Belgium iREU supported by the National Science Foundation. He will be working with Dr. Rachel Auzely in Grenoble.

This opportunity will expose Mr. Barrios to the international community of science, allowing him to experience first-hand the collaborative nature of research between universities, national laboratories, and companies. He will be immersed in a foreign culture, broadening his understanding of what it means to be an active participant in an international effort. He will be given an opportunity to present his research at a poster session, as well as collaborate on publications and presentations at national and local conferences.

Barrios shares his advice for students seeking experiences abroad:

Start gaining experience as soon as possible. There is 0 doubt I would have failed getting this REU if it hadn’t been for my research experience. Another tip would be to apply to multiple internships and REU’s. Applications are usually free so you should not be deterred from applying to ones that may seem out of your league. You never know what you may get accepted into (trust me I know).

Become very familiar with your future project. You should have a basic outline of what you’re doing and also a list of techniques to practice before you leave. This will give you ample time to prepare so you can reduce the amount of time of the training phase.

I want to express my gratitude to my research mentor, Dr. Cori Jenkins (pictured left), Dr. Anita Gnezda (IN LSAMP coordinator) and Dr. Patricia Lang (IN LSAMP director) for dedicating time and working hard to give me opportunities to help me grow during my time in undergrad.

The IN LSAMP family wishes Chuck Barrios much success in France!