TREND
Undergraduate research program in nonlinear dynamics
- Program name: TREND (Training and Research Experiences in Nonlinear Dynamics)
- Funding: $2M
- Website: trend.umd.edu
- Duration: 2003 - present (on pause as of 2025)
- My involvement: 2014 - 2025
TREND is an undergraduate summer research program funded by NSF. About 10 undergrads from across the country visit UMD each summer to undertake mentored research in nonlinear dyamics.
As Program Manager and then PI, I led and execute all program activities: advertisement, recruitment, admissions, event planning, progress tracking, assessment, budgeting, and reporting.
Some of my unique contributions:
- Designed the program visual brand, along with recruitment flyers and event banners (samples below)
- Curated and ran weekly research and professional development seminar series
- Mentored students individually in creating multimedia products to learn broad science communication
- Designed and taught workshop on making science comics for undergrads to develop broad science communication skills
- Designed and facilitated dialogue workshop series on the cultural and social implications of science
- Established collaboration with the UMD Physics Department to include experiential education outreach opportunities for TREND participants
- Enhanced community building by developing and running team activities (e.g. makerspace team challenge, cohort t-shirt design)
Associated grants: