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When Trustee Scholar Katie Barillas ’04 (Bethlehem, Pa.) learned the topic of her EXCEL project this summer, she was nervous. Working with Arthur Kney, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, and Javad Tavakoli, associate professor and head of chemical engineering, Barillas is researching how a magnetic field affects ions in a solution.
“After I found out what the topic was, I was scared,” admits Barillas, a chemical engineering major. “We are working with magnetic fields, a subject that I dreaded, as many do. I had to go out to the library and read everything I could find about magnetic fields and ion exchange materials.”
Despite her initial reservations, Barillas has warmed to the work, particularly
because of the positive environmental impact it may have.
As Kney explains, “The potential is there to remove hardness in water through the use of magnets or ions in solution. This work also has implications for removing heavy metals in a non-chemical way.”
Tavakoli concurs, “These studies may have applications for wastewater treatment processes.”
As one of her first excursions into detailed research and lab work, the EXCEL project has proved challenging for Barillas.
“A realization that I made during this experiment is that not everything comes out with a definite conclusion. Sometimes experiments work and sometimes they don’t,” she says.
Kney echoes that observation. “Students working on projects at this level begin to understand that research isn’t easy. Sometimes it can be discouraging, but ultimately I think this kind of work really builds their confidence.”
For Barillas, the work has stretched her intellectual horizons and, though she is still undecided about her future, it has also influenced her career outlook.
“I have dreamed of what it would be like to work for a research and development department of a large company, and this particular experience is quite similar to that,” she says.
She adds, “Since Lafayette is small, one can approach a professor for just about anything. Lafayette also has some pretty good facilities to work in that allow for research that most people wouldn’t dream of until graduate school.”
Katie Barillas is a member of the International Student Association and the Kids in the Community service program of the Landis Community Outreach Center.
A National Leader in Undergraduate Research. Katie Barillas ’04 was honored for her research at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ national meeting. One of her mentors is Javad Tavakoli, associate professor of chemical engineering.