Each year, Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering asks our students engaged in summer research to tell us about themselves, their work and the goals of the research they are working with professors on. This year, the questionnaire was completed by intrepid scientists, mathematicians, engineers and tech experts on campus at Loyola Marymount University — and beyond the bluff!
Salvador Ruiz ‘28, an electrical engineering student whose research was overseen by professor Xiangyi Cheng, worked this summer on an assistive device to help with rehab exercises for the hand.
Can you describe your research for those outside your field of study?
We are building a pair of rehabilitation gloves which help people perform rehabilitation exercises by themselves.
What do you think readers will find most interesting about your project?
Those who are pursuing medical majors would be interested because it would help their patients recover for the surgeries that they went through and the injuries that they treated for.
What have you learned about doing research that other students might benefit from?
Some lessons that students learn while working on research is that it’s important to know what methods others who had similar ideas than your project had because you don’t want to make the same mistakes that they could have made and that from the beginning you should have in mind that it’s possible that your project doesn’t end up going anywhere but you shouldn’t be disappointed by that.
In your experience, how does doing research complement coursework?
It gives you hands on experience with materials and you’ll need yo use and it also allows you to practice the skills that you were taught in your courses.
What advice would you give to someone on the fence about doing research?
I would advise them to try it because it’s an amazing opportunity that allows them to build commutation skills and allows them to try different specialties for your major before you actually have to decide it for your course work.