"I was excited to have an opportunity to do some research, especially with a college level advisor," says Vrishank Malik, a high school senior.
Vrishank Malik worked with the Roaring Cubs Collective (RCC) in Summer 2024 in our flagship STEM Research Scholars Program (SRSP). The summer before his senior year, Vrishank was paired with mentor Jillian Steinmetz who attends Cornell University and will be graduating this May with a B.A. in physics.
Vrishank has always been interested in weather patterns, climate change, and meteorology, so being paired with Jillian was the perfect match. At Cornell, Jillian conducts geophysics research, studying the glaciology of Greenland. Under Jillian's guidance, Vrishank wrote an article titled "Hydrological Dynamics of Greenland Lakes: Understanding the Process in Which Rapid Drainage Can Occur" in our Summer 2024 Publication.
But Vrishank and Jillian's collaboration didn't stop there. After SRSP, Vrishank aided Jillian in her geophysics research at Cornell Hydrology, Ice, and Radar Physics (CHIRP) Lab. This experience not only solidified his academic interests but also deepened Jillian’s enthusiasm for mentoring.
Reflecting on Their Experience with RCC
"I had no idea what buried lakes were. Yeah, I knew where Greenland was. I knew what hydrology was. But I never really went into that field. And I think RCC allowed me to dive more deep into what scientists actually do and especially into something that I had no idea about...I got to know more about the CHIRP lab at Cornell, something I'm looking forward to," Vrishank shares.
Jillian adds, "[I] realized how much I enjoy mentoring students, and thinking about [continuing] after I graduate...And then it's also just really cool to hear what high school students are interested in...I learned a lot from them just by helping them with their projects."
Looking ahead, Vrishank will be attending Cornell University in Fall 2025, and Jillian plans to gain work experience before returning to academia to continue mentoring future scientists. We can't wait to see where their journeys take them next!
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