Abigail Parsons

What is the focus of your research as part of the Undergraduate Research Fellows Program?

The focus of my research is testing the thermal properties of new composite materials being made in the laboratory and comparing results of different composites to determine the optimal combinations if the material were to be used as a heat insulator. I also have also been improving a calibration structure I designed to calibrate heat flux meters, which are used in the data collection for my research.

What do you enjoy most about conducting undergraduate research?

I really enjoy being able to apply what I have learned in my courses in a practical environment, learning new things through observations in my research, and the satisfaction of overcoming challenges by developing solutions to real problems that are a part of the research process.

What are your future academic and professional plans?

My future plans are to apply the skills I have developed in research, and my education during an upcoming engineering internship, and to continue my research during my master's in architectural engineering with KU next fall.