Reflections

2000

Tracey Anderson

I am honored to have had the opportunity to spend a summer in China back in 2000. I learned so much about how different from mine, and also how similar, another culture can be. I enjoyed my time in Qingdao and brought home thousands of pictures and countless tales of my adventures. My project was not directly in my area of expertise, and it was amazing to learn so much about a new topic in such a short time. At the same time, I gained confidence in my ability to navigate a new city, and embrace new experiences and new cultures, in a place with a language that I didn't speak and had difficulty learning. Those experiences inspired me to pursue other international adventures - since then, I've traveled around the globe to over 15 countries on my own, and have worked overseas. I have enjoyed every minute of those trips and look forward to many more in the future. It was truly amazing to spend several months in one place and really get to know it.

There was so much to do in Qingdao - I got pretty good at using the bus system and visiting as many temples and parks and tourist sights as I could. One of my favorite things to do was spend time by the ocean. I grew up in the Midwest and I couldn't get enough of the coast - I went to the waterfront and the pier, or visited one of the beaches, just about every day.

2001

Wei Li

I spent two summers in Dalian (2001, 2002) as part of the REU China program through Clarkson University and Dr. Hayley Shen and Dr. Hung Tao Shen. I applied to REU China to get research experience and to build my resume for applying to graduate school and jobs. It was also a great opportunity to travel to China. I returned to Dalian for REU China the following summer as a student coordinator in Dalian for the program.

I was a civil engineering major in college and got placed in the Dalian University of Technology Civil Engineering Department. For my two summers in the REU program, I assisted my professor and graduate students in performing verification and validation of their finite element software. This is directly related to what I do at my current job - numerical analysis, specifically nonlinear dynamic finite element analysis.

Through the REU China program, I got to travel internationally. That experience helped me get comfortable traveling abroad, even to places where I don't know the language. I also got to meet some great people in the program, including a couple people that I am still good friends with more than 10 years later.

2002

Margaret Knuth

It may sound trite but I can honestly say the China REU changed the path of my life. As a rising senior at the University of Miami, studying physics and marine science, I thought I was destined for a tropical career. But in 2002 when I applied and was accepted to the program all of that changed. I spent my summer in Qingdao working on a sea ice model for the Bohai Sea (that was also my first time ever out of the country - so lots of firsts!) . It was the perfect project for my background, but an area I had never even given a moments thought. That was the start of my love of the polar regions. After a great summer experience and graduation from Miami, I went on to work with Dr. Hayley Shen at Clarkson for my Masters degree working on sea ice. To this day I have continued working in the polar regions (and have seriously expanded my travel portfolio as I've been to Antarctica and Greenland over 10 times). And luckily for me, I can count many people I met in the program as friends and mentors that I will hold onto forever.

Katrina Ligett

The summer in China was a great adventure for me; I've never done anything else like it, before or since. Getting such intimate exposure to life (research life, and life in general) in a country so different from my own was challenging and very rewarding. Even though my current research interests are very far from the work I did in China, the experience I gained remains relevant. I'm very grateful for everyone who made this program possible and who took such good care of us while we were there!

Jason Meyer

I participated in the REU China Program during the summer of 2002, conducting optimization research at the Dalian University of Technology in Dalian, China. This experience has affected me deeply over the years, in many different ways. It was the first time I had spent significant time outside of the US. Living and working on campus for the summer provided me the opportunity to more richly explore Dalian, China, and local Chinese culture in a way that being a tourist would not provide. I still remember tai chi lessons at 6am, English corner, buying baozi from the nearby street vendor, eating at our favorite local Muslim noodle shop, watching World Cup games in public squares, and making lasting friendships with Chinese students. As a result, this experience has inspired a life-time of travel and a broader perspective on the world. I have since taught math and science to children in Vanuatu through the Peace Corps, worked with the US State Department in Fiji, conducted research in the Dominican Republic, and am currently establishing organizational partnerships across the Arctic, including Canada, Iceland, and Norway. The cultural experience from China has instilled a personal mindset of being a perpetual student, seeking to learn more about myself, my settings, and those around me. This has led to tremendous personal growth which, while not always easy, has been very rewarding and has changed my perspective on many issues for the better. The REU program exposed me to graduate-level research, allowing me to experience not only the hard work and dedication involved, but also the product of such efforts and the practical role that research plays. I have since received my Masters in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School, partially inspired from this experience. I currently work at the Alaska Center for Energy and Power, an applied energy research center within the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Through this position, I have a passion in mentoring and supervising graduate students; I seek to not only facilitate their academic pursuit, but inspire them regarding the context of their research and the role it plays in energy solutions for Alaska. Finally, through the experience in China, I have made lasting friendships with many of the other participating students and organizers. Many of us were roommates while living on campus, not only commiserating about daily research activities but exploring and experiencing China together. Although we only occasionally get together (we are spread out all across the world), we always stay in touch and take the time to remember the adventures we had in China.

Amy Pickering

This program was my first time living abroad and conducting my own research project as an undergraduate student. The experience began my love for international travel and gave me the tools necessary to go into a career in international environmental engineering research. I learned the value of collaborating with international scientists and how to design and carry out my own experiments. The work I completed the summer of 2005 under my Chinese mentor also led to my first academic peer-reviewed manuscript. Now a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University, I have a deep appreciation for people who made the program possible and the mentorship they have provided to myself and many other students over the years.

Erin Reisinger

My summer in China was probably similar to a lot of other REUers, great memories from a very unique opportunity, but it has definitely been the years after where my appreciation for this experience has grown from the relationships I made.

There were obviously the very exciting and fun parts, working with graduate students on crushing concrete, eating lunch for 25 cents a day (most delicious pork buns and dumplings from a cart on the side of the road, who knew?), learning to speak some Mandarin, and exploring a "small city" of 8 million people and feeling like a celebrity when the Chinese people ask to take a picture with you and feel your blonde hair. And there were the interesting parts too, taking a shower where you practically had to stand on the toilet, not being sure of exactly what food you ordered ("Are we 100% sure this is chicken??"), crazy cab drivers, and literally being chased by people who want to practice their English with you (although we did meet some very nice people this way -- they give themselves 'American' names, I ended up becoming quite the Pen Pal with a girl named Cinderella).

However, my most memorable part of China was about 2 years ago at my wedding when my Maid of Honor stood up to give her speech during our reception and started by saying "For all of you who don't know me, I met Erin when we were living in China together. She was my roommate and I knew from the first day that we would be best friends." That's what I call a successful program!

2003

2004

Jenni Currit

I just want to take this chance to thank all the people for putting together a remarkable experience that continues to inform and enrich my life. I remember discussing Chinese history on the Great Wall, singing Karaoke late into the night, and working long hours in the lab and of course eating eating eating (I still can talk for hours about the good food). I think what has remained with me most are the many conversations with the other REU students as we explored and experienced a new culture and way of thinking and interacting with the world. The varied experiences of the students from all over the country was invaluable as I shaped my vision of the world. I still think back to specific conversations we had as we tried to make sense of all that we were doing and seeing. What a fabulous time!!! I have a special respect for the Shens as unique mentors because they accepted both my husband and I to the program and were examples to us of a couple that worked and explored together. As we have moved on from that experience (and had 3 kids in the 8 years since we were in China) we continue to draw on the memories we created together and the respect we continue to have for the Shens.

Danny Currit

What an amazing experience! Participating in the program had a significant impact on my life in many ways. The research experience and the interaction with top students from all over the country helped convince me to pursue a graduate degree in engineering. I am so grateful to the mentors for their patient mentoring while I worked on my project. I didn't really know much about structural engineering and optimization and I'm sure this showed in the early drafts of my report. However, by the end I felt like I had really accomplished something to be proud of. Learning about the Chinese culture and seeing engineering on the global scene has continued to pay dividends as I now work for a large company and design skyscrapers all over the world. I still find myself telling people stories about my adventures in China, and will always have great memories of my time there.

Hali Mohammed

I have had lots of great research opportunities in my relatively short career. However, my REU China experience was indeed the most rewarding both personally and professionally. I have a very diverse background, so the idea of a research in a Chinese university/culture alone was fulfilling. The most important lesson I learned whilst in China was that culture has a great influence on how research is done. The research that I did was sufficient enough that I used it as my honors thesis. I wish this is not the end of such a wonderful eye opener and opportunity for students and the directors as a whole and hope someone will take over continues to run this program for others to benefit from this great opportunity.

Some fun memories of my experience: The food was wow, the hospitality of the Chinese people was just amazing. The “nyanro” (meat on the stick) was delicious. I had it every single day I was in China. As a Bioorganic Chemist, I still continue to maintain ties with friends and colleagues I met in China during this program and we continue to bounce research ideas off each other. During this trip, I had the privilege of making friends with one of the finest people one can imagine. Among them are Jeni and Danny Currit. Love them and have great deal of respect for them.

2005

Sophie Taintor

The China REU program was an incredible experience that furthered my interest in research, working abroad, and learning about new cultures. I'll never forget the dedication of the mentors, the helpfulness of the graduate student I worked with, the friendships with the other students in my group, the new foods we tried, and the fun trips we made to the Great Wall, Shanghai, Qingdao and around Dalian. The program influenced my decision to conduct research abroad as a graduate student, and to later join the Foreign Service with the US Agency for International Development (USAID), where I work currently. With USAID, I lived in El Salvador for two years and am now at a four-year tour in Tel Aviv, working for the West Bank and Gaza office. Living in China showed me how fun it is to work with people from different countries and make new friends while exploring a whole new place. It is an experience I will never forget, and the influence it had on my later career decisions makes me realize how important it is for undergraduates to have opportunities like this.

Chris Hannemann

Many students get the chance to study abroad, but very few get the opportunity to actually work in a foreign country. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the sightseeing and adventurous eating, the most valuable time I spent in Dalian was probably the most mundane sounding: interacting daily with the street vendors outside the school, talking with the students on campus, and seeing how our foreign counterparts approached their daily lives. By being more than just week-long visitors, we got to see, know, and experience aspects of a culture that we would otherwise only read about. I have very fond memories of my time in the program, and I still keep in touch with a handful of the students that I worked with, both from the NSF program and from Dalian University of Technology.

Nick Kvaltine

The summer I spent in China was one of the best times of my life. I had so many amazing experiences working with Chinese students and living in China it would be hard to overstate the impact it has had on me. I was inspired by both the Chinese students I met and my fellow REU program members to be adventurous and try new things. There are no shortage of new and interesting things to eat, but it's the people that leave the most lasting impact. Although there are many things that are different about Chinese culture, I learned through my experiences that the things we have in common far outweigh the differences. This, along with a sense of perspective I gained from being in a foreign land with practically no command of the language, really helped me to empathize with the foreign students I would meet in graduate school.

Zachary Sun

Reflecting back, I would say the REU experience in Qingdao was instrumental in helping me decide and enter a research-oriented career. As my first true research experience, the REU introduced me to what the "day-to-day" would be like as a graduate student, and the freedom that came with having an open-ended question I could seek to answer! Even though I ended up in a completely different field, the REU put me on a path to research which I continue 8 years later. Thanks to all the people for organizing the effort; they were truly monumental in making the REU experience excellent!

Angie Pendergrass

My REU experience in China was the first time I left North America in my life, and is still my only experience living and working in a foreign culture and location. Personally, living in China has given me great confidence in my ability to navigate life and the world. If I could eat and even work in an unfamiliar place where I was only just learning to read and speak, I can get by almost anywhere. Professionally, experience working abroad makes me a much better colleague to those who are from other cultures, and for the many people I work with who are new to the US. Eight years later, I'm finishing my PhD and starting a postdoc, and having academic experience abroad is particularly relevant. Of course, I also got the travel bug in China, and hopefully I'll be able to spend more time abroad in my life. Finally, the people I met in China and in the REU program are still some of the most interesting people I know, who do all kinds of inspiring things.

2006

Lee Pearson

I was a summer 2006 REU student at Dalian University of Technology. It is hard to believe it has been 7 years since my summer in China as I still remember it quite vividly. From the day hike in the Huashan mountains outside of Xian on our away trip, to the weekend nights singing karaoke on the street corner in Dalian, to the many long weekdays spent running tests on a 50 meter long wave flume in the huge laboratory at DUT. The summer program sparked my interest in independent research which subsequently led me to Australia on a Fulbright Scholarship and to England for PhD studies at Imperial College London. The focus of my research has changed a lot since China, but the drive for conducting good scientific research in a multicultural environment has had a lasting impact on my career trajectory. I am forever grateful for the opportunity!

Alex Dorsk

In the summer of 2006 I smashed icebergs and ate dogs. I was a participant in the 2006 Marine Science and Engineering summer REU program in China. It was an invaluable experience that I will remember and learn from throughout my life.

The primary focus of the program was marine science, and my research focused on how ice fields move and fracture. I was fortunate to work with Dr. Ji Shunying, a patient and gracious researcher who taught me much about the art of computational modeling and the perils of ice. I learned that ice that is just a few inches thick can topple an oil platform if strikes with just the right rhythm. I learned that developing a useful model requires persistence, and that model results must always be considered carefully. These were lessons that I took with me when I later continued my career in the marine sciences as an engineer and software developer.

However, the science was only part of my education that summer. Just as important, if not more, was the experience of living in China, tasting, hearing, and inhaling China every second of the day for two months. The people I met revealed to me a totally different conception of life and society. A different sense of the balance between individuals and society, a different sense of the environment, a different sense of identity.

A few brief sketches: Parents flying kites with their children in the public squares. Piles and piles of coal beside train tracks. Whole squid on a stick with chili sauce at the Olympic soccer stadium. Construction everywhere. The savage roar of the crowd in the student auditorium during a world cup game between Japan and Croatia.

For me these experiences and many, many others opened windows in my mind to different ways of seeing the world and the people in it. I continue to think about my time in China and the people I met to this day.

I feel fortunate to have been part of the program, and I am grateful to my fellow participants, our hosts in China, the NSF, and mentors of the program. I am still inspired by their energy, intelligence, and generosity of spirit.

2007

Tyler Haak

Participating in the REU Program was one of the truly important experiences of my life. I will probably always be able to remember when Hayley called me to let me know that I'd been accepted into the program and that I'd be spending my summer in China (like many other students who have gone through this program, I was studying for an exam at the time of the call). At that point, I'd never been out of the US and couldn't have been more excited and anxious for the trip. As one small example of how that summer changed me, I have since visited over 20 foreign countries, can get around pretty well with Mandarin and am in the process of learning two other languages. While providing me with more exposure to the rest of the world and foreign cultures, the experience also of course helped propel me to acceptance into a Master's program in Energy & Atmosphere Engineering. Today, I use that knowledge to specify and sell building automation systems in Pittsburgh in a job that I value and enjoy. My MS gives me instant credibility in most professional situations, and I have a work-life balance that I enjoy. I have achieved a number of goals to this point that I wouldn't have been able to meet without the confidence and perspective that this program helped me gain.

Surely, people behind the program are aware of the significance of the research they have been able to generate through this program, but I hope they are also equally aware of the way they have been able to shape the lives of the students they've put through this program. This extends beyond the Americans, and to the Chinese that we've worked with as well. I can remember how hard it was for all of us to say goodbye, and I think about them often. To this day I'm still close friends with several of the American students that I spent my summer with, and have traveled with them in Europe, visited them in places like Boston, New York, New Orleans and Miami, and will be attending one of their weddings this summer. The program directors brought top quality people into my program, and I have continued to learn from them and be inspired by them well past our time spent together in Dalian and Qingdao. I am much, much better off for knowing them. With all of these things considered, it is bittersweet for me to hear that this program is coming to an end this year. I would love for 15 high-achieving college students to get an opportunity like this every year forever, but its end is a reminder of how lucky we were. It's also a reminder of how rare and remarkable it was to assemble (entirely from scratch) such a far-reaching, ambitious and successful program for as long as it did.

I'm not sure if this tradition still holds true, but when we returned from China we had peanut butter jelly sandwiches and milk waiting for us in our rooms back in Potsdam. It was the first time any of us had seen American comfort food like this in months, and I was as excited as anyone else at the incredibly thoughtful gesture. It signified the end of a challenging, rewarding experience and a job well-done. I don't have enough money to buy the PB&J's that I think they deserve to celebrate their conclusion to this program, but I do hope to see them again someday to give them the thanks and praise they deserve.

Ryan Watkins

Although my trip to China was quite some time ago, I still vividly remember the experience. For me, the trip was one of firsts: it was my first research experience and my first trip out of the United States. Culturally, I'll never forget playing soccer with the locals, traveling the city, and the excitement and terror of ordering from a menu in which many of us could not read (for instance ordering what we thought were chicken legs at a restaurant, only to find out later that we actually ordered duck heads). With respect to research, I remember both the incredible frustration of not understanding and/or not being able to get something to work and the immense satisfaction of eventually tackling the problem. Most significantly, I remember the interaction with the graduate students with whom we worked. At school they mentored us with respect to our research while, out in the city, they introduced us to the culture and truly became our friends.

The REU China program not only affected me while I was in China, but also when I got home. It encouraged me to pursue research and acted as a spring board for many of my later achievements, helping me to win scholarships, fellowships, and ultimately to be accepted into graduate school. It taught me about the benefits of international collaboration, motivating my currently work with a research colleague in France. Most importantly, it taught me to appreciate other cultures and see the world outside the narrow lens of life within the United States.

2008

Hao Su

Five years have passed since the one glorious summer in which I discovered a completely different world, a completely different way of living, and a completely different me, yet I still cherish every moment of it like it was just yesterday. I remember perfectly clear the bond we initiated as a group before we left for China, and the network which we still hold to this very day. China was an eye-opening experience for many of us, and for many of us an experience we took full advantage of. Working with our Chinese research colleagues really brought out the very best in us - we all wanted to show why we were chosen to be there and why the universities we studied at are regarded as the best in the world. It was truly stunning to be at the cutting edge of advanced materials development and a great honor to be working alongside the brightest students in a country of more than a billion people. All of us were able to travel around the country and take a tour of the historical and cultural landmarks, which truly opened our minds to an exotic place we previously were only able to dream about. Along the way we were presented with challenges requiring extraordinary perseverance and creativity to overcome. To a few of us, IRES-China was a highly enjoyable summer. To many of us, it was a life or thought changing experience. To all of us, it was an unforgettable trip, the adventure of a lifetime.

Kathryn Megna

I will always hold memories from the China REU 2008 program close to my heart. Over a 10 week time frame I was immersed in a new environment and culture that bestowed upon me life changing, eye-opening experiences that continue to affect the way I see the world today. The REU China program provided me with exceptional research experience, a new group of life-long friends from the US and China and exciting adventures. I'm truly saddened that this program is coming to a close. The impact that it made on my life was tremendous, I reminisce through pictures when I can. I am glad the program went on as long as it did to let others have a taste of the extraordinary experience.

2009

Matthew Peters

Research, karaoke, pandas, research, mountains, walls, research, biking, haggling, research, sweating, olympics, research, craving cheese, quarantined, and last but not least, research. I could exude story after story based on any of these words from my time spent in China. Each memory stays with me and altogether, that summer provided me many opportunities that I had never experienced before. It provided me with my first research experience (could you tell from the opening that that was emphasized?) and opened me up to the field of Materials Science, the field I will be pursuing my doctorate in the coming years.

However, it wasn't the research that made that summer unique, but all the other journeys that went along with it, specifically communication. For the past two years, I have been teaching elementary science to fourth and fifth graders in New Orleans and have relied heavily upon my time in China for it. One of my first lessons was on atoms and I distinctly remember looking at my class's blank faces when I was finished. They had no idea what had just happened as I scribbled pluses, circles, and minuses all over the white board. I could have been speaking a foreign language for all they knew (can you see the connection already?). When working in China, I learned how to keep things simple and effectively communicate my ideas to a broad audience. Many things got lost in translation if I didn't deliver clear and concise key points, much like a classroom. I knew that procedures were easier done when pictures were drawn, so pictures littered my classroom. I knew that word/picture association helped me remember my Chinese vocabulary so all my science vocab had a simple one word and picture definition. As I leave the classroom as a teacher and enter it again as a student next year, I will continue to rely even more on the skills developed during that summer.

2010

2011

Marc Scimonelli

So my trip to Nanjing in 2011 impacted me in a lot of ways. First, Nanjing is hot and humid all the time. I'm from Maryland, and our summers are similar, but it's different when you're walking every where. I got very used to existing in a layer of my own sweat, and now I can't stand being inside during the summer. I also developed a nearly insatiable thirst for real Chinese food, especially xiao long bao. There were a ton of little things too. I hold my fork like chopsticks now, express exasperation almost exclusively in Chinese, and I get why the international students on campus tend to cluster up in the dining hall. Immersion in a different culture often leaves you craving an opportunity to just express yourself in your native thought patterns. I also want to travel more, and recently (read: 5 minutes ago) applied for an internship opportunity in Africa. I never would have considered this if I hadn't gone to China.

I've also kept in touch with the other students from my trip. I ended up seated next to the same person, who wasn't my roommate, for all 40 hours of plane travel we had, and I'd say that if you can find a way to enjoy being that close to someone for that long, you're always going to be friends.

Chris Frewin

Participating in the IRES REU in China was single-handedly the best decision I made as an undergrad, because it provided me with fantastic foundation in experimental design, technical writing, and scientific presentations. The program gave me first hand insight into what graduate students do and how professors work on their research, neither of which I was able to see during my freshman year. I went into IRES not knowing what professional research was about. I loved it. The experience in China led me to immediately seek professors to start my thesis project at Clarkson University upon returning in the fall. Currently, I'm studying abroad in Austria, specifically because I had the opportunity to do yet another international research project! The choice to study abroad was heavily influenced by my great experience in China.

Experiencing a new culture was also indispensable. I had traveled to Spain in high school, and as one can imagine, culture in Western Europe for the most part is similar to that of the United States. However, I knew that traveling to a country in the eastern hemisphere would be vastly different. I'll never forget the first night in Beijing: the taxi trip from the airport to the hotel, and seeing simply how huge Beijing was. All the sites we saw, including the Bell Towers, the Forbidden City, and of course the Great Wall, were amazing. It was fascinating to literally be stepping more than 1000 years back in time for some of the sites. After all, Beijing itself is more than 3,000 years old! From academics to culture, it was a trip that has had a lasting effect on the way I think and see the world.

2012

Olivia Hoang

Traveling to China was outside of my comfort zone in a few aspects. First, I had never been away from my family or friends. I was born and raised in Austin, TX, and I moved a good 20 minutes away from home when I went to college at the University of Texas at Austin. Second, I had no experience in research. I was completely shocked when I found out I had to come up with my own experiment to research during my time in China. I didn't know where to start.

However, I went into the program with an open mind. I did not know what to expect, but I knew I wanted to make the most out of it. Getting over the loneliness from being away from my family and friends was surprisingly easy in a foreign city. Beijing was always busy and buzzing with people. I made some really interesting friends in Beijing even though I could only speak English with them!

Living in Beijing was a really great experience, and it opened my eyes to a new culture. I NEVER stop talking about the food I ate in Beijing/Shanghai. The soup dumplings that I tried in Shanghai have pretty much changed my life. Also, I wish I could take the subway and my bike everywhere like I did in Beijing.

I loved the fact that everyone in the program with me was extremely active (multiple marathon runners). Every weekend was non-stop exploring even when we were exhausted! Looking back at my calendar, we got to see so much Beijing had to offer.

Going into orientation, I was more interested about what living in Beijing would be like than my research which was a mistake. I was going to Beijing to do research, not to have fun (although, it was a nice plus). I was unprepared. Thankfully, I had the best mentors at the Chinese Academy of Science. I still keep in touch with one of my mentors who wrote me graduate school letters of recommendation.

I think the most important thing I learned in Beijing was how to be independent. I learned so much about myself. Without all my family and friends around me, I was able to slow down and find what I really was interested in. Being accepted into this program and traveling to Beijing has been an experience of a lifetime. It prepared me for graduate school, taught me to be independent, and has opened my eyes to a new culture. I am extremely grateful to the people that allowed this program to happen. So much so that I am on the path to get my PhD to hopefully one day give this experience to another student. Had I not had this research experience, I probably would not be this excited about research, and I definitely would not be going to graduate school next year.

David Mackanic

I'll never forget the day I got the call from Dr. Liu informing me that I had been selected to participate in the IRES China program. I was ecstatic to receive the call, but I had no idea what I was getting into. The time that I spent in China was transformational to say the least. IRES China provided me a way to become fully immersed in a completely foreign culture. I cannot emphasize how unique this opportunity was. Instead of merely visiting China, I was living in China. I obtained a rich understanding of the Chinese culture. Additionally, I learned much about how Chinese academia and research work. For 10 weeks, China became my home.

When I returned to the states, I underwent massive culture shock. However, I don't think the significance of IRES China hit me until much later. Even today, I look back on my experience and am in utter disbelief that I went to China and lived there for so long. I think about my lab, and how their research projects are going. I think about every person I saw on the subway who I never communicated with, and ponder what their lives are like. I think of the Chinese school children I saw on the way to work, and struggle to comprehend how different their lives are than mine. After participating in IRES China, I am a more adept researcher, and a much more aware global citizen.