Kevin Mesta ’24 is a chemistry major who recently completed an internship through the Interactive Biomaterials REU Program at Syracuse University. Kevin’s work was supported by a McDevitt Fellowship, which allows students to avail themselves of professional experiences that might not otherwise be possible financially. The undergraduate reflected on what the experience was like with Le Moyne’s Office of Communications.
Office of Communications (OC): Please start off by sharing a little bit about your internship site, for example, what the organization does, what happens there?
Kevin Mesta (KM): The Interactive Biomaterials REU Program at Syracuse University is focused on researching biological materials as well as biomedical devices. The program is in collaboration with the BioInspired Syracuse Institute at SU and Upstate Medical University, SUNY ESF and Syracuse VA Medical Center. Specifically, I worked with the Chakraborty Research Group on the project called: Quantum Dot and Ligand Interactions Using Two Photon Photoemission Spectroscopy. My primary responsibilities were running calculations using code developed by the Chakraborty research group on quantum dot systems of interest as well as compiling data from the calculations to present to my principal investigator. I also created some of my own code to assist in running the calculations and spent time learning new quantum chemical principles.
OC: How would you complete this sentence: The best part of my internship was ...
KM: Learning about a field I would otherwise never have known about. Computational research was something I had never been exposed to before, but it's at the interaction of chemistry and computer science, both interests of mine. Being thrown into the thick of things and learning things I previously might’ve shied away from has got to be the best thing about this summer.
OC: How did you change or grow over the course of your internship?
KM: Over the course of my internship I’ve been challenged and learned concepts I thought I would never understand. As a result of this internship I’ve become more comfortable with not knowing anything about a subject and dedicating myself to learning it slowly and steadily.
OC: What are your professional plans for the future?
KM: My professional plans for the future are to attend graduate school and get a doctorate in chemistry. Eventually, I’d like to work in industry and where my work will be able to improve the lives of working people.
OC: How would you complete this sentence, I hope to use my Le Moyne education to make the world ...
KM: … a more empathetic place. The world I envision is one of empathy and understanding each other, choosing to respect and prioritize each other’s humanity.
This is part of a series of question-and-answer sessions with Le Moyne students who recently completed meaningful, transformative work as interns for a range of businesses, government entities and nonprofit organizations. For more information on finding an internship opportunity at Le Moyne, visit the Office of Career Advising and Development.