The Mechanical Engineering REFS Program
Graduate school can be stressful, whether because of the infamous ME Qualifying Exams, a strained relationship with your advisor, courses, roommates, or other personal issues. The ME REFS program is designed to provide peer support, and to be a sounding board for you to express your concerns. We are a group of your fellow ME graduate students who have completed a 32 hour training course provided by Mediation@MIT. We also have additional information on different resources that you can utilize on campus. Everything remains confidential when you contact us.
Contact us!
If you’re feeling stressed and you need someone to talk to, contact us!
- Email one of us (addresses in our bios below).
- Email all of us (me-refs AT mit).
- Use our contact form (anonymous if desired).
About the REFS Program
The Mechanical Engineering “Resources for Easing Friction and Stress” (REFS) program is a new initiative for the graduate program in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Students who are formally trained to be mediators will be responsible to discuss issues (both academic and personal) and to provide information on appropriate resources when a peer graduate student comes for informal advice and possible informal conflict resolution.
Currents REFS
Anurag (bajpayee AT mit)- Anurag is a second-year graduate student in the ME department. He is finishing his SM thesis work on cryopreservation of mammalian cells under Prof. Mehmet Toner and will begin doctoral work on solar thermoelectrics under Prof. Gang Chen in Fall 2008. A native of Lucknow, India, Anurag moved to the United States at the age of 17. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Missouri before coming to MIT. Besides academics, Anurag is heavily involved in extra-curricular activities such as the Graduate Student Council, Dorm and departmental student, the MIT Global Startup Workshop, and the MIT Energy Club. His other interests include traveling, playing lawn tennis, and reading about business and politics.
Cherry (cwan AT mit)- Cherry is a 4th year PhD candidate in Professor Roger Kamm’s lab. She came to the U.S. from Taiwan when she was 17. Her doctoral research focuses on the effect of mechanical stress on the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into cardiac myocytes, while her master’s thesis focused on angiogenesis. In her free time, she is involved with various aspects of international development. She is currently helping out with a project on HIV/AIDS medical support for orphans in central China.
Dawn (dawn AT mit)- Dawn is a PhD Candidate in Prof. Peko Hosoi’s lab. She received her SM working for Professor Ian Hunter in the BioInstrumentation Lab at MIT, and also received SB degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Biology from MIT. Her research interests include fluid dynamics and medical device development. In her free time, she likes to knit, garden, build robots, and travel.
Jessie (jjeon AT mit)- Jessie is a first year graduate student in Prof. Roger Kamm's Mechanobiology Lab. She also did her undergraduate at MIT in mechanical engineering. Her research interests include tissue engineering and microfluidics. She likes playing all sorts of sports, whether in club team, IM, or just with friends, and she also enjoys playing cello in music groups at MIT.
Tania (tania_u AT mit)- Tania is beginning her second year as a grad student in the ME department. She works in the Microfluidic Modeling and Design Lab under Professor Todd Thorsen, and her master’s thesis is on the design of a microfluidic device for artificial respiration. When she’s not in lab, you can find her working on campus educational outreach (mainly coordinating Keys to Empowering Youth, a program that teaches young girls about science and engineering), going for a run, kayaking in the Charles, or in McDonald’s.
Becoming a REF
We are always looking for more REFS to join us. If you’re interested in learning more, please send us an email (me-refs AT mit)!
