Impact of Giving 2021-22

Over the summer, I spent 12 weeks in London doing an internship in the Energy sector as part of my Engineering degree. I had the chance to work on a hydrogen transmission infrastructure project and a methane leakage detection technology project, which allowed me to gain a better understanding of the energy market and the energy crisis. I found this internship extremely rewarding as I was able to learn how to apply theoretical knowledge in a real-life context, have experience working in an office environment, and develop my professional network. It also convinced me that the energy and sustainability sector is where I would like to stay in the future, which helps me decide on the modules to take. I am extremely grateful for the financial support provided by the college, which enabled me to focus on my internship and make the most out of it instead of having to worry about money.

This summer I worked in a Long COVID lab in Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, under Dr Lucy Cheke and Dr Mirjana Bozic. Much of our work focussed on the effects of Long Covid and executive function (working memory), with participants performing computer tasks. Participants were kids or adults, and these tests were administered online, as well as in the departmental lab. Much of my work involved helping kids on how to do working memory tasks we set out, as well as conversing with parents about the trials. This experience has allowed me to become a better researcher, providing me skills I otherwise wouldn’t have, and the people I worked with were indispensable in providing me with these skills. The internship and experiences wouldn’t have been possible without the generous bursary I received, as I’d have to worry about the many costs you get when you don’t stay at home. I’m very grateful for the support I received, and this support was vital in allowing the opening of a door into psychological research which I hope to follow in the future!

Over the summer, I worked for a couple of months with the University of Cambridge Bioelectronics Department to fulfil the internship requirement for my degree in engineering. The overall aim of the project I was involved in was to improve the durability of brain implants by reducing the scar tissue build-up around the implant. My part focused on simulating the electric fields produced by electrodes across a medium using the simulation software COMSOL. This gave me an insight into the current challenges and developments in the research area of improving brain implants functionality. Additionally, I had the opportunity to go past the content of my degree, developing my technical skills in the design of electrodes and gaining a deeper understanding of the shape of electric fields produced by different electrode designs and material parameters. Seeing the way my degree can be applied in this area was greatly inspiring and showed me that I would like to continue in the direction of bioengineering in the future. I am very grateful to Trinity Hall for providing the funding I needed to complete this internship and gain such invaluable experience.

The Inter-Services Intelligence Course allowed me to work alongside professionals with 20+ years of International Intelligence experience. It was held in Cambridge at Magdalene College, but it felt very different to term time. The teaching follows the same style as Cambridge (supervisions and seminars), but it is delivered with significant additional flare by Intelligence Studies experts from King’s College London. Furthermore, the cohort of participants was highly diverse, with people of varying ages (19-42 this year), many nationalities, and varying professions made the learning environment incredibly dynamic. The subject matter taught on the ISI is something which isn’t offered by the University of Cambridge, it gave me a real-life insight into the modern-day world of intelligence. The course has led to me applying for a Master’s and a PhD in the department of War Studies at King’s College London, something which would have never happened had I not applied on a whim and gotten a scholarship to this course in the first place. I am immensely grateful to Trinity Hall for funding my accommodation during this time, something which I would not have been comfortable paying for otherwise.

Over the summer holiday I worked in Cambridge as an intern in the department of bioelectrical engineering, I worked on designing the casing for an organoid interface, with a PhD student Sagnik Middya. My main job was 3d modelling and computer aided design in Solidworks. Most of my job was spent sitting around not doing very much, waiting for the workshop to finish building something for me. I learnt a lot about bioelectrical engineering through sitting in on meetings and through shadowing my supervisor. I learnt a lot about working in academia, from opportunities for advancement to the style of work. This is something I found very valuable in considering future career paths.

I was fortunate enough to spend six weeks over the 2022 long vacation working with Dr James Smith on several of his current projects in sustainable healthcare. These included producing a guide for GP tutors at the Clinical School of Medicine, contributing to a journal article discussing the rapid decarbonisation of the NHS, and conducting a literature review of papers covering the use of Dry Powder Inhalers for acute respiratory exacerbations. The skills I have gained from my internship will set me up well for a future career in medicine, both in clinical practice and in academic work. I have a particular interest in global health, climate change, and the implications of a warming planet on our general well-being. Working with James has allowed me to explore a range of niches in this field, spanning teaching, research and future-proof planning, and I am very grateful to have had this opportunity.

I worked at an equine veterinary surgery that specialised in artificial insemination and reproductive scanning. Not only was this experience incredibly beneficial in helping me learn about the day-to-day management of horses but also helped me fulfil the extramural study requirements that are necessary for me to progress to the clinical years of my course. It gave me such a good insight into the general management of veterinary inpatients, mares in season and mares with foals at foot. As well as learning the correct management, it has been invaluable to be able to carry it out myself for two weeks. This consolidation is essential in being confident handling horses as a vet and would’ve been impossible in a university environment. I feel like I am also much more confident in knowing how to care for horses and in noticing potential health issues. This experience has made me much more interested in learning about equine medicine and in potentially pursuing a career in it in the future. I am very grateful to Trinity Hall for awarding me this funding and giving me this opportunity.

Trinity Hall kindly funded my work experience in summer 2022. With the funding, I was able to reside in Berlin. I worked for two galleries until mid-September, assisting with written communications for upcoming exhibitions, art fairs and events. For instance, I compiled and drafted concept texts and artist biographies for a sales catalogue for einBuch.haus, for their attendance at Mutiple Art Days 7 in Paris. It was fascinating to put the knowledge and skills from my History of Art degree into practice, gaining industry insights and valuable connections in Germany. I would like to thank Trinity Hall donors for facilitating my aspiration to work in the arts sector.