February 6, 2025 | Annette Saunders
ExEd mini grants can be used as stepping stones towards a larger goal, as is the case for the Office of Experiential Education grant received by Dr. Euiwon Bae, senior lecturer and research scientist for the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The Office of ExEd awarded Bae a mini grant for his project, Design and Fabrication of Portable Instrumentation for Real-Life Application of System, Measurement, and Control Classes.
Bae’s project began by mentoring two undergraduate student researchers. The students identified two research topics and conducted a literature review to explore the topics.
The first project, conducted by Purdue student Junki Won, focused on creating a portable fluorescent detection device. This device attaches to a smartphone and becomes an instrument that can detect fluorescence, a technique used in many biology and healthcare settings to detect certain pathogenic bacteria's signals on a sample. The purpose of this tool is to target pathogens that are causing food-borne illnesses, and the student was able to design this system so that those who use it are able to do so in a very low-cost manner. Won shared that “this innovation is expected to contribute new ideas to the field of smartphone-based detection devices and enhance the potential applications for fluorescence analysis.”
The second student's project, conducted by Purdue student David Kim, aimed at researching a chronic parasite that was affecting a large amount of the population in Kenya’s health called the schistosoma parasite. The student worked to calibrate hydrogels, a jellylike substance that is able to mimic the cell walls of the human body, until they were able to assimilate the action that the parasites do inside of the body. This is currently still an ongoing process, but once the hydrogels are perfected, they will be able to figure out what is causing it, how they can remove it and how to prevent it from getting into the human body. Kim emphasized the rewarding nature of this experience. “This really helped my confidence in myself academically as a student and mentally as a person,” said Kim.
The funds Bae was awarded through this grant went towards funding for the undergraduate student researchers as they conducted this research as well as funding for parts and supplies the students used to build their tools. Through this research, Bae and his students were able to generate prototypes that in turn produced data.
This data was vital for Bae to be able to apply for a large-scale National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant. Through this grant, he hopes to be able to expand his research teams and develop a small program of rotating student researchers. The proposed research program would be a semester-long experience with students from underserved communities who do not necessarily have exposure to the high-level research systems that Bae can provide. The students would take a semester off and do full-time research under Bae to develop the necessary skills to complete these types of research projects on their own. This future program would last at least three years with the possibility of an extension.
For those considering applying to the next round of the Office of Experiential Program Grants, Dr. Bae advises you to provide in-depth answers and to
“try it out.”
He noted that the Office of ExEd does a great job of providing feedback to applicants who may be missing information to ensure that everyone is judged based on the integrity of their project.
The Office of Experiential Education Program Grants are offered annually and are meant to support existing or new experiential education programs that serve Purdue West Lafayette or Indianapolis students. These grants are offered in the form of ExEd Program Development Mini-Grants, which allocates funding up to $5,000, or ExEd Program Major Grants, which allocates funds up to $40,000 and requires matching funds. For more information about ExEd program funding, visit the Program Funding page on our website.