Daiane Aizen


Headshot of Daiane Aizen

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT | MAY 2017

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Describe your work in a few sentences that we can all understand: I study the effect of floor stiffness on standing posture by taking position measurements of different parts of the body during standing tasks in different flooring conditions.

Q: Who mentors your project?

A:   Dr. Sara Wilson

 

Q: What surprised you about doing research?

A: How time consuming it is and how a lot of the times things do not go according to plans.  

 

Q: What did you find most challenging about getting involved in or doing your project? What advice would you offer to students facing similar challenges?

A: My biggest challenge was collecting all the data I needed, especially because I needed volunteers. My suggestion would be to start early. Data collection usually takes much longer than anticipated and it can be very stressful. If you are working with human subjects, be very persistent with the recruiting efforts and very organized when it comes to scheduling. 

 

Q: What do you like most about your project?

A:  The fact that the results can have the potential of improving working conditions for a lot of professions that require long periods of standing. 

 

Q: What advice would you give to a friend wanting to get involved in research?

A: It can be very rewarding if done correctly and in a timely manner. Start your background research early and gather as much information as you can. Do your data analysis on the go so you can see what works and what doesn't. 

 

Q: How do you spend your time when you're not working on your research?

A: I've had to work on my senior design project so that has taken a lot of my time as well. But mainly, I try to spend the time I have available after I have fulfilled all my academic duties by enjoying my friends, the city of Lawrence, and trying to enjoy the uniqueness of KU to the fullest before graduating.