Hello! My name is Lambert Aryee. I am a high school senior at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (Poly). I am involved in the Research Practicum curriculum offered at Poly. The Research Practicum course allows students like me an opportunity to experience the life of research in a real institutional facility, such as the one here at Johns Hopkins. Currently, I am researching in the Oil Spill lab under the supervision of David Murphy, a postdoctoral fellow here at the Homewood Campus. I am a rookie to the DROPPster world. I am a full-time student at Poly and a visiting undergraduate student here at Hopkins. I started my research journey in September and will conclude in May.

Lambert Aryee, Class of 2014

On a daily basis, I arrive at Hopkins around 1:00 pm and meet David to discuss the objective of that particular day. I have performed most aspects of conducting a successful research experiment. I have read journal articles and written summaries about them. I have also started working on my mini-project for the year. My project involves using the simple piezoelectric droplet generator (Yang et al 1997) to visualize the impact dispersant droplets have on an oil slick. With this information, I will be able to understand the physics of the process so we can know the ideal droplet size relative to oil slick properties.

Re-design of Simple Piezoelectric Droplet Generator (Yang et al 1997)

My experiment involves the use of seawater, which we will mix in the lab, and dispersants which are liquid blends of surfactants and solvents designed to speed breakup of oil slicks into fine droplets that disperse naturally in the sea. 

Special salt used to create seawater for experiments.

Having the opportunity to conduct research in an environment like the one provided to me here at the Johns Hopkins Homewood Campus is a dream come true. I look forward to coming to the lab every day. Soon, I will be attending college, and the experience I have encountered here will transfer into shaping my future as I pursue the field of mechanical engineering. I love the opportunity I have here at Hopkins, and would not exchange it for another!