Student Spotlight: Kevin Luna, 3rd Year Student

With the assistance of the Don Wilson award, I had the privilege of being able to attend and present at the 71st Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society’s Division of Fluid Dynamics in Atlanta, Georgia. I found the experience to be both productive and exciting.  In particular, I found it valuable as a graduate student to have access to a wide variety of research talks and experts. The opportunity to attend and present at this conference has had a resoundingly deep and broad impact on my career. Besides having gained the gut-churning experience of presenting to professionals in my research area, the conference provided me with an opportunity to network and learn from others who work on problems related to my areas of interest. Beyond presenting and networking, I was also able to attend a variety of graduate student-oriented events that focused on both technical material and softer professional development skills. I found the information I gained at these events to be invaluable to me as I approach the later stages of my graduate education. Without a doubt, I will carry the lessons learned and the experience gained at this conference for years to come.