Name: Angelina Rogatch
Class Year: 2025
Majors: Chemistry and Physics
Hometown: Minsk, Belarus
Internship Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Internship Title: MIT Summer Research Program
Location: Cambridge, MA
What's happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!
As an MIT Summer Research Program (MSRP) participant, I am interning in the Chemical Engineering department at MIT under Dr. William A. Tisdale! My project is focused on characterizing the surface chemistry of quantum dots so that we can design effective ligand exchange methods to functionalize them. Outside of the lab, we have weekly professional development workshops and research seminars, as well as many community building events for the cohort. We also have the opportunity to schedule meetings with faculty and attend department info sessions.
Why did you apply for this internship?
I am considering pivoting from chemistry to chemical engineering in my PhD, but I thought it would be unwise to do that without trying out engineering first, so I was looking for specifically engineering-focused research internships. After one unforgettable summer at MIT last year (but in the chemistry department), I knew that the MIT community would support and encourage me as I step out of my comfort zone and explore my research interests. I was so warmly welcomed in Cambridge last year that I simply could not resist not coming back!
What has been your favorite part of this internship?
My favorite thing about MIT is the incredible support network that I have here! It is truly a blessing to have so many grad student mentors that are rooting for me and offer their help in preparing the graduate school applications. Sometimes I feel like my faculty research mentors believe in me more than I believe in myself, and that atmosphere of mutual encouragement keeps me going. You can only allow yourself to unleash your scientific creativity when you feel heard and supported. The secret behind the scientific and technological excellence of MIT is compassion and humanity, and that is what makes it so dear to my heart.
What is most rewarding about your internship?
“I like that you know what you are talking about”. Those were the words of my faculty mentor, Dr. Tisdale, after I gave my final presentation to the group. Switching departments from chemistry to chemical engineering was a terrifying leap of faith for me, and it meant a world to me to hear that I was managing it well. I was living my dream as a researcher, asking questions I was curious about and finding exciting answers, and that simple confirmation convinced me that I was in the right place at the right time.