During a memorable two-month period, Heli Shah, a chemical engineering 4th year student in ITNU participated in the Mitacs Globalink Internship program, which significantly expanded their technical expertise and allowed them to connect with ambitious young researchers worldwide. The experience led to substantial personal and professional growth.
The journey began when Heli learned of the opportunity through an email from III Cell and subsequently submitted an application online, including her transcript, a letter of recommendation, and responses to program-related queries. She was selected for a project led by Dr. Peter Kusalik at the University of Calgary’s Department of Chemistry, after a successful interview. The project focused on “Non-equilibrium MD simulations of crystal growth of KDP fibers from aqueous solutions.”
Her responsibilities involved running simulations using the GROMACS software, which closely mimicked the solution structure of KDP crystals. The goal was to understand KDP’s nucleation behavior and its deviations from classical nucleation theory. Additional software like Packmol, CEDAR (a Canadian supercomputer), VMD, and XmGrace played pivotal roles in conducting and analyzing simulations.
Mitacs also offered various extracurricular activities, such as city tours, museum visits, and cultural experiences, which allowed her to interact with a diverse group of fellow interns.
Heli received financial support for housing, transportation, and daily needs from Mitacs, and she found Calgary’s public transport system efficient and reliable. In conclusion, Heli highly recommends the Mitacs Globalink Research Internship program to undergraduate students seeking a transformative international research experience.