Mirielle Wong
B.S.E. ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
I am a senior majoring in Electrical Engineering at the University of Michigan, with a minor in Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, and am a member of the Honors program. For the past year and a half, I have worked on undergraduate research with Prof. Carolyn Kuranz's group in Nuclear Engineering, with a focus on the physics of magnetized collisionless shocks in plasmas.
I am captivated by research on the physics side of Electrical Engineering that leverages fundamental physics to develop cutting-edge technology and solve imminent, real-world problems. I come from a family of academics and engineers and thus feel most at home when I can learn and design solutions without bound.
In my free time, I write for the sports section of The Michigan Daily, the University of Michigan's independent student newspaper, and am active in outreach efforts with the Society of Women Engineers.
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Undergraduate Research with Kuranz Radiative Astrophysics Team
2023 – present
I am currently an undergraduate research assistant with the Kuranz Radiative Astrophysics Team, a research lab headed by Prof. Carolyn Kuranz at the University of Michigan. My latest research focuses on simulations of the Schaeffer et al. (2019) magnetized collisionless shock experiments at the OMEGA Laser Facility. I characterize and quantify differences between simulated and experimental results in 2D and 3D using radiation magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) code FLASH. I have also developed a robust method for direct comparisons between simulated and experimental outcomes. I presented this work at the 2024 APS Division of Plasma Physics conference and am currently preparing this work for a journal paper.
Previously in Prof. Kuranz's group, I performed simulations for an ongoing experimental campaign on the Z Machine at Sandia National Laboratories, which aims to study collisionless shocks using a Z-pinch wire array and the Z-Beamlet laser. I used simulations in HELIOS and FLASH to explore experimental design space.
Image credit: NASA
Image credit: NASA
Summer Research Intern with Zetawatt-Equivalent Ultrashort Pulse Laser System (ZEUS) facility
Summer 2023
In Summer 2023, I was an intern at ZEUS as part of Michigan's Summer Undergraduate Research in Engineering (SURE) program. I assisted with experimental design and setup of laser wakefield acceleration experiments at the ZEUS facility which involved analysis of laser spot size and laser wavefront, setup of diagnostic tools such as X-Ray CCD and electron spectroscopy, and physical assembly of the vacuum chamber. During shots on target, I also assisted with sweeps of experimental space to determine ideal experimental parameters and assisted with analysis of results to determine if laser wakefield acceleration had occurred.
Research Assistant for EMBiR Lab
2022 – 2023
I was an undergraduate research assistant with EMBiR Lab, Prof. Talia Moore's research lab within the UM Robotics Department. I facilitated the open-source use of EMBiR Lab’s 3D printed modular quadrupedal robot for robotic and biomechanical research through the creation of CAD animation, 3D printing design files, and assembly/tooling guides. I also repaired and replaced obsolete parts through CAD design and PLA/SLA printing and conducted research on limb morphologies across a wide range of terrestrial species to determine the scope of morphologies that could be modeled by the quadrupedal robot.
Ocean Iron Fertilization Publication
2018 – 2019
I initiated a research project on ocean iron fertilization as a climate engineering method to mitigate climate change. Ocean iron fertilization is the process of introducing iron into the ocean to stimulate phytoplankton growth in order to sequester massive amounts of carbon dioxide. I looked at data from research cruises to determine locations where iron fertilization would yield the greatest carbon uptake. This resulted in co-authoring an academic publication with Kenneth Coale, a researcher from Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.
