Hello,
my name is Moonisha Rahman, and I work as a Research Assistant under the OSCAR
program at George Mason University! Currently I am working on a research
project with Dr. Reid Schwebach and a team of other Research Assistants and
Learning Assistants to help create a complementary textbook for students taking
his introduction to cell biology, or BIO 213 class. I am personally in charge
of the visual graphics of the book, including but not limited to, the template
of the textbook and the diagrams and hands-on activities that will be found
within the book.
On a
weekly basis, I create sketches, animations, and visuals for the textbook, as
well as aid with the textbook template design and appearance with the other
assistants. It is a slower process than most other jobs, but it is definitely
rewarding to see my creations come to life and know that the illustrations I
make will help with students who have a difficult time understanding the information
that they are being asked to learn. It is also exciting to learn new things
about the topic of biology, since even though it is not the major I am aiming
for, it is a subject I have much interest in.
I also really enjoy being able to work with people of all ages, and
learn how to communicate ideas with them and have them aid me in developing and
creating my own ideas.
In the long term, I hope this experience can help me gain knowledge in being able to utilize my computer skills, since all the images and animations I create use software that takes time to understand and comprehend. I also hope that it can help be learn to work well with a team, especially a team that is made of people of all majors, ages, and abilities. It is amazing to see how we can all put our different skills together to make a solid, well working group who is able to work together very well. So far, I have already gained so much knowledge on how to help support the team I work with, and also have them as a support for me as well, and it is wonderful to know that all the hard work we are putting in will create such a rewarding and long-lasting result. I hope that even after our project is complete I can use the skills I have gained from this experience in the future to help me become a more disciplined and knowledgeable individual.
