It’s not uncommon for UCF students to travel abroad to present their research at industry and academic conferences. But not every Knight has the opportunity to discuss this experience on the international news.
Aerospace engineering undergraduate student Ossyris Bury had the unique opportunity of being interviewed on the Croatian news about her experience at the 13th International Student Research Symposium in Varazdin, Croatia, where students and faculty met from around the world. She presented her ongoing Honors Undergraduate Thesis (HUT) project titled “Vibration-Based Control of Nonlinear Dynamic Systems.”
“As an undergraduate researcher, being able to share my findings and hard work abroad is a rare and invaluable experience,” Bury says. “Many undergraduates are fortunate to even present their work in another state, nevertheless another country. When this opportunity was offered to me, there was no hesitation in my acceptance; it’s the opportunity of a lifetime.”
The first-generation college student was able to share her knowledge and findings abroad, and as a result, she was invited for an interview on the Croatian news. From the moment she got there to the moment she left, she says the hosts were very hospitable.
“Being interviewed on Croatian News was surreal,” Bury says. “They took us to their favorite coffee spots, ice cream shops and dinner places. The students introduced us to their friends and included us in their traditions. They shared their customs, nature, architecture and history with us. I was so excited to share my experiences on the local news to tell everyone how amazing it was.”
Bury discussed her research, which focuses on the systems that nature has already perfected with the intent to replicate those systems. She specifically studies the hovering ability of hummingbirds and insects, which has been difficult to mimic due to the instability of the motion.
“As an undergraduate trying to understand self-stabilizing motion in animals, I have created experimental and computational models attempting to replicate Kapitza’s pendulum,” Bury says. “My preliminary experiments show much promise and I’ll be excited to share my final results in my HUT thesis.”
When it came to Bury’s decision to choose UCF, she said that the school stood out to her because of the people’s contagious excitement and could see herself growing here. She felt her ideas would be heard and considered. She has had a passion for space exploration for a long time and she soon hopes to achieve her goal of either sending something to space or sending herself.
In the meantime, the Goldwater Scholar is reveling in the memory of sharing her knowledge with an international audience.
“As a first-generation college student, I never really saw myself spreading my knowledge abroad. Growing up I was just happy to receive an education, proud to graduate high school, and overjoyed I made it to college. My parents would tell me ‘If you work hard and show gratitude, you will make it further than your expectations.’ They were right. This opportunity was unlike any I could have imagined.”
- Written by Sydney Ford