Reflections

Roxanne Burger

Before this project I had never heard of grid computing, so I was really surprised to hear that you could contribute to research by just downloading some software onto your computer. The moment I saw that HIV/AIDS was an option, I knew that's the topic I wanted to do. HIV is a continuing medical and moral/ethical issue in the united states. Through this project I have learned more about the personal struggles that those affected by this disease face every day of their life. Conducting the interview, was probably the most impactful to me, especially hearing Rashaan and Kaylon's testimonies about the continuous fight against prejudice and the push for a cure not just treatment. I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to meet those fantastic men and moving forward I will try to spread their cause.

Sara Ficenec

In the beginning of this semester I was less than excited to hear I had another service learning project. I currently volunteer in a long term service position and did not want a new service learning project to interfere with that. Hearing that for this project we simply had to run a program on our computers I was excited, but a little hesitant at first. Researching grid-computing it was amazing to hear that we could be helping important scientific research simply by running a program in the background, we could even track the progress being made. This seemed like a very worthwhile project and my group decided to research HIV. At this time this seemed like as good a topic as any to research but after the interview the research became much more meaningful. I was personally unable to attend the interview but just from reading what of the individuals being interviewed had to say, it was clear this was a very important topic. This is a disease that personally impacts many individuals as well as their families, and unfortunately it is also an illness that carries many negative stereotypes and stigmas. After learning about grid-computing it is great knowing that there is something that I can being doing to help this cause. I do believe this project was a worthwhile use of my time and am thankful for the opportunity to work on this project.

Christiana Hayden

When I began this project, I was nervous because it had to deal with technology which is a little out of my comfort zone. But as time progressed, I started to feel more comfortable about it. I was the one who had the program downloaded on my computer, so it was neat to watch the performance it was doing. I also liked how we were helping the greater scientific community. It was cool to a part of something so big and contribute to various projects.  I also got to learn about HIV. I did not really know much about it until this project. Not only did I learn about it, but it became a more personable topic with the interview. I am very happy that I got to experience this type of service learning, especially since it relates to field I feel so passionate about. 

Kelsey Lee

This service learning project introduced me to a new kind of service that I had no idea existed. It has been an interesting experience to contribute in a new way to the scientific community through grid computing. In terms of learning about HIV, it was nice to get a well rounded view on the virus, particularly from the interview with the KC Care Clinic. As a science major of course it was interesting to learn about the virology, but it was also very interesting to learn about the misconceptions and stigmas the public has about the disease and how they influence what kind of efforts are being made to find a cure. This experience definitely raised my awareness for HIV/AIDS. Just because it is not necessarily a death sentence does not mean it doesn't deserve the awareness and funding that other diseases such as cancer receive from the public. It affects people's everyday lives in more ways than just having to take a cocktail of pills. There are even legal issues that infiltrate the private life of diagnosed individuals, which can be emotionally debilitating. Overall this service learning project was a valuable experience that I am grateful to have participated in! 

Shereen Salfity 

Upon participating in this service learning project, I found that I learned a lot about HIV and grid computing. Coming into this class, I had no idea that one could do service by participating in these grid computing programs. This was a very cool service opportunity that was both useful for the scientific community, as well as incredibly easy and convenient to do on the computer. In terms of learning about HIV, I feel that I have truly gained a comprehensive perspective on the virus, and I have learned a lot coming out of this class. Perhaps the learning experience that most resonated with me was the opportunity we had to interview HIV experts at KC Care clinic. During our interview experience, we got to learn about the problems that Kansas City faces, the policies, misconceptions, and even the legal issues associated with HIV. In short, we all came out of that interview with a better appreciation of HIV beyond just the strict biology. This service project was a fantastic opportunity to learn and contribute to the understanding of HIV, this has been a very valuable experience :)

Total Credit: 29,233

Projects/Applications Contributed to: "Quantum Chemistry", "Molecular Dynamics for CPU and AMD GPUs, and Nathaniel's PhD, along with others.