The project headed by John Bennett, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, involved testing latex for the presence of proteins capable of producing deadly allergic reactions in humans. Bennett and a research team consisting largely of Rice undergraduates worked for more than two years to confirm and quantify the relationship between the electrical behavior of latex and the latex proteins. Carson said he spent the summer of 1994 thinking of ways to test the gloves and take into account all of the variables such as salinity, texture and thickness of the latex gloves, and water temperature. We spent a lot of time making sure our data was correct. The advantages of participating in advanced research projects while an undergraduate are numerous, said Carson.
Research demands a higher order of discipline.
If a student messes up in a lab they get a lower grade, but messing up research is unacceptable. Learning the important practice of good science or good experimental protocols is invaluable to a student eyeing graduate school or a future in research. Carson is now working on a project with John W. Clark, Jr., professor in electrical and computer engineering. The projects involves applying mathematical and engineering techniques to the fields of neuroscience and cardiology. The human body can sense blood pressure and adjust heart rate accordingly, said Carson.