Making the most of opportunities

Since his first day at Stanford, Kyle Haslett, ‘25, knew he wanted to pursue research. When he learned about research projects available through the Summer Undergraduate Program on Energy Research (SUPER), he jumped at the chance.

“It’s a great opportunity to get involved with big idea, real-world problems,” he said.

Under the mentorship of Professor Peter Kitanidis, Haslett worked with MEER (Mirrors for Earth's Energy Rebalancing) over the summer, an organization using mirrors to make temperatures cooler both locally and globally by reflecting the sun’s heat back into the atmosphere. Whether 3D-printing parts, laser-cutting reflective strips, or constructing wooden rafts, Haslett appreciated how the hands-on project combined many of his interests. “I’ve always really loved energy, I love building things, I love tinkering.”

Haslett was determined to make the most of Stanford’s many resources during his time with SUPER. He spent time in the Product Realization Lab, visited the Spatial Analysis Center, and even collected rooftop data at a building installed with mirrors in Redwood City.

“I wanted a chance to immerse myself in it,” he said about the project. “It’s a pressing issue, which is an exciting world to work in.”

Haslett was grateful to the SUPER program for giving him his first introduction to research. “I would encourage everyone to apply, meet a professor, find a problem that you would love to attack – even if you don’t know anything about it. You can kind of get lost in that fact and learn something along the way."