|
 Fulbright Project: Biomedical and Audio Research Groups, Dublin Institute of Technology
David Ramsay is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, where he earned his B.A. in Music and his B.S. in Electrical Engineering, along with a minor in Biomedical Engineering. While an undergraduate, he worked to combine his interests in engineering, medicine, and music, working on diverse projects for companies including the Bose Corporation, the General Electric Company, and the National Institutes of Health.
His Fulbright Project in the Dublin Institute of Technology's Biomedical and Audio Research Groups, is a culmination of these interests. David is working on making musical instruments more accessible to people with physical disabilities using digital signal processing techniques. He has published a piece of his Fulbright work in Ireland's 2011 Signals and Systems Conference, in a paper entitled 'A Novel Fourier Approach to Guitar String Separation.'
“I have Fulbright to thank for the most incredible year of my life. The time I spent in Dublin so far exceeded my expectations that it's difficult to know where to start. The Dublin Institute of Technology provided me with the best work environment I've ever experienced. My supervisors were some of the sharpest, most dedicated engineers I've ever met, and were an absolute pleasure to work with. Not only were they incredible intellectual mentors, but they shared the drive to really make a difference and see the projects through. Resources were readily available, and expertise in my particular fields was plentiful. Not only was it an encouraging work environment, but also a very welcoming one. The people in my lab went out of their way to take me out, get to know me, and have become some of my closest friends.
“DIT offered much more than a great academic and social environment- I also took part in several clubs and societies. During my time in Dublin, I was active in the Rock Climbing Club, the Caving Club, the Guitar Society, and the Scuba Diving Club.
“The music and narrative culture was one of the best surprises I had. I expected it to some degree, but it is strikingly more pervasive and unique than I had realized. I've done my best to embrace the music culture. Through the guitar society I've gone busking on Grafton St, played music in St. Stephen's Green, recorded a music video to promote DIT events, and made a close friend to write and play songs at open mic nights with before I left.
“I have grown to appreciate and love the Irish culture, made lasting friends and collaborators, and I've been challenged in the ways in which I understand the world. Everything I had initially hoped for has been far surpassed- Ireland has changed me forever.
“As to the merits of Fulbright specifically- I can't imagine a better designed program. The philosophy, as far as I've experienced it, seems to be a rigorous recruitment of motivated, high achieving people, followed by a very open and hands-off follow up as the grant progresses. This is punctuated by a few cultural trips during the year, which not only serve as a springboard for understanding and discussion when living in the community, but also foster a sense of community and family among the Fulbrighters themselves.
“I have a network of people in Dublin that share my interests, but much more than that, share the bond of a shared vision. I haven't experienced anything quite like it before, and I have no doubt that we will be collaborating again in the future.
“I know this experience is not atypical, because I see this same excitement when I talk with fellow Fulbrighters. Fulbright has not only fostered ideas, it has fostered a life-long framework in which those ideas can be nurtured. I have loved living in Dublin and would not change a single thing about the program. It has worked wonders for me and my life, and I will treasure it forever.”
|
