Why did you choose to study MSE?

I chose to study MSE because I competed in the Science Olympiad Materials Science event during high school and really liked the real-world application of chemistry and physics. This was after I had applied to colleges, so I switched my major to MSE shortly after coming to Berkeley.

What do you like most about MSE? 

I like how connected all the parts of the field are. Even though I do research in electronic materials, learning about polymers and mechanics have still been helpful, even if they do not directly relate. I also think the people in the major are cool.

Any interesting projects/research you are working on now that you’d like to share?

I am currently working on electronic structure calculations with Professor Eran Rabani to better understand light absorption and circular dichroism in chiral nanoparticles. I am working on nanowire synthesis in Professor Jie Yao’s lab. We grow chiral germanium sulfide nanowires and are exploring how their unique structure affects their properties.

What do you enjoy doing outside of school?

When not stuck in research work or helping with MSEA activities, I enjoy playing video and board games with friends. Deception: Murder in Hong Kong is a fun mafia like game that I would recommend. I also spend a lot of time reading manga, listening to music, and helping out at Science Olympiad competitions.

What are your future plans? 

Next year, I will be continuing my education at the UCSB Materials PhD program. I intend to work with Professor Nakamura on the syntheses of gallium nitride thin films for applications in lasers and LEDs. I am not too sure what I want to do afterwards, but hopefully I can continue with some scientific research, be it with industry or academia.