Major: Chemistry
Profession: Ph.D. student in Physical Chemistry
Hometown: Mendham, New Jersey
What are you doing now?
I am currently working on my Ph.D. in physical chemistry at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). I am in my fifth year of my Ph.D. and will be transitioning to my postdoctoral research at Brandeis University next summer. I study small nanoparticles called colloidal quantum dots which are nanometer-sized nanocrystalline structures that have really interesting quantum mechanical properties. The 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was just given to my advisor Moungi Bawendi. In Professor Bawendi’s lab, we focus on the synthesis, spectroscopy and incorporation of quantum dots into optoelectronic devices. It’s been such an incredible experience to work with so many brilliant people from all over the world in this lab. The level of rigor and care everyone takes in their work is infectious and has molded me into the researcher I am today.
How did you get there?
I had an early interest in chemistry, specifically quantum chemistry, starting late in high school. There was always something that was so paradoxical about quantum mechanics that piqued my curiosity. I was mainly looking at schools on the East Coast, but the Pomona-Pitzer football coaches convinced me to come check out the schools, and I was immediately convinced to come to Pomona.
At Pomona, I tried to take every quantum class that the Chemistry and Physics Departments had to offer. It was in my Phys101 class “Foundations of Modern Physics” where Professor Janice Hudgings first introduced me to quantum dots. I thought it was amazing that the basic principles of quantum mechanics that we were learning at the time directly applied to a system that actually exists! I would also like to mention that Professor Hudgings did so much for my understanding of what it means to be a scientist. Science is not isolated from society, and we need to think about how we incorporate anti-racist and feminist beliefs within the laboratory to ensure it is safe and accessible for everyone.
The next year I took physical chemistry in the Chemistry Department where I met Professor Frederick Grieman. Professor Grieman became my advisor, helping me with my thesis and helping me understand what opportunities existed after graduating. That’s when I began applying to Ph.D. programs across the country. I decided to attend MIT where I joined Moungi Bawendi’s lab, which studies the fundamental properties of colloidal quantum dots. I primarily focus on the spectroscopy of single quantum dots focusing on their photophysical properties.
How did Pomona prepare you?
Pomona had a large impact on the way I approach science. Classes were rigorous and required a lot of time and effort, but there were always opportunities for collaboration. Everyone helped everyone at Pomona. Even now, I am working on a project with Harry Bendekgey ’19 who I lived with for several years at Pomona. Harry is now a computer science Ph.D. student at UC Irvine. Although our fields are so different, we have found an opportunity to work on a project together in our Ph.D.s and can hopefully have our names on a paper together soon! Everyone had an infectious curiosity at Pomona that always drove me to be my best self.
Additionally, Pomona being solely an undergraduate institute was really beneficial for me. It allowed me to have close relationships with my professors, be a teaching assistant and create my own projects in the lab, which all contributed to giving me confidence academically. When I started working in my lab at MIT, I always felt I had the tools to learn whatever it is I needed to learn.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I would love to stay in science! I love thinking about problems that don’t make sense. I could see myself teaching at a small undergraduate institution, like Pomona or any of the 5Cs. I could also see myself at a national lab. I interned at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory through the Summer Undergraduate Research Program for a couple years during my time at Pomona and really enjoyed the atmosphere. As of right now, I could see myself being happy staying in science as long as the problems I’m working on keep me interested and contribute positively to society.
Any advice for current or prospective students?
Be curious! Watching my Ph.D. advisor Moungi Bawendi, I would say what makes him so successful is his endless curiosity. His excitement about the never-ending mysteries of quantum dots has driven him to a very successful career in the field for over three decades. Don’t worry about awards or accolades, just keep diving in to the things you find interesting. I’ve found it’s the only sustainable way to derive joy from my work.
The other thing I would say is embrace community at Pomona or whatever place you are in your life. I learned so much from my friends and classmates throughout my time at Pomona. We got each other through hard times when school got tough and celebrated the many joyous moments we had together. When I think back to my time at Pomona my mind always goes to the people I was there with.