Our featured graduate student in this issue of IMPACT is Jing Wan, a doctoral candidate in the Materials Science Program.

IMPACT: Jing, tell our readers where you are from and how you got interested in electrical engineering and eventually Materials Science?

JING: I’m from Szechuan, a province in southwest China, which is known for spicy food and as the hometown of pandas. Before coming to the U.S, I completed both my undergraduate and Master’s degrees in electronic science and engineering in China.

As an undergrad at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, which is famous for electrical engineering, I had the opportunity to gain lots of knowledge about electronic devices and materials such as semiconductors. Moreover, my undergraduate thesis project was focused entirely on semiconductor materials, which can be found in almost all of today’s electronic technology (e.g., laptops and cell-phones), as well as in other fields such as energy, medicine, environment and so on. Specifically, my project aimed to design new materials that improve the efficiency of obtaining solar energy.

Not only did I find the process of doing research and experiments enjoyable, but the potential applications of helping people in underdeveloped areas without reliable energy supplies – giving them access to solar energy -- made me even more excited.

IMPACT: What inspired you to pursue your doctoral degree at UVM?

JING: As I pursued my Master’s degree in China, the field of semiconductors, especially organic semiconductors, deeply intrigued me. In recent years, organic electronics has advanced extensively, and it will continue to influence our daily lives in the future because of its low cost and flexibility, for example the flexible OLED TV. However, the field is relatively young, and requires more research and development to reduce cost and increase efficiency. Therefore, I decided to pursue a Ph.D. degree focusing on this field in the U.S.

I found Professor Randy Headrick in the Materials Science program at UVM, whose research interest focusing on organic semiconductor thin films crystallization and device optimization especially fascinates me. In particular, he has lots of experience in X-ray synchrotron diffraction, which is a very powerful technique to characterize the structure and morphology of organic semiconductor thin films.

In addition, the interdisciplinary Materials Science program at UVM draws strength and expertise from several departments including Physics, Chemistry and Engineering. That was one of the main reasons I decided to pursue my Ph.D. in Materials Science at UVM.

IMPACT: Tell us about your experiences in grad school, and what it is like to work with faculty members and to pursue your own research and scholarship.

JING: Being a Ph.D. student in Materials Science and working in the Physics Department has been a great experience for me.

Our Physics Department is a very interactive and energetic place with faculty and students from different ethnic and research backgrounds. Our department has a colloquium every week where faculty members from different universities are invited to give talks and then have 30 minutes to interact with graduate students. This gives students like us the chance to learn about different research as well as gain new insight, not only within the field but also other fields.

Recently our department has been growing, not only in terms of faculty and students, but also advancing in research with new grants and quality papers published, and expanding teaching laboratories and research facilities. For example, we have moved into the new STEM buildings and have the first student-accessible clean room in Vermont, where I am assigned as the supervisor.

For my research, I benefit a lot from working with my advisor, Dr. Randall Headrick. His experience and insights in the field constantly guide me to be a good researcher. Not only am I being trained to perform scientific experiments, but I also learn how to do it in a meticulous and organized way, with a rigorous attitude and critical thinking. I especially admire his never-ending passion in research and experiments. We have “caught” him doing experiments over the weekend or at night by recognizing that the new experiment records showed up on the lab notebook after a weekend/night.

His enthusiasm toward research has been an encouragement for me and stimulates me on the path of doing science for our future.

IMPACT:  Very well said. Besides Dr. Headrick, are there any faculty members in your program that have been particularly important to you and if so, why?

JING: It has been such a pleasure to interact with so many professional and knowledgeable faculty members in my program. They have impressed and influenced me in different aspects, i.e. Randy in guiding me in my research. Professors Dennis Clougherty, Kevork Spartalian, and Adrian Del Maestro have opened my eyes to the beauty of various quantum and computational physics knowledge. Professor Frederic Sansoz and many others have cheered me on with encouragement and support.

Dr. Madalina Furis has been especially inspirational and positively influenced me as a woman in physics/science. As you might expect, women are definitely not the majority in the field of STEM, which I began noticing from my own experience during my undergraduate and master’s degrees. When I met Madalina, her enthusiasm and persistence in research and her inner strength have made her an inspiring role model for me. Moreover, she has always cared about advocating the gender diversity and speaking up for women scientists/graduate students. She is not only supportive to students in general but also in the special needs that we, as a group of women, might share. She treats us like her friends and shares her experiences as a women scientist. I feel extremely lucky to have such caring and understanding faculty like her and other professors in my program.

IMPACT: It’s great that you have mentors from Chemistry, Physics, and Engineering. Tell us where you are in your graduate education and what you plan to do after graduating.

JING: I just started the sixth year of my Ph.D. this semester. I am now working on my thesis proposal and working toward completing my degree next summer. After graduation, I am looking forward to exploring opportunities in the electronic materials industry, especially semiconductor electronics. Ultimately, my goal is to contribute to the innovation and development of organic electronics that will be helpful relating to today’s need in renewable energy and medicine.

IMPACT: Tell us what you like to do outside the laboratory and classroom…

JING: I’m pretty open to learning new things and love to explore different experiences. Vermont has very nice natural resources and it’s always new to me every time I reach out to nature. I’ve enjoyed fishing and skiing, which I have learned during my study here. And hiking, of course! It’s one of my favorites during summertime, when I can relax after working in the lab. That’s what the Green Mountain State is about. Meanwhile, I also love to explore the artistic side of myself like playing piano and dancing. Like I always tell myself: enjoy life, enjoy work!

IMPACT:  Jing, thank you for your time and best of luck as you work toward graduation!