Home Institution: University of North Dakota
Research Project: Optical Generation and Electrical Control of Valley Excitons and Pseudospins in monolayer Semiconductors
UW Mentor(s): Xiaodong Xu

Q: What are your physics/science interests?
My physics interests are in nanotechnology and material science. I would like to further explore condensed matter physics.

Q: What are your other interests?
My interests outside of school are yoga, snow kiting, snowboarding, rock climbing, going to Djs, working out, running, and hanging with friends watching sports.

Q: What would you like to do after college?
After college I plan on going to graduate school to obtain my PhD in physics.

Q: Tell us one strange but interesting fact about yourself.
A strange but interesting fact about me is that to my friends I am the most unbalanced-balanced person they have ever met. I teach slacklining and yoga classes and can hold some of the more advanced balance poses on the ground or on the line but can trip over my own feet.

Q: What first sparked your interest in Physics?
My interest in physics was sparked by a Nova Science Now video featuring gecko gloves. The idea of something so small being that strong made me want to know more about how small things interact.

Q: If you could have any pet what would it be?
If I could own one pet it would be a sugar glider. I would never actually own one because they are extremely time consuming and hard to care for.

Q: If you had a free month and unlimited funds, how would you spend your time?
If I had unlimited funds and a free month I would travel around the world with my sister going to concerts, having epic adventures, traveling to tropical islands and seeing all the sites of the world.

Q: If you could get a grant to study anything what would it be?
I would study superconductivity if I had a grant to study anything I wanted to because it has many strange properties and can help in further other fields research projects.