Home Institution: Harvey Mudd College
Research Project: Nuclear Dynamics and Cold Atoms: Computational Many-Body Physics
UW Mentor(s): Aurel Bulgac, Michael Forbes

Q: What are your physics/science interests?
I am interested in both physics and chemistry, and in particularly, nuclear chemistry/physics. Within this field, I have a diverse range of interests, however, from theoretical treatments of the many-body problem to relativistic effects in atoms to nuclear energy.

Q: What are your other interests?
I love the outdoors and enjoy day hikes and backpacking. I also love music, and play clarinet in the orchestra at school.

Q: What would you like to do after college?
I intend to go to graduate school to pursue a Ph.D. in either nuclear chemistry or nuclear physics. Right now, I'm thinking about focusing on actinide science. Eventually, I would like to get a position at a national lab like Los Alamos or Lawrence Livermore.

Q: Tell us one strange but interesting fact about yourself.
I started writing a musical in middle school.

Q: What first sparked your interest in Physics?
I liked physics in high school, but always figured I'd study chemistry in college. At the time I was applying to college, I was teaching myself organic chemistry and imagined myself working in the pharmaceutical industry after school. After taking several chemistry courses in college, however, I realized that I was more drawn to physical and theoretical chemistry and started taking upper level physics courses to explore the chemistry/physics intersection further. Last year I changed my major from chemistry to chemical physics.

Q: If you could have any pet what would it be?
A corgi-husky mix. They're adorably awkward.

Q: If you had a free month and unlimited funds, how would you spend your time?
I would probably backpack across Southeast Asia. That's at the top of my to-do list.

Q: If you could get a grant to study anything what would it be?
One of the things that I am really interested is public opinion towards nuclear energy. I would love to get a grant to travel and explore how public opinion differs in various countries and how it is correlated, if at all, to the prevalence of nuclear power in that country, as well as the focus on nuclear science in high school and university curricula.