Varun Agrawal
Where are you from? What university are you attending or have attended?
I am from India. I hold a MS degree from Columbia University ( New York )
What have you studied in science or are currently studying?
I have a bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering, and a Masters degree in OR& FE. OR stands for Operatiomns Research, which is a interdisciplinary field. OR deals with applying mathematical/statistical methods in real life problems like optimizing logistics, finance, and even fields as diverse as biology and dendrochronology.
Do you have any ideas on what a middle school student could do in Science right now?
Computer programming is the most fun part to start! It is easy to learn and you will be fascinated by how many things you can do with it. Whenever you solve a numerical example in science/mathematics, you should think, " How can I do this using computer programs? " Microsoft Excel is a very good tool to start with with plenty of instructional videos/documents online.
What or who inspired you to get into Science in the first place? What do you like about Science?
Growing up, I was a very curious kid. I loved to know about how things work - like how do cars work, how does the solar system work, how do trees grow, how to humans grow, what makes a clock work etc.. I realized that most of these answers can be found if you study science. The joy of finding answers through science is a great motivation tool! You too can find out a great deal about the world by studying science.
What advice do you have for a middle school student who is interested in becoming a scientist?
Read as many books and newspapers, science and non-science, as possible. there are excellent documentaries which will tell you about the fascinating world we live in. All you need to become a scientist is a burning desire to learn more, and some hard work.
Free form
Do you know why an elephant has such big ears? Do you know why do dogs pant after exercise? There is a fascinating connection between the two, which I leave you to find out.