Q: What are your physics/science interests?

I am curious about the natural world -- from macroscale ocean circulation to nanoscale quantum phenomena. Studying physics satisfies and catalyzes my curiosity on the most fundamental level. I am most interested in condensed matter physics. This branch of physics is used to discover, understand, and harness properties of solids and liquids, finding useful applications in technology and medicine. I enjoy the interdisciplinary nature of the subject since projects may involve a combination of physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, computer science, etc.

Q: What are your other interests?

Besides physics, I enjoy studying mathematics, philosophy, and theology. In my free time, I play the drums -- mainly full drum sets or the cajón, play basketball, and enjoy most outdoors-y activities.

Q: What would you like to do after college?

After college, I plan to pursue a PhD in physics with the goal of pursuing research and teaching at a university.

Q: Tell us one strange but interesting fact about yourself.

Throughout my life, I have had around 100 stiches... that's kind of interesting, right?

Q: What first sparked your interest in Physics?

I was first interested in weather -- predominantly the connection between the ocean and the atmosphere. From there, I learned that understanding this system required an understanding of physics. Thus, I declared a major in physics. Over time, I learned that my underlying interest was to understand the physical world in general. Through physics classes and research, I quickly fell in love with all aspect of physics and was drawn especially to subjects involving both physics, chemistry, and the quantum world (such as condensed matter physics!).

Q: If you could have any pet what would it be?

I really want a miniature dachshund named Erwin -- but that's too reasonable. My less realistic pet would be a small breed of penguin.

Q: If you had a free month and unlimited funds, how would you spend your time?

I would buy a nice sailboat and sail around the Mediterranean with friends and family, stopping at pretty locations for supplies, food, and exploration. I would probably have to hire a sailing instructor to accompany me since I am in no way a sailing expert.

Q: If you could get a grant to study anything what would it be?

I would use the grant to build an experiment that attempts to discover the mechanism of unconventional or high-temperature superconductivity such as the superconductivity of twisted bilayer graphene. I would also hope to develop computational simulations that accompany the experiment.