About Us

Musa Salman - Founder - President

Musa Salman is a third-year Neuroscience student at the University of Washington - Seattle and the founder/president of the STEM Book Club. He sought to enhance his scientific literacy by joining a book club focused on STEM books and scientific texts but found only ones dedicated to children's books. While he recognized the importance of these, he preferred reading more advanced material. Consequently, he established the STEM Book Club with his friends, which has since gained some traction.

"Despite being a small group, the club's commitment to maintaining a consistent reading schedule has been remarkable."

- Musa Salman

Oliver Liu - Vice President

Oliver Liu is a third-year student at the University of Washington studying Chemical Engineering. His passion for STEM was sparked when he took his first physics course in high school. Since then, he has been fascinated by science and is always looking to learn more about related subjects. Feel free to reach out to him if you ever want to chat about STEM. Outside of running this club, he enjoys playing tennis, going on evening jogs, playing board/card games with friends, and (of course) reading.

"I want everyone at UW to know that they really do belong here. We would love to provide a small community that welcomes anyone with open arms!"

- Oliver Liu

Alek Prunk - Finance Manager

Alek Prunk is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Washington majoring in Bioengineering. His interests in biochemistry and engineering were sparked in courses throughout high school, and ever since he has been eager to learn more about STEM. He has fond memories of literary and non-literary media like Neil Degrasse Tyson's Cosmos, and Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything, igniting his curiosity, and inspiring him at the beginning of his STEM journey, and looks forward to exploring more sources of scientific inspiration!

"Curiosity killed the cat. Luckily, I'm not a stupid cat."

-Alek Prunk

Vasanth Ramachandran - Community Outreach

Vasanth Ramachandran is a third-year undergraduate Public Health student at the University of Washington. Vasanth has always been an avid reader, beginning with his infatuation with the Geronimo Stilton and Big Nate series' in elementary school. In fact, Vasanth once received a letter from Geronimo himself, all the way from New Mouse City! Outside of reading, Vasanth is an avid tennis player and enjoys thrifting, hiking, playing sudoku, and spending time with his friends.

"Mighty is the one with the pen, but mightier is the one which consumes the mighty's work."

-Vasanth Ramachandran

Ethan Tieu - Website Lead

Ethan Tieu is a third-year computer engineering student at the University of Washington. Throughout his life, he has always enjoyed maths and sciences, but most importantly reading, always being an avid participant in the summer reading program at his local libraries. Other than reading, Ethan really enjoys playing tennis, running, going on hikes, and spending time with his friends.

"I love reading!"

-Ethan Tieu

Tim Tao - Website Lead

Tim Tao is a second-year student at the University of Washington majoring in computer science. Having always enjoyed learning about math and physics, Tim felt it was a natural progression to join STEM Book Club. He hopes he can expand his knowledge of STEM through his participation in this club. Outside of academics, Tim enjoys playing tennis and working out. He says his favorite tennis shot is the inside-out backhand slap.

"Man my forehand feeling off."

- Tim Tao

Ian Chao - Mechanical Lead

Ian is a first-year student at the University of Washington studying Mechanical Engineering. Ian always had an analytical mind, as displayed by this biweekly changes in his forehand technique. Due to his analytical nature, he was also drawn to studying STEM. Thus, joining the STEM Book Club felt like a no brainer. In his free time, Ian enjoys working out, eating sushi, and losing to Oliver Liu in tiebreakers.

"Man, Tim's forehand is off right now!"

- Ian Chao

Saksham Singh - Information Architecture Lead

Saksham Singh is a first-year student studying computer science and statistics. Growing up, he developed a deep interest in biology and zoology, spending time with atlases, textbooks, and academic articles. Wrestling with these often dense and antiquated texts cultivated his enduring belief in the importance of clear, structured STEM communication. Outside academics—which he does not enjoy—Saksham also chooses not to enjoy playing tennis and writing.

“At least an amoeba has no delusions about being a polymath.”

- Saksham Singh

Nikola Plavsic - Chief Information Officer

Nikola Plavsic is a second-year intended Informatics major at the University of Washington. He is also a NCAA Division 1 athlete, competing on the men's tennis team. He took his first high-school history class with the infamous Mr. Rowley. After experiencing the atrocities of what is commonly referred to as "AP US History" he vowed to never study the humanities again. Consequently, he joined the STEM Book Club. He hopes his participation in this club will broaden his academic horizons.

Pawat Punnaket - Strategy and Experience Director

Pawat Punnaket is a third-year Human Centered Design and Engineering major at the University of Washington. Already part of Thai Student Association and Husky Tennis Club, Pawat wanted to find a club that would more directly contribute to his intellectual ventures. He found the STEM Book Club to be the perfect fit. Outside of his participation in this club, Pawat enjoys playing tennis, golf, and poker.

Ji-won Kim - Public Relations

Ji-won Kim is a third-year biology student at the University of Washington. Initially a business major, Ji-won decided to take a few STEM courses. He found himself drawn to the experimental side of science, eventually leading him to switch majors to biology. Currently on the pre-medicine track, Ji-won enjoys learning about new science and anatomy concepts through reading STEM literature. His favorite book is The Body by Bill Bryson. He hopes to inform UW communities about STEM Book Club this school year.

"Stop and step back, think if your goal is someone else's or yours."

-Ji-won Kim

Essa Ali - Science Coordinator

Essa Ali is a neuroscience major at the University of Washington – Seattle and currently serves as Secretary of the STEM Book Club. With a passion for exploring the intersections of science, medicine, and human behavior, Essa joined the club to deepen his understanding of scientific ideas beyond the classroom. He values how the club fosters a community where students can challenge their perspectives, ask difficult questions, and share insights from diverse fields of STEM.

“Books are more than words on a page—they’re a way of training the mind to think critically, to imagine boldly, and to never stop questioning.”

– Essa Ali

Deniz Aydin - Human Resources

Deniz Aydin is a second-year Economics major at the University of Washington. Deniz has been passionate about history, politics, and various social sciences, culminating in his decision to study economics, which is the source of all human history. He hopes to make major contributions to the field of economics, which, though a social science, uses mathematics as its tool to make clear the causes of the financial situation of our world. Beyond academics, Deniz enjoys making LEGO MOCs and playing soccer.

"Actually ... I don't have a quote."

- Deniz Aydin

Peter Xu - Secretary

Peter Xu is a second-year Math and CS double major at the University of Washington. He initially was drawn to STEM after learning about 3-4-5 triangles in elementary school. Since then, he has been keen to expand his scientific prowess. Peter has provided remarkable insight for numbers and theology to our latest SBC meetings. Outside of academics, Peter enjoys working out, reading, and applying lotion to his tender skin.

"PROFESSOR FIDKOWSKI! ... I LOVE 3-4-5 TRIANGLES!!!!!!"

- Peter Xu (PHYS 123, Winter 2025)

Pascal Stevens - President of Southern Affairs

UT Austin Chapter

Pascal Stevens is a third-year mechanical engineering student at the University of Texas at Austin who was immediately drawn to the STEM Book Club’s mission of promoting scientific literacy through community engagement. Inspired by the club’s vision, he reached out to the board and offered to lead outreach efforts in the Austin area. With their support, Pascal launched local initiatives under the STEM Book Club name, organizing events and spreading awareness on campus and in the broader community. His goal is to build a culture of curiosity and STEM engagement across the region.

“I will not stop until everyone in the south knows about STEM Book Club!”

-Pascal Stevens

Amar Kumar - President of SoCal Affairs

Claremont Colleges Chapter

Amar Kumar is a third-year economics and data science student at Claremont McKenna College. A student deeply passionate about interdisciplinary learning, he was immediately captivated by the STEM Book Club’s mission to promote scientific literacy through community engagement. Recognizing the power of accessible, discussion-based science education, he reached out to the leadership team and offered to expand the club’s impact beyond its original base. With their encouragement, Amar began leading outreach efforts in Southern California, organizing meetups, connecting with faculty and students across the Claremont Colleges, and sparking conversations about science, technology, and society. Through his efforts, STEM Book Club gained momentum as a hub for intellectually curious students from all disciplines. Amar’s drive and leadership continue to inspire a culture of curiosity, inclusion, and critical thinking, core values at the heart of the STEM Book Club’s growing movement.

“STEM Book Club is the best, and I won't stop until everyone knows about it in the west."

-Amar Kumar

Lucas Rouaix - President of New England Affairs

Northeastern University

Lucas Rouaix is a third-year Chemistry and Data Science student at Northeastern University. He is interested in using computer science tools and techniques to model and predict outcomes for chemical processes. Lucas is currently part of a research lab in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Northeastern. In the lab, he gets to apply computational chemistry to real research projects. One research project he took part in was related to plastic polymer upcycling. This is the process of breaking down long carbon chains (polymers) into smaller n-alkanes which can be reused to manufacture new products such as plastics or fuels.

"Josh ... where is the uber? You said you called the uber, right?"

-Lucas Rouaix

Josh Davydov - President of Midwestern Affairs

Case Western Reserve University

Josh Davydov is a fourth-year electrical engineering student at Case Western Reserve University. Along with rigorous EE coursework, Josh also played three years of Division 3 college tennis at the University of Redlands before transferring to CWRU. He will continue to play college tennis at CWRU, balancing both STEM coursework and a lengthy tennis season.

"Wa EH! ... Wa EH! ... Wa EH! ... Come ON!"

-Josh Davydov

Shahzaib Mohammad - Board Member/Advisor

Shahzaib Mohammad is a second-year student at the University of Washington, Seattle, majoring in Statistics and Applied & Computational Mathematical Sciences (ACMS). Passionate about numbers and analytics, they are particularly drawn to the world of stocks and business, constantly exploring market trends and investment strategies. Their strong quantitative background, combined with a natural curiosity for financial systems, makes them both analytical and strategic in their approach to problem-solving.

"Don't just sell the news, make the news."

-Shahzaib Mohammad

Zayna Aarbi - DEI Lead (Diversity Equity Inclusion)

University of Washington - Seattle

Zayna Aarbi is a fourth year pre-law student.

"Women's rights!"

-Zayna Aarbi

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