I am a researcher who graduated with a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Penn State University and a B.S. in applied physics from Columbia University. I have found great passion in teaching and mentoring students in physics and materials science, whether through informal educational training activities at the Discovery Space, assisting in laboratory classrooms for undergraduates, or helping students with difficult problem sets for thermodynamics or quantum mechanics.

I've seen the best success when students can interact with a complicated concept in multiple ways and pull on their own experiences as metaphors to the system in question - after all, this is part of how science is actually done! Currently in my spare time, I enjoy reading, strategy games, and learning Mandarin.