Thank you for joining me today. Would you mind introducing yourself and telling me about what you study?

Yeah, hi, my name is Emily Kim. I'm currently a rising junior studying material science engineering at UPenn. I am also interested in studying for my accelerated master's here at UPenn in energy and sustainability engineering. So that's my goal right now.And I'm also a student athlete here at Penn fencing on the fencing team. Um, yeah.

How would you explain your field of study to someone who's never heard of it before?

So I would explain it as something that you see all around yourself. Um, materials are made up of certain components that are found in all over the world. Like we could put chemicals together.Like for example, we've, I've dealt with TiO2, so putting Ti and O2 together to create this one material. Um, that's basically how I'll describe it. Um, I would say material science engineers deal with anything and everything that's around you.So, um, this includes like slimes, um, literally the desk that you have in front of you. Um, like plastic wrappings, um, and other stuff like that. Yeah.

Do you work more with like metals, polymers, ceramics, like biomaterials, nanomaterials, or any other category?

Um, in terms of like what I work on, I think I work on a lot of different things. I don't have like a specific thing that I really work on yet.Um, basically up to our third year, we still have labs that include polymers, ceramics, metals, um, and all different types of materials. Um, we don't work on a specific one, but I will say I've had most of my interests in metals and polymers and, um, just like analyzing their failure, um, potentials, stuff like that, that I've been working in my lab, um, in my lab classes on.

So how do you know, like material science was a better fit than, um, the other engineering majors out there?

So I knew that I wanted to do something in engineering. I wasn't sure what I really wanted to do. I knew I wasn't, I didn't want to like go into computer science and like sit down and work on a computer all day, every day.I knew I wanted to be in a lab building something. And obviously there's mechanical engineering, there's chemical engineering, there's, um, biomechanical bio bio chem engineering, and so many other different fields out there in engineering. But I think materials really is a combination of all of that.And there isn't any like specific field that you specifically have to go into with your material science degree. And it just opens up so many doors. So even now, I'm not exactly sure what I want to do.I do know that I want to go into like the sustainability field with my degree. But I think material science in its core is so diverse and so interdisciplinary, that that was kind of like the right fit for me.

So was there like a first class project camp or other experience that first sparked your interest in STEM?

Yeah, so I didn't really have like this first camp or project or teacher. I've always loved building Legos, helping my mom build IKEA furniture, started really with the simple things. And I think my cousin saw that.I also excelled a little bit in math. And I always thought, oh, if I'm going to math, I should be a math major. But my cousin kind of showed me this other field of like engineering, and how I can build my math skills and maybe work on my science skills to go into the engineering field. And I actually really love that she introduced me to engineering because I love it here now.

Can you walk me through your path into your current field starting from high school? For example, which classes like influenced you the most?

Yeah, so I wasn't really in Scioly (Science Olympiad) or robotics. By the time I realized that I didn't want to be a math major in high school, it was kind of pretty late. And I was already doing other extracurricular activities.So in high school, I joined the math team. I think that was a big like factor in me joining engineering because there were a lot of people in my math team actually joining the math team in order to become an engineer in a certain university in their universities right now. But I think that's kind of where it started.I also did debate. I think it's a huge factor in my communication skills. I used to be a lot more shy and debate really brought out my speaking skills.I was also part of the National Honor Society. I think like in connection to the debate team, it helped me gain more skills in leadership and communication, I guess. And then I went on to create my own non-profit or student-led organization.I wouldn't really call it a non-profit. And I think another key factor in what led me to where I am now is being part of the gender equity board in my high school. We formed it in order to like combat gender norms in general society.Obviously, we can't fix the world. But I think starting with that really helped me realize that there are inequalities in engineering as a woman. And that kind of sparked my kind of like way into engineering.It kind of made me want to be an engineer and it like fuels my ambition to become an engineer as well. I think also I did some high school summer programs at Columbia with robotics and here at UPenn actually with computer graphics. I realized that I didn't want to do any of those.So I think by my junior year, that's when I realized that I wanted to do material science engineering. And I did research at my high school as well. So that helped me write a research paper on banana peel plastics.So a more sustainable way of creating plastics that are biodegradable. Yeah, I think that's kind of like the general gist of my high school path. And I guess like everything has led me to where I am now.Oh, I also did fencing to support it. And it just like helped me de-stress in a sense after school or during the weekends.

So about that banana plastic research paper that you wrote, was that a project that you did like with your school with a mentor or by yourself?

Yeah, so I was part of research in high school. And one requirement that they had was we had to write our own research paper, whether it would be published or not. And I was able to get mine published, but I found a mentor outside of my school for this.And a lot of other people did as well. You don't really have to, you can also find a mentor in the high school. But I decided to go on with a mentor outside of the school.And he helped me kind of create the sense of like, what type of research do you want to do? I think by that time, I was in my end of junior year. So I knew that I wanted to do something along the lines of material science and sustainability. So I think he kind of helped me and guided me into this research of banana peel plastics. I think it was first discovered in 2013 by another student. And I kind of developed on that research by kind of adjusting the manufacturing processes of banana peel plastics.So yeah, and that's kind of where it went on. And then I didn't realize I was going to publish it, but I got it to be published. And yeah, it's really exciting.

Can you describe a specific project or problem that you've worked on in college classes?

Yeah, so I think in terms of like a problem, I don't really have one. I am working in a lab, but it hasn't really started off yet.So like in terms of lab classes, there are obviously so many like little details that can skew your results. So I think that in terms of in my lab classes, I've dealt with so many different problems with my results going askew. And I think the main thing was learning about how every step of the process is so important to get the right results, including up to the point where you're taking the data in and also reading the data.Because sometimes you think there's a problem, but sometimes there isn't. I obviously have to include human error, but I think the biggest problem that I've worked on was just getting the wrong data. And that was also coming from like the instruments that we were working with to get these data sets.And sometimes the machines aren't that great. And that's like the key problem that I had. We just had to go redo it and do it again to get the right data set.But I haven't had a huge problem with any of the lab classes that I've been working on.

Can you describe a specific lab activity that you guys have done?

Yeah, for sure.So recently, in the past year, we've worked a lot on about... I don't know how to say this. It's called the coefficient of thermal expansion.And obviously, materials obviously go through like expansion or contraction during extreme temperature changes. And understanding how the dimensions change during these extreme temperature changes is super critical for building safe and durable infrastructure. So for example, like railroad tracks, they can lead to stress fracture depending on the temperature, and then eventually derailments.So by calculating the coefficient, we can optimize larger scale systems of materials, and also prevent mechanical failure. We've tested different types of alloys, aluminum, steel, a different type of aluminum called covar, and tungsten, and borosilicate, but it's kind of known as gloss, I think. So what we did was basically with this specific test, we went through the metals, metallic materials versus another experiment, we did the polymer materials, and then we basically stretched them until they broke, and see how far it can stretch under a certain stress-strain curve.So in essence, we took the data, and then we got this CTE value coefficient of thermal expansion, and took that data, and basically said, oh, this is how far a material can stretch, or this is how much it can strain during a certain stress, and then took that data, and said, oh, this is how far a material can stress, and sorry, I'm trying to like put it in the most easiest terms as possible, because I know like a lot of details about how to do it, but I'm trying to um, kind of like applying it to the real world, and saying, this is how much you can use, and this is how thick a material can be to support your building, kind of thing. Yeah.Yeah. During the experiment, was there anything that like went wrong, or produced an unexpected result? Um, not really.This is one of the easier experiments that we've had, especially with um, metals. It's not that hard to get like wrong results. If you use the wrong shape of the material, we can't really get the accurate data.For example, for, for when we stretch it, and we have to use a dog-shaped um, piece, but other than that, we've used the right material, we got the right data, so we didn't really have much problems with it.

Next, what barriers do you think students face when they're trying to enter STEM?

Um, I think there's a few that I can go on top of my head, but personally, as a woman in STEM, I think a lot of girls out there think that they're not as good enough as the males in the field, and I think what I'd say to that is, you're not.There's so many capable women out there, um, and I think a lot of people are also scared of, like, the process in terms of, like, going through college. I know it's like a hard process, especially with engineering, um, but I think, like, the, the end result is so worth it compared to, like, the process that we go through during college. Um, yeah, I think a lot of people feel like they can't, they're, like, less than others in a sense, but I guarantee you that there's always going to be a class that you're better than other people, and, um, sometimes it's not that case, but sometimes it's room for improvement kind of thing, and I think those are kind of the main three barriers that I really see.In terms of also seeing it in myself, to be honest, like, I go through these challenges every day, but I think, like, in the end, people just need to realize that you gotta, I guess, have fun while learning, and, um, yeah.

So if, how can students explore material science engineering if their school offers really limited STEM opportunities?

Yeah, I mean, everything's on the internet now, like on YouTube.Um, one of the first experiments that I did in college was slime, um, and it really shows the properties of viscoelasticity in polymers. Um, for example, when you tear them apart too fast, it breaks off immediately, but if you stretch it really slowly, um, it kind of, like, flows and it stretches further than if you would just, like, rip it apart, but stuff like that you could just, like, find on YouTube. Um, uh, I think slime or making oobleck just in your home is, like, maybe one of the simplest things that I would recommend, and just going on YouTube and seeing what are the material properties of this and how, what can I learn, um, from slime or oobleck as a material scientist, and I think it's super easy to find online.Um, that's where I would start, and there's so many opportunities that universities offer, um, and scholarships in the summer for high school students to attend a college-level, pre-college-level course.

Next, if you could go back, what advice would you give to your ninth-grade self?

I have a lot.I think, um, I think the one thing I would say is don't be afraid in any and every sense. I would say don't be afraid to apply to any school. Don't be afraid of, like, um, failure.Don't be afraid of other people putting you down. I think stuff like that is something that you shouldn't be worried about, and it's always gonna work out for you in the end. Um, I was always the type to overthink, and I think I've realized now that sometimes it's okay to not, well, not to not think, but, like, think less in terms of what can you do in the present, what can you do to better yourself in the present, and stop thinking, stop overthinking about the future.Um, yeah, don't be afraid of learning something new. Don't be afraid of anything in general, um, and I think I would tell to my ninth-grade self, you'll get to where you want to be if you put in the work.

Is there an activity or subject you wish you had, like, explored or learned earlier?

Definitely, like, Scioly (Science Olympiad). Um, I wish I was part of Scioli in high school, or robotics. I think I would have learned a lot more, um, about engineering at an earlier stage in life.Right now, um, I think that a lot of people in my class have done Scioli, have done robotics, and they have a little bit more experience than I do, and they were able to, like, join these clubs and universities that I wasn't able to join in my freshman year, but slowly got to enjoy in my second year, um, and stuff like that. I think back then, I was also afraid of, like, joining and then not being able to do well, so, like, I guess that, like, advice carries on, but I wish I joined Scioly (Science Olympiad) or robotics in high school, um, and kind of put in that time.

So, in addition to, like, your recommendation on playing with slime, what's one small step a student can take this month to explore your field?

I see, okay, um, obviously, I would say read research papers, but I think that's, like, the most boring way, um, to explore the field. Um, I'm not really too sure because I haven't really done that in high school, um, and most of my learning comes from my professors right now, but maybe reach out to a professor. Reach out to a professor in either, like, your local college or, um, any university, to be honest, and be like, oh, I'm interested in learning more about material science.Can you guide me? I think one other advice is don't be afraid to cold email. Um, there's so many professors out there and researchers out there that are so willing to teach you about material science and will teach you about this, like, amazing field, um, and that's kind of where I would start.Um, maybe, I know it's pretty late in the year, maybe, I don't know if there's, like, applications for pre-college programs that are geared towards material science, um, topics, but maybe see if that's available, if not, maybe next year, but I think emailing a professor at a college, maybe, that you want to apply to if you're a junior right now, and just being like, oh, I'm super interested in material science. How can I learn more?Um, and I think they will guide you in the right direction.

Awesome. Okay, so that's all my questions.Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences, and I really appreciate it.

Yeah, no problem. It was fun.

Thank you.