Personal Statement

For as long as I can remember, all my academic and personal success has been sparked

by my exposure to creative ideas and innovative design. My graduate school aspiration of

fabricating new solar cell devices enhanced by nanostructures is a product of my undergraduate

exposure to cutting-edge technology in electrical engineering and materials science. My

outstanding performance in high school was due to the motivation and inspiration I gained from

participating in a fourth grade Gifted and Talented science fair. Others may consider this science

fair to be the beginning of my research experience, but I will argue that the original spark that

started it all was my childhood obsession with Lego’s.

The quantitative precision and creative beauty of Lego’s gave me the ability to make

anything I could ever want – cars, planes, robots, buildings, giant robot-car-planes that turned

into buildings. At age 7, I may have been too busy filling my room with crazy creations to

observe any philosophical depth in the Lego pieces I owned. But now, after an extensive

undergraduate education in math, physics, and electronic devices, I have realized the striking

similarity between my 2nd grade obsession and my undergraduate research in nanotechnology.

Understanding the universe in terms of its fundamental building blocks is the practical theory

behind all the current research endeavors in engineering, chemistry, physics, and materials

science. I like to think that I have trained myself from childhood to be an innovator in the realm

of all that is small, and I am eager to continue this training. I want to show the world that some

“very small” innovations will lead to very large changes in our society.

My undergraduate experience at the University of Arkansas has given me opportunities to

work with a wide range of students and faculty. As a freshman I became involved, almost by

accident, in a research project conducted by graduate students in the Optoelectronics and

Semiconductor Devices Laboratory. Three weeks into my college experience, I was working

next to a PhD student assisting with the synthesis of carbon nanotubes using high temperature

chemical vapor deposition. These nanotubes, with the theoretical potential to revolutionize

virtually every realm of modern technology, were the holy grail of scientific research that

captured my interest so much in high school. I couldn’t imagine being more thrilled about my

field of study, but it did become more exciting with every semester. At the end of my freshman

year, I was invited to travel with several graduate students to a Materials Research Society

conference in Boston. This was my first glimpse into the true extent of my newfound scientific

community, and while it gave my big engineering ego a well-deserved dose of humility, it

inspired me to expand my knowledge base and continue searching for my own scientific

innovation.

In the summer of 2009, I finally took my ambition overseas during a multi-disciplinary

study abroad program in Iceland focused on renewable technology and sustainability. Iceland

has a remarkably advanced civil infrastructure, and they are geographically blessed with readily

available renewable energy sources, particularly hydroelectric and geothermal sources. Touring these power facilities, meeting Icelandic engineers, and enjoying the pristine cleanliness of their

environment motivated me to work towards some contribution to society that would allow all

nations and all people to live a sustainable lifestyle. At the end of our program, the American

students had the opportunity to conduct two weeks of independent research on a specific

renewable technology topic of their choice. I investigated an implementation of smart grid

technology for an isolated Icelandic village through the use of demand-response systems.

Studying the use of renewable technology in a full-scale implementation has greatly contributed

to the intellectual merit of my undergraduate career, and studying with people from different

cultural and technical backgrounds has helped to broaden the future impacts of my research.

Beginning my junior year, I was selected to be the Electrical Engineering Recruiter for

the College of Engineering. This job is an extremely unique and beneficial opportunity because

it has allowed me to integrate many of my technical, interpersonal, and leadership talents with

my interests in engineering and educational outreach. Without a doubt, this position has

provided me excellent experiences that directly contribute to the broader impacts of my research

career, and it often gives me the chance to work with underrepresented students in Arkansas. I

meet with high school students and their families on a regular basis to give academic advice and

personal tours of the facilities. I am also responsible for actively corresponding with elementary,

middle, and high school students as an academic mentor for their electrically-focused research

projects. These projects include powering a simple DC motor with a solar panel, creating series

and parallel solar panel designs, and designing a fully-integrated remote-controlled electric boat

capable of solar battery charging. I’ve also coordinated and supervised many classroom projects

in which students work together to design small electric windmill generators and build

electromechanical catapults –two projects that I helped design for educational outreach. My

most noteworthy achievement in recruiting and student mentoring has been the development of

our College’s Engineering Summer Academy (ESA). ESA is an NSF-funded week-long

engineering camp which gives upper level high school students the opportunity to participate in a

team-oriented engineering design competition. I was responsible for researching, designing, and

testing the week’s curriculum for the combined mechanical and electrical competition, which

was the solar-powered RC electric boat design project previously mentioned.

Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts: This fantastic collection of experience working with

students has been my greatest motivation in continuing my engineering studies. Nothing could

be more inspiring than witnessing younger students become so excited about their first

interaction with the photoelectric effect, or talking to a freshman engineer who chose to study

electrical engineering at the University of Arkansas after I gave them a tour as a high school

senior. My education will be the first step towards educating others, and this wealth of

knowledge will help make solar power a reality for everyone. I strongly believe that my

continued research of solar cell enhancement combined with my desire to expose others to

renewable energy technology will allow me to vastly impact not only the scientific community,

but society as a whole.

Engineering plant fascinates me - I am drawn to the interaction between complex machines and support systems to achieve a goal. I also have a love of problem solving, by which I mean the identification of a problem and the selection and implementation of a solution. I find the process exciting and I get a great deal of satisfaction upon completion.

For a long time I have been attracted to offshore sector, and i think it will suit for me. Having found my niche, the offshore sector has further fuelled my interest in marine engineering mayor especially in piping engineering studying program..

I am in piping engineering. This major engineering create its students to be a piping engineer like a professional who helps to create designs for pipes used to carry fluids such as slurry, gas, or others. I have been studying a lot of thing as my jobs in the future. Piping engineers must have solid drafting skills and be analytical so as to make sure that planned piping systems are drawn and built sufficiently to achieve their desired functions beside that should have strong management skills for supervising other workers in the field.

i would increase my knowledge and understanding of offshore systems indeed. Because I really want be there. I should like to study selection of oil and gas plant, fluid mechanic and piping control systems. I have an interest in these areas and would like to extend my knowledge.

I am in piping engineering. This major engineering create its students to be a piping engineer like a professional who helps to create designs for pipes used to carry fluids such as slurry, gas, or others. I have been studying a lot of thing as my jobs in the future. Piping engineers must have solid drafting skills and be analytical so as to make sure that planned piping systems are drawn and built sufficiently to achieve their desired functions beside that should have strong management skills for supervising other workers in the field.