Graduate Students

Jessica Kachian

Chemical Engineering

Why I Chose Stanford

I chose Stanford because of its high academic and research standards, the great degree of interaction between faculty and students, and the beautiful area in which it's located.

What I Work On

My thesis project focuses on the organic functionalization of semiconductor surfaces, which has potential applications in a number of field including molecular electronics, nanoscale lithography, and biosensors. Advances in these and other applications may be achieved by combining current knowledge of microelectronics fabrication with the tailorability afforded by organic materials and the precise interface control that is possible with atomically clean surfaces.

What's Great About Studying Here

What's particularly nice about studying at Stanford is the interaction between departments, the availability of the faculty, and having a close-knit group of peers who are intelligent, athletic and social. Intramural sports and "Friday Fundays" are a big part of our department's social atmosphere!

What I Hope to Do

I truly enjoy research and plan to pursue a career in academia or at a national laboratory. My interests are in understanding surface and interfacial chemistry and using this knowledge to solve problems in nanotechnology or sustainable energy.

Rachel Kurtz, PhD Student

Chemical Engineering

Why I Chose Stanford

The chemical engineering department at Stanford University seemed to be the right match for me, due to its close faculty-student interaction and the breadth of topics covered by the faculty members, as well as the department's interdisciplinary approach. As a graduate student in the chemical engineering department, I have also had the opportunity to take several elective courses in different departments, including materials science and engineering, chemistry, and mechanical engineering. I was born profoundly deaf in both ears, and Stanford also offered both the intellectual, collegiate atmosphere and the accommodations that I needed, such as real-time captioning for lectures. Stanford's reputation for academic and research excellence, as well as the beautiful California weather attracted me to study here. The faculty, students, and staff are all warm and welcoming, much like Stanford's Bay Area climate.

What I Work On

My group is focused on complex fluids, and my current projects involve langmuir monolayers of fatty alcohols and polymers on an air/water interface. I have also had the opportunity to perform several x-ray diffraction and reflectivity measurements at the advanced photon source at the argonne national laboratory in Chicago.

What's Great About Studying Here

I love Stanford's open and friendly academic environment, as well as the many extracurricular and leadership opportunities offered here. I have been fortunate to be involved in several different groups at Stanford, including participating as a graduate co-coordinator and graduate peer advisor for the Society of Women Engineers, as a co-treasurer for the Escondido Village Community Associates, and as a Safety Chief for my research group. Stanford offers many opportunities to attend talks by leaders of all disciplines and do research in world-class facilities. My research advisor and Stanford also accommodated the requirements of my fellowship by allowing me to work at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) for a summer internship. My studies here have made me more well-rounded academically, so I was able to apply my chemical engineering knowledge to areas unrelated to my thesis research at LANL.

What I Hope to Do

I hope to secure a position in a challenging and vibrant workplace that will allow me to both do pure scientific research and engineering to solve real-life problems. I also aspire to continue mentoring others, inspiring younger students including women in science and engineering and people with disabilities to reach their goals. I am considering a career in either industry or a national research laboratory.

Dale Waters,

Chemical Engineering

Why I Chose Stanford

I chose Stanford Chemical Engineering because the department has a reputation for excellent research programs in a breadth of topics, but it is still able to maintain a small department atmosphere through student-faculty interactions.

What I Work On

I work on determining the molecular level structure of high strength interpenetrating polymer network hydrogels for biomaterials applications. A better understanding of the structure of these materials will aid in the design of future biomaterials with both high strength and high water content.

What's Great About Studying Here

Stanford is great because it has so many bright and motivated students not only in science and engineering, but in all academic disciplines. An interaction with so many exceptional students really enhances the Stanford experience.

What I Hope to Do

I hope to contribute to basic scientific knowledge and our understanding of the world, while working on research projects that have the potential for real impacts on society.

Kedar Patel,

Chemical Engineering

Why I Chose Stanford

Every department at Stanford is world renowned. In today's research environment collaboration with experts from different areas is almost essential. At Stanford, this means that students are not only based in a highly renowned department, they also have access to resources (professors, students, equipment) from other equally distinguished departments.

What I Work On

Our lab has developed a cell-free protein synthesis platform for production of complex proteins for a variety of applications. My thesis project focuses on the production of fusion proteins and bio-conjugates for therapeutic applications including:

1. Tumor idiotype-based virus-like particle vaccines for B-cell lymphoma
2. Gaussia princeps luciferase - antibody fragment fusions for ex vivo detection of tumor cells
3. Production of transducible transcription factors for nuclear reprogramming.

What's Great About Studying Here

Stanford has a great mix of students. Here, I have met very motivated students from different parts of the world with diverse academic and extra-curricular interests. This has helped make me a more rounded individual.

What I Hope to Do

At Stanford I hope to acquire skills and experience in performing research in the field of Biotechnology / Biochemical Engineering. After graduating, I would like to pursue a career as a research scientist at a biotechnology or pharmaceutical company.