Current Position: Graduate Student, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Michigan
NanoJapan Overview
I conducted research at Keio University's Yagami Campus in Tokyo in Kohei Itoh's lab, and lived in Azabu Juban (for the Japanophiles out there, this was the setting of the popular manga and anime series, Sailor Moon). My project was the imaging of artificially-grown nanostructures using scanning tunneling microscopes and atomic force microscopes. I also produced samples for analysis, namely nanowires formed on Si and Ge substrates, using molecular beam epitaxy. The general experience was positive, and there were no language problems in the laboratory.
I had studied Japanese on my own, mostly using online resources, for about a year before the program, and continued studies at my university upon my return. This year I will have completed Japanese 201 and 202 at Rice. I have also enrolled in undergraduate research on campus this semester, working on the spectroscopy of nanotube rings with the Kono Lab. I intend to return to Japan in the future for internships or more research experience.
NanoJapan has greatly impacted my academic track; a freshman at the time, I discovered how interesting research can be, and although I was not sure about graduate school before that summer, NanoJapan had encouraged me to pursue the higher degree.
My favorite experience in Japan was...
My favorite experiences in Japan were exploring the busy city streets with my camera in hand and absorbing the myriad differences from what I had been used to in the US. Although these walks would last for a few hours, I always returned wanting for more (though my feet would not always comply).
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