2015 - 2016 U.S. Student Fulbright Award/Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship
Ph.D., Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Utah, Dissertation Defense 06/15
B.S. in Electrical & Computer Engineering, May 2010, Louisiana State University
2015-2016 U.S. Student Fulbright Award: Precious Cantu has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Award to Switzerland (also known in Switzerland as The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship) for 2015-2016 to conduct research at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. During her year in Lausanne, she will be continuing her research into optical nanolithography with applications in tissue engineering. “It was pretty exciting,” she said about the news of being accepted. “It’s satisfying and gratifying after putting in so much effort and being recognized. It’s an honor to be representing the university, engineering and the U.S.”
"I am very proud to be a NanoJapan alumnus because participating in such a great program has given me the opportunity to reach my goals. This program was a spring board for me into my graduate school career. It has afforded me several graduate fellowships and a list of contacts that are invaluable." ~ Precious Cantu, October 2012
Awards & Accomplishments: 2012 MGE@MSA AGEP Program at Arizona State University, 2011 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, 2011 National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science (GEM) Fellow, 2011 University of Utah Nanotechnology Training Program Fellow, and & Louisiana State University McNair Scholar
Further International Experience: PASI Pan-American Advanced Studies Institute on Frontiers in Imaging Science in Bogota, Colombia in Summer 2011
Further Undergraduate Research Experiences: Ronald McNair Scholars Program Research Experience for Undergraduates at Louisiana Staet University with Dr. Martin Feldman on "High Capacity Digital Laser Beam Steering System" in Summer 2011.
Further NanoJapan Research Presentations or Publications:
Yoshihiro Iwasa, Hidekazu Shimotani, Jianting Ye, Hongtao Yuan, Yuichi Kasahara, Kazunori Ueno, Masashi Iwasa, Precious Cantu, and Takahiro Nishijima. "Electric- eld-induced Superconductivity in Electric Double Layer Transistors", 54th International Conference on Electron, Ion, and Photon Beam Technology and Nanofabrication (EIPBN 2010), Anchorage, AL, June 1, 2010.
P. Cantu, T. Nishijima, H. Shimotani, and Y. Iwasa. "Search for Superconductivity With Nanovdevices ", LSU Triple Ex Symposium on Undergraduate Research, Baton Rouge, LA, October 28, 2009. Received Best Poster Presentation Award
>> Read More About Precious' NanoJapan Experience
>> Read More About Precious' NSF Graduate Fellowship Award
Ph.D. Student, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, In Progress
B.S., Biomedical Engineering, Harvard University, 2011
>> Read More About Shomesh's NanoJapan Experience
Current Position: Research Assistant, Dept. of Physics, University of Pennsylvania
B.A. & M.S., Physics, University of Pennsylvania, 2011
Further Presentations of NanoJapan Research: Michael received a "Superior Presentation" award for his NanoJapan 2009 research project poster at the Sigma Xi: Scientific Research Society's 2009 Annual Meeting in The Woodlands, TX.
>> Watch a Video of Michael's Poster Presentation
Further Research Experience: In the summer of 2010 Michael participanted in the University of Pennsylvania Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter Research Experience for Undergraudates Program which is supported by a National Science Foundation supported Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) grant.
Ph.D., Physical Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, In Progress
M.S., Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 2012
B.A., Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 2012
"NanoJapan introduced me to the concept of international research and gave me access to research in the physical sciences (which I have now returned to for my PhD). My experiences there allowed me to establish international connections in areas of science that I would otherwise have no access to, and has helped to shape my career as an international researcher. It also taught me not to fear cultural and language barriers in science, which I then used to do an internship in Brazil the following summer. My approach to research and collaborations has broadened from these experiences, as I understand scientific research to be a global effort and not just work done in specific labs." ~ Leora Cooper, October 2012
Further International Experience: In the summer of 2012, Leora worked as a Visiting Researcher in the Stefani Lab at the Universidade de São Paulo in Brazil where her research focused on "Suzuki Miyaura Cross-Coupling Reactions of Alkynyl Trifluoroborates".
Further Research Experience: Undergraduate/Master's Researcher in the Schelter Lab at the University of Pennsylvania researching "f-Element Coordination of Diiminotriboronate and Triphenylamido Amine Ligands" from 2009 - 2012.
Further NanoJapan Research Publication or Presentations:
L. Cooper, H. Amano, M. Hiraide, S. Houkyou, I. Y. Jang, Y. J. Kim, H. Muramatsu, J. H. Kim, T. Hayashi, Y. A. Kim, M. Endo, M. S. Dresselhaus, "Freestanding, Bendable, thin film for supercapacitors using DNA-dispersed double walled carbon nanotubes," Applied Physics Letters 95, 1 (2009). DOI: 10.1063/1.3271768
Ph.D., Chemistry, Stanford University, In Progress
B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Rice University, 2011
"NanoJapan provided me with an invaluable opportunity to develop my research skills, while learning about a culture totally different from my own. In choosing a career, the inherent satisfaction I was able to obtain from the fundamental relevance of my research with NanoJapan made it clear that research was the path for me. I was able to make several very close friends who I am still am in contact with today, and I look forward to taking advantage of the first opportunity for continued collaboration with Japanese researchers that presents itself in the context of my current research."
>> Read More About Barney's NanoJapan Experience
Current Position: National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Imaging Physics Lab Intramural Research Training Fellowship (2011 - 2013)
B.S., Physics, George Washington University, 2011
"Since I completed the NanoJapan program in 2009, I have experienced a variety of positive impacts on my academic career. Research is my main career focus, so the fact that I have had the experience of relocating to a different culture and lab environment and successfully adapting to it means that I have greatly increased comfort and confidence in research environments. After all, relocating to a different lab in the U.S. will always pale in comparison to relocating to a lab on the other side of the world. I feel comfortable and confident now that I am highly adaptable and very adept with working with any other individual, even if communication between us is difficult (as it was with a few of my lab mates who were not experienced with English), and in drastically different locations. There also is the factor of what an amazing experience it is to discuss with other researchers. Most people are extremely curious about the program when I discuss it with them, as well as what my individual experience was like. Whether it is at a conference, or in interviews, I have found everyone whats to hear more about my summer. Most people are lucky to work in a lab overseas at some point in their career so it is always surprising when I mention I worked in one during my undergraduate years. More directly, I believe my NanoJapan experience helped me get invited to go to a conference in Tokyo hosted by the University of Tokyo just 5 months after beginning work at the NIH, to present my new NIH research findings. My lab's Principle Investigator was confident that I would be comfortable presenting some of our research to a mostly international crowd at the XNPIG conference (out of 107 participants there were only 7 from the U.S.), I believe largely due to his knowledge of my NanoJapan experience. I was also thrilled to notice that the conference was held at the Miraikan in Odaiba, which I had visited 3 years earlier with the entire NanoJapan group. Beyond these recent experiences, I believe that participating in NanoJapan when I had just completed my sophomore year in undergrad solidified my thoughts and feelings towards pursuing a research career. Not only did I gain a great deal of practical knowledge from my Japanese lab, but I experienced how much research can bring people from varying backgrounds and cultures together. I have found that not only have I grown as an individual from participating in NanoJapan, but my appreciation for research and its implications beyond the pursuit of knowledge has grown as well.."
Current Position: Hardware Engineer in the VLSI Research Group
M.S.E.E., Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, In Progress
B.S. & M.S., Electrical & Computer Engineering, Rice University, 2012
Further International Experience: Michelle spent one semester studying at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology through the Rice University Exchange Program.
>> Read More About Michelle's NanoJapan Experience
Ph.D., Petroleum Engineering, University of Texas, Austin, In Progress
B.S., Electrical & Computer Engineering, Rice University, 2011
Awards & Accomplishments: 2011 SP Yates Memorial Fellowship
"Although my involvement with the program was
brief, the impact it had on my professional development was tremendous. I
am no longer working in a field related to Nanotechnology, but the
skills I gained in developing and maintaining professional relationships
along with structuring a workplan and presenting results has translated
well in every one of my endeavors. The NanoJapan program was one of the
main reasons that I am in graduate school today pursuing a PhD, and it
served as the springboard for my research career."
>> Read More About Stephen's NanoJapan Experience
Ph.D, Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, In Progress
B.S., Bioengineering, Rice University, 2012
Awards & Accomplishments: 2012 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
Peer Reviewed Publication from NanoJapan: IREU Research:
"As an alumnus, I have developed research and communication skills that have helped me throughout my academic career, both in pursuing other research opportunities as well as entering graduate school. I have also gained tremendously from the initial connections I had in NanoJapan, both with students and faculty, as I have stayed in contact with many of these people over time. By participating in NanoJapan as a rising sophomore, I gained the opportunity to participate in other programs that further excited me about research, and these doors would not have been open for me had I not participated in NanoJapan. I am also very proud to be a NanoJapan alumnus, as I can share this unique experience with others and bring a global perspective into conversations and the daily life of my peers. I grew tremendously as a person during my NanoJapan experience, and it motivated me to feel confident in all my future life pursuits, whether they are academic, career, or personal pursuits."
>> Read More About Georgia's NanoJapan Experience
Current Position: PhD Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, In Progress
M.S., Electrical Engineering - Electronics & Photonics, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2013
B.S. in Electrical Engineering & B.A. in Technical Japanese, University at Buffalo, SUNY, 2011
Other Professional Internship: Summer 2010 and Summer 2011 Electrical Engineering Internship at Corning, Inc.
>> Read More About Claire's NanoJapan Experience
M.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Rhode Island, In Progress
B.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Rhode Island, 2011
A.S., Engineering, Community College of Rhode Island, 2008
Other International Experience: The summer after completing hisr NanoJapan: IREU experience at Tohoku University in 2008, Chris was selected as an alumni participant in the 2009 NanoJapan: IREU Program where he conducted research at Chiba University.
Other Research Experience: In the summer of 2010, Chris was selected to participate in the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN) Research Experience for Undegraduates Program. He conducted research at Cornell University on tip-based patterning of graphene using AFM anodic oxidation. NEMS design and fabrication for piezoelectric measurements of graphene.
>> Read More About Chris' NanoJapan Experience
B.S. in Electrical Engineering & Physics, Clarkson University, 2011
Further International Experience: As part of the TeraNano PIRE International Research Experience for Graduate Students Program, Paul returned to Japan in the summer of 2012 where he spent two months working with Prof. Otsuji at Tohoku University.
>> Read More About Paul's NanoJapan Experience
>> Read More About Paul's NSBE Service
Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, University of Washington, Expected 2016
B.S., Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Rochester, 2011
Awards & Accomplishments:
2013 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
2012 NSF East Asia Pacific Summer Institute, Japan, University of Tokyo
Other International Experience: In the summer of 2012, she returned to Japan as a NSF EAPSI Fellow and conducted research at the University of Tokyo.
Current Position: Graduate Student, Physics, University of California, Berkeley, In Progress. Research Affiliate Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
B.A. Physics, University of California, Berkely, 2012
"NanoJapan helped me understand the Japaneses academic and cultural environment a little more. I would highly consider to conducting research in Japan or forming a potential research collaboration in the future."
Other Professional Internship: In 2011, Hsin-zon conducted a research internship with Seagate Technology
>> Read More About Hsinzon's NanoJapan Experience
