Oh, the places you’ll go after Intel ISEF
If you鈥檙e interested in science and research, go for it and persist. This was the main theme of the Leveraging Your Science Fair Experience: Oh the Places You Can Go! symposia session at Intel ISEF 2017 with 京东影业影视传媒 & the Public President & CEO Maya Ajmera and several Intel ISEF alumni.
鈥淢any of you will now become alumni after this week,鈥� Maya said. 鈥淚t comes with a great network and an extraordinary experience.鈥�
Alumni on the panel included:
- Linn Bieske: Intel ISEF 2012
- Raymond Wang: Intel ISEF 2015
- Diya Dwarakanath: Intel ISEF 2008
- Christopher Lindsay: Intel ISEF 2014-2015
- Kathy Liu: Intel ISEF 2015-2016
Their advice to current Intel ISEF finalists varied.
Linn encouraged them to, above all, have fun. Others told them to go explore.
鈥淕et over any shyness you might have with meeting people,鈥� Christopher said. 鈥淵ou have a week here; it鈥檚 a long time to meet interesting people.鈥�
Stay in touch with these people you meet on social media, Diya suggested. You never know where these connections will end up. Diya had the chance to attend a research conference in school and 鈥渇elt comfortable because it felt like Intel ISEF all over again.鈥�
This week is not necessarily an end goal, Kathy reminded the finalists. 鈥淚ntel ISEF opens doors for you,鈥� she said. 鈥淯se this as outreach to help other people get here.鈥�
Maya then wanted to know how they manage challenges and disappointments in STEM.
鈥淭ake disappointment as a motivation,鈥� Linn said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e already here, you鈥檝e already achieved great things.鈥� She encouraged finalists to ask questions or for help, get an external perspective. 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 have any challenges in your research project, you would just get bored,鈥� she said.
鈥淪tay calm and persist,鈥� Raymond echoed. It鈥檚 easy to get frustrated if a simulation doesn鈥檛 work, but instead of panicking figure out who you can turn to for help, whether it鈥檚 a mentor or a paper.
For Christopher, the most challenging thing is getting started. He suggested just doing it, because the sooner you start, the easier it will be in the long run.
He also said that disappointments should be met with self-reflection instead of self-hatred. 鈥淎 lot of times, things that go wrong are out of your control,鈥� he said. For example, he was researching deep pressure ocean cameras and when he did an experiment, the camera imploded. He made another and tried again.
Disappointments should be met with self-reflection instead of self-hatred. A lot of times, things that go wrong are out of your control. 鈥擟hristopher
Diya encouraged the finalists to keep their eyes on the higher goal. 鈥淚n research, so many times we鈥檙e working on a tiny aspect on one thing,鈥� she said. But her overall goal was to help with Alzheimer鈥檚. Research can become tedious, but 鈥渞emember why you鈥檙e doing this and your purpose.鈥�
Find what works for you, Kathy said, 鈥渨hether that鈥檚 blasting Kanye or sitting on the top of a mountain.鈥�
The alumni said their family, friends, professors, fair directors, mentors, and dogs help support them.
When asked how they would improve the science fair process, the alumni suggested:
- A buddy program where finalists from different countries are paired up.
- A maker-faire for competitors to build something together.
- More space to interact with judges and learn from their careers.
- A way to raise awareness and make science fairs more popular and accessible.
- A way to help every high school have a science fair.
Take disappointment as a motivation. If you don鈥檛 have any challenges in your research project, you would just get bored.
鈥� Linn Bieske
Maya was curious to know what is next for the recent alumni.
Linn is finishing a master鈥檚 program in materials science. Afterwards, she plans to study business in London.
Diya just received her master鈥檚 in biomedical engineering. She is job hunting and hopes to work on implantable medical devices like insulin pumps or pacemakers.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 only one path,鈥� Diya said. She might stay in research and development or go to strategy development. 鈥淗opefully in 20 years, I will be helping to save the world.鈥�
Kathy is interning at a battery startup, which is similar to her Intel ISEF research.
Raymond and Christopher don鈥檛 know exactly what is next in their futures.
鈥淚鈥檓 not sure I want to specialize in STEM,鈥� Raymond said. 鈥淚鈥檓 looking at business.鈥� This summer, he will be doing business strategy work for Delta airlines, which also relates to his Intel ISEF project, which looked at improving aircraft cabin airflow. But the common theme he has is to try and make an impact. 鈥淚 always want to be involved in innovating,鈥� he said.
College is a good place to figure things out, according to Christopher. 鈥淚t鈥檚 okay not to know exactly what you鈥檙e going to do for the rest of your life,鈥� he said.
Currently, he鈥檚 double majoring in environmental studies and astronomy. He鈥檚 from Hawaii, and wants to return to study or work there.
These recent alumni aren鈥檛 only talented scientists and researchers, they also believe in STEAM, the interaction and inclusion of science and art. Linn was a professional skier who also does hip hop and breakdancing. Kathy debates, which she said helps with communication. Diya is a classical dancer and writer. Raymond tries out new instruments for fun. Christopher, too, is involved with music. In college, he was deciding between science or pipe organ performance. 鈥淗itting things relives stress,鈥� he said.
鈥淪cience is about being open and exploring,鈥� Kathy said.
Science is about being open and exploring. 鈥擪athy
These five recent alumni all returned to volunteer at this year鈥檚 Intel ISEF for various reasons.
It was obvious to Christopher that he volunteer. He lives in L.A., for one, and it鈥檚 fun. 鈥淚t helped me understand that amount of work that goes into this program, and how much effort these people put into science education,鈥� he said.
The finalists are Linn鈥檚 motivation to volunteer. 鈥淵our projects are great, you鈥檙e going to shape the future,鈥� she said.
Intel ISEF is life-changing, Raymond said. 鈥淭hese huge gatherings of so many brilliant people don鈥檛 happen overnight 鈥� the very least I could do is give back,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 want to give that experience to finalists, moving forward.鈥� He and Kathy agreed that 鈥渢here鈥檚 nothing else in the world quite like Intel ISEF.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 important for me to give back for all I鈥檝e received,鈥� Diya said. 鈥淎s long as Intel ISEF exists, I want to be a part of it.鈥�
