Major: Computer Science

Future plans: Graduating is my future plan

Advice on how to approach EMP-Cubed: It’s a group effort, so don’t be afraid to ask questions. Communication is key for this class and anything else in life!

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class? Ask questions during class, come to the help room, Piazza, and taking your own notes on the material. COMMUNICATE!!!

Fun fact about me: I’m the oldest of two kids, I’m a 4th year college student, my pronouns are He/They/Them.

Help room hours: Mondays 2 pm - 3 pm

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Future plans: Work on R&D at some company, preferably on something clean energy related.

Advice on how to approach EMP-Cubed: Do the homework, read the notes, don’t be scared to ask questions!

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class? Come to help room, and don’t be ashamed to ask the same question multiple times.

Fun fact about me I was born and raised in the Amazon

Help room hours: Mondays 11 am - 12 pm

Major: Materials Science and Engineering

Future plans: to graduate and (hopefully) work in a failure analysis lab

Advice on how to approach EMP-Cubed: Focus more on learning the material from the in-class projects instead of finishing them on time. And be honest with your classmates/LA’s if you don’t understand something!

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class? Don’t stop asking questions until you understand the material!! Even if the questions don’t make sense, it’s better to ask than to stay confused!

Fun fact about me I have three older sisters and I am the youngest in my family

Help room hours: Tuesdays 2 pm - 3 pm

Major: Mathematics

Future plans: Attend graduate school to study Education and Mathematics

Advice on how to approach EMP-Cubed: Come to class prepared to engage with your classmates and don't be afraid to share what's on your mind (questions, concerns, insights, jokes (appropriately), etc.)

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class? If you are struggling in class, try communicating with your groupmates and/or a tutor by letting them know what topics or ideas you are having trouble with and asking for assistance whenever needed.

Fun fact about me I recently discovered that I have an allergy to sunflower seeds and it makes it really hard to buy snacks at the grocery store.

Help room hours: Tuesdays 10 am - 11 am

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Future plans: I am currently seeking to work in the renewable/sustainable energies field with my degree, but have always been intrigued by teaching. I want to do something that is not only beneficial to people but the planet as well.

Advice on how to approach EMP-Cubed: Come to class prepared! Take the best notes possible before coming to class. This will benefit you greatly in a group setting while reassuring your own understanding.

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class? Don't be afraid to talk to your LA's or professors to seek help, ask questions. We are here to support your learning, and will do what we can to ensure your success.

Fun fact about me: I've broken both my arms at the same time.

Help room hours: Monday Piazza Manager

Major: Electrical Engineer

Future plans: Graduate and get an engineering job with a company I enjoy

Advice on how to approach EMP-Cubed: Doing the homework before class makes completing the problems in class much easier. Don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as possible and it never hurts to lean into your group members for help, it’s a group effort!!

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class? Ask the LA for help or go to help rooms. This class has many road blocks and asking questions is the best way to break them down.

Fun fact about me I built the security system at my High School.

Help room hours: Tuesdays 11 am - 12 pm

Major: Applied Engineering – Concentration in Supply Chain Management

Future plans: Attend grad school at MSU for Environmental Engineering and Environmental Science Policy

Advice on how to approach EMP-Cubed: Be patient! This style of course can take some getting used to and working well in a team is a skill that we are all always working on. Take the time to invest in preparing yourself for the projects and it will definitely pay off! And try to have fun:)

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class?: Try to figure out your area of weakness. Are you not prepared enough for class? Are you not asking enough questions? Are you communicating well with your group mates? Is there a content barrier that you need to go to office hours for more help? Don't let yourself fall behind and feel helpless because we are all invested in your success!

Fun fact about me: I love experimenting with new gluten free recipes!

Help room hours: Tuesdays 3 pm - 4 pm

Research Area: Physics Education Research

Description of research in that area: Quantitative, data manipulation, coding, and statistical tests applied to large datasets that pertain to student learning or student experiences in physics.

What excites you about physics: physics is where you learn about how every facet of the world works, with math that can be simplified and approximate! You don't need math to understand it, though, since physics is just as much observations as it is the math behind them.

Advice on how to approach EMP-Cubed: the EMP-Cubed experience is one you may never encounter again, so take a moment to reflect on how you want to experience it. The course only exists with your presence, so the more you interact and engage/encourage others to engage with you, the more you'll learn how to work with others and how to craft your own physics knowledge. The most important thing, in my opinion, is that you try and have fun with it. Physics may not be the most 'fun' thing in the world, but they way that you learn it can be!

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class? I recommend reaching out in 3 stages: to your group mates, to your tutor, and then to the professor. The in-class time is meant to be a discussion between you and your group, so when you come in, there are 3 to 4 immediate sources of help. When you are stuck or feeling like you're falling behind, speak up and ask what's going on or for a summary! Your tutor can help in that when they walk by, you can ask them questions or even approach them during help room hours for a recap of the day's work. The professors are there for more fundamental or more serious group questions/issues, though don't hesitate to talk to any of your tutors about these either. We're here to help!

Fun fact about me: I sing along to anything and everything if I know it. This makes me very annoying in car rides.

Help room hours: Tuesday Piazza Manager, some hours during exam weeks.

Research/Interest Area: Experimental nuclear physics.

Description of research in that area: My research is in nuclear reactions – I try to understand what happens when atomic nuclei collide. I’m particularly interested in understanding the processes that stop nuclear fusion from happening. This is really important for understanding reactions of exotic nuclei and trying to figure out how to discover new elements.

What excites you about physics?: Physics research is always done at the edge of what is possible (otherwise we’d have done it already), so there’s this continual cycle of innovation and challenge that’s just really exciting. Also, in experimental nuclear physics, we get to build machines to smash atoms together and measure what comes out. I just find this the coolest thing to get to do.

Advice on how to approach EMP-Cubed: This class puts a lot of emphasis on the process of solving problems. Come to class prepared with the aim of understanding more about the physics concepts and more about problem solving. This is necessarily the same as aiming to finish every single problem.

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class?: Don’t be afraid to ask for help! There are many resources available: the helproom hours, instructors in class, your group mates, piazza and the notes. We’re here to help, and you should never be afraid to ask us a question.

Fun fact about me: I was born in outback Australia, about 9,800 mi away from East Lansing. My family now lives in Western Australia (~11,100 mi from East Lansing). Western Australia has a population density about double that of Alaska (about half of Wyoming) and is the second largest state in the world. Everywhere I ever visit seems to have a lot of people in comparison to where I’m from!

Help room hours: Mondays 9 - 11 am

Research/Interest Area: My research area is Physics Education Research.

Description of research in that area: My research has focused on the development and evaluation of active learning (non-lecture) physics classes, particularly introductory mechanics and E&M. I am particularly interested in studying the scientific skills that students are developing and how learning environments influence those skills.

What excites you about physics: I love the explanatory power of physics and that physics can explain what happens in every day life - like how metal detectors work or how power is generated or how the power grid is set up.

Advice on how to approach EMP-Cubed: This class is about more than getting a final answer, it's about understanding the process and understanding what your final answer actually means. Spend the time understanding the assumptions that are in the notes and in the problems, and really evaluate your answers. It's ok if they aren't completely realistic, the important part is to be able to identify why they aren't realistic and what the effects are on your solution.

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class? Remember that you have a lot of resources in this class. In addition to help room, you have your instructors in class, you have your group mates, there's piazza, and the notes. Don't be afraid of not knowing something - it is always worth it to ask questions or say something if you don't get an idea/concept!

Fun fact about me: During quarantine, I've learned to make croissants from scratch! Turns out it is a 3-day recipe.

Help room hours: Mondays 1 - 2 pm