issue 13, 2016 a publication for alumni and friends of the division of engineering and applied science of the California Institute of Technology division of engineering & applied science

issue 13, 2016 ENGenious enious Division eng Guruswami (Ravi) Ravichandran, John E. Goode, Jr., Professor of editor Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering; Otis Booth Leadership Chair, Trity Pourbahrami The Caltech Division of Engineering and Applied Science consists of seven departments and supports close to Division of Engineering and Applied Science 90 faculty who are working at the leading edges of fundamental science to invent the technologies of the future. designer Azita Emami Vicki Chiu Professor of Electrical Engineering; Deputy Chair, Division of Engineering and Applied Science transcriber Leona Kershaw Marionne L. Epalle 2 message from the chair Division Administrator copy editor Sara Arnold 4 snap shots Departments CMS Partners Program contributing writers aerospace (galcit) Eric Mankin Robotics Team Takes First Place at RoboSub Competition Morteza Gharib, Hans W. Liepmann Professor of Aeronautics and Jeff Mortimer Autonomous Systems and Technologies Bioinspired Engineering; Director, Graduate Aerospace Laboratories Partnering to Diversify the STEM Workforce galcit.caltech.edu image credits Cover: Illustration: Vicki Chiu; Darbe, Monge Osorio: Briana Ticehurst; Miyazono: Courtesy of Evan Miyazono 6 who’s new applied physics and materials science (aphms) pp. 2 (top), 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 17, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31: Vicki Chiu New Faculty Kerry Vahala, Ted and Ginger Jenkins Professor of Information Science pp. 2 (bottom), 3 (top), 4 (CMS Partners Program), 6 (Stuart), 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, and Technology and Applied Physics; Executive Officer for Applied 26: Briana Ticehurst Moore Scholar Physics and Materials Science p. 3 (Ravichandran): Lance Hayashida aphms.caltech.edu p. 4 (RoboSub): Tyler Okamoto 8 progress report p. 6: Ames: Courtesy of Aaron Ames; Chung: Courtesy of Soon-Jo Chung computing and mathematical sciences (cms) p. 7: Wang: Courtesy of Lihong Wang; Koumoutsakos: Courtesy of Petros Koumoutsakos; New Sight for Sore Eyes Watkins: Courtesy of Michael Watkins Adam Wierman, Professor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences; p. 32: top: Courtesy of Amnon Yariv; bottom: Courtesy of Ali Hajimiri Sparks of Inspiration Executive Officer for Computing and Mathematical Sciences p. 33: Courtesy of Azita Emami 12 alumni profile cms.caltech.edu p. 34: Ki Youl Yang The cover of this year’s issue is inspired p. 36: Connor Carey by the many ways in which the Division Eduardo Repetto: electrical engineering (ee) p. 37: Courtesy of Hoffman Construction Company of Engineering and Applied Science both Communicating Difficult Concepts Ali Hajimiri, Thomas G. Myers Professor of Electrical Engineering and Inside back cover (top to bottom): Seth Taylor, The Painter Group, Sameer Walavalkar supports highly individualistic research and Medical Engineering; Executive Officer for Electrical Engineering (Scherer Group) fosters cross-disciplinary connections. 14 eas student feature ee.caltech.edu The cover also contains hidden eggs. See if Contact you can catch all of the eggs, or hatch a new Pushing the Limits of Engineering environmental science and engineering (ese) [email protected] idea in the process. (Answer on the inside John Seinfeld, Louis E. Nohl Professor and Professor of Chemical back cover. Tip: Do not count partial shapes.) Education and Research Engineering; Executive Officer for Environmental Science and ©2016 California Institute of Technology. All rights reserved. Engineering 30 progress report ese.caltech.edu Photons, Electrons, Silicon: mechanical and civil engineering (mce) Caltech’s Electric Light Orchestra José Andrade, Professor of Civil and Mechanical Engineering; Executive Officer for Mechanical and Civil Engineering 36 alumni profile mce.caltech.edu Cecil Drinkward: medical engineering (mede) Focused on Getting an Education after WWII Yu-Chong Tai, Anna L. Rosen Professor of Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering; Executive Officer for Medical Engineering mede.caltech.edu 38 campus resource Nurturing Nanoscience The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech

We invite you to learn more about the Division through our website, eas.caltech.edu. MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

Dear alumni and friends of the Division,

Just over one year has passed since I began serving as the through interdisciplinary approaches to the biological discover how the KNI supports myriad research efforts at Otis Booth Leadership Chair of the Division of Engi- and information sciences, including approaches that have Caltech, helps push the frontiers of quantum science and neering and Applied Science (EAS). My goal has been roots in engineering fields. We also welcome Soon-Jo engineering, and also plays a crucial educational role in to enhance the Division’s resources and strategies so that Chung to our Aerospace Department (GALCIT), and the motivating and nurturing students. we continue to move forward as an intellectually vibrant, new director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Michael Finally, as many of you know, I firmly believe that diverse, and inclusive destination for the top engineer- Watkins, to GALCIT as well. EAS alumni play a key role in our success and are our ing scholars in the world and maintain our leadership in Attracting the best minds in the world means we best advocates and champions. In this issue, we profile undergraduate and graduate education, research, mentor- bring exceptional students to Caltech, and this issue of two alumni whose Caltech education has propelled them ing, tech transfer, and outreach. I hope you will see some ENGenious features the adventures and accomplishments into becoming influential players in their respective fields, of the fruits of these efforts in the pages of this issue of of 14 current EAS students. As you might expect, they financial services and the construction industry. Their ENGenious. are embedded in research groups that are pushing the stories illustrate just two of the infinite ways our alumni It is my pleasure to report that we are continuing to limits of engineering education and research, but they are are shaping our society and the world. attract the best minds in the world, with five new faculty also applying their talents to endeavors that range from I wish you the greatest success personally and profes- members joining us this year. Our faculty are unique in school leadership activities to mentoring students from sionally, and, as always, I look forward to receiving your that they drive advances that benefit humanity through underserved communities. thoughts and comments. basic engineering research that addresses deep challenges, Covering research in depth, we offer two progress and our new hires continue in this tradition. Three of the reports in this issue. The first looks at advances in nano- new faculty are joining EAS as Bren Professors: Aaron and micro-technologies related to the human eye, and Ames (Mechanical and Civil Engineering), Andrew the second considers silicon photonics, which, although Stuart (Computing and Mathematical Sciences), and still in its infancy, is the basis for the next revolution Lihong Wang (Medical Engineering and Electrical in communications. In both of these areas, the Kavli G. Ravichandran Engineering). The Bren Professorships have been estab- Nanoscience Institute (KNI) at Caltech plays a vital role. Otis Booth Leadership Chair, Division lished under Caltech’s initiative to explore new territory In conversation with the directors and staff of the KNI, we of Engineering and Applied Science

2 division of engineering & applied science ENGenious ISSUE 13, 2016 3 SNAP SHOTS SECTIONSNAP SHOTS TITLE

Autonomous Systems and Technologies

The Center for Autonomous Systems and Technologies (CAST) was recently established at Caltech to promote interdisciplinary research and the exchange of ideas in the exploding area of autonomous systems. These systems include drones and robots for use in science, industry, and medicine. The research conducted by the center addresses sensing, control, vision, and other emerging areas. The center also promotes a synergic environment where machines and humans share the workplace. In addition, it serves as an arena for ideas to translate into reality and be demonstrated to academic researchers as well as to the general public through educational outreach. This center was funded through the generous support of Foster and Coco Stanback.

For information about ways to get involved, contact [email protected]. Robotics Team Takes First Place at RoboSub Competition The team lowers Dory into the water to test a new custom hydrophone system. The Caltech Robotics Team took first place at the 2016 International RoboSub Competition. The team’s robot, nicknamed Dory, successfully navigated an obstacle course with tasks that required it to CMS Partners Program touch buoys, fire torpedoes at targets, and rescue an object under water—all The Computing and Mathemati- autonomously. Dory has seven thrusters, Partnering to Diversify the cal Sciences (CMS) Department two grippers, a hydrophone, and other launched a new CMS Partners sensors. She took nine months and about STEM Workforce Program this year. It provides $75,000 to build. This was the third year opportunities for individuals, start- Caltech undergraduates entered the Students and faculty from the Graduate Aerospace Labora- ups, and companies to engage competition. In the first year, they placed tories of the California Institute of Technology (GALCIT) have with CMS faculty, researchers, and seventh out of 39 teams, winning the been partnering with a workforce and entrepreneur accelerator students in order to strengthen “best newcomer” award. The following called Base 11 to help create the next generation of leaders in academic–industry ties and initi- year, the team’s ranking climbed to fourth STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The ate research collaboration. The out of 37. This year they came in first program brings together GALCIT students and high-potential, Partners Program provides ways out of 47 competitors from around the low-resource community college students who have expressed for companies to meaningfully engage with undergraduate and graduate world. It is noteworthy that, each year, the interest in aerospace engineering. During the fellowship, the students through course projects, collaborative research, and mentorship. team has chosen to build the sub from Base 11 students receive mentoring, attend conferences and The program encourages members to actively engage with students and the ground up—even though teams are lectures, and participate in GALCIT research projects. One such faculty through a variety of channels, including TechFest, the annual Meeting allowed to re-enter subs, tweaking them student was Alina Rai, who was mentored by Professor Beverley of the Minds event, student clubs, and events such as Hacktech, Caltech’s to build on past successes. J. McKeon and her graduate student David Huynh. Rai worked coding competition for high school and college students. on a drag-reduction experiment focusing on flow-induced Watch a video of the team in action motions of elastic gelatin membranes. She had the opportunity To learn more and get involved with the CMS Partners Program, visit at www.robonation.org/competition/ to build an experiment from the ground up and experience the www.cms.caltech.edu/outreach/partners_program. robosub. challenges and thrills of aerospace research.

Learn more by watching this video: bit.ly/2aUL6cW.

4 division of engineering & applied science ENGenious ISSUE 13, 2016 5 WHO’S NEW WHO’S NEW

New Faculty Moore Scholar Aaron D. Ames Lihong Wang The Moore Distinguished Scholar program was estab- Bren Professor of Mechanical and Civil Engineering Bren Professor of Medical lished by Gordon and Betty Moore to invite researchers Engineering and Electrical of exceptional quality who are distinguished at both the Aaron Ames develops fundamental theory bridging the areas of robotics, nonlinear control, Engineering national and international levels to visit the California and hybrid systems, with a heavy emphasis on applications to bipedal robotic walking—both Institute of Technology for three to six months. There formally and through experimental validation. His lab designs, builds, and tests novel bipedal Lihong Wang’s primary are no teaching or other obligations during the appoint- robots, humanoids, and prostheses with the goal of achieving human-like bipedal robotic research interest is in ment, allowing Moore Scholars to focus on research. locomotion and translating these capabilities to robotic assistive devices. The application the development of of these ideas range from increased autonomy in legged robots to improved locomotion capa- novel biomedical imag- Petros Koumoutsakos bilities in the mobility impaired. ing technologies. His Chair for Computational Science, He received a BS in mechanical engineering and a BA in mathematics from the University of St. Thomas laboratory was the first to report functional ETH Zurich and his MA in mathematics and PhD in electrical engineering and computer sciences from UC Berkeley. He photoacoustic tomography, 3-D photoacous- was a postdoctoral scholar in control and dynamical systems at Caltech and then began his faculty career at Texas tic microscopy, photoacoustic endoscopy, Petros Koumoutsakos conducts A&M University. Prior to returning to Caltech as Bren Professor, he was at the Georgia Institute of Technology photoacoustic reporter gene imaging, the research at the interface of simulation as an associate professor in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the School of Electrical and photoacoustic Doppler effect, the universal and data sciences with an emphasis Computer Engineering. photoacoustic reconstruction algorithm, mi- on fundamentals and applications crowave-induced thermoacoustic tomography, in the areas of fluid mechanics, life ultrasound-modulated optical tomography, sciences, and nanotechnology. time-reversed ultrasonically encoded optical To learn more about our new faculty’s research and He received his diploma from the National Technical Andrew M. Stuart focusing, nonlinear photoacoustic wavefront accomplishments, visit eas.caltech.edu/people. University of Athens, Greece, and his first MS from the Bren Professor of Computing and shaping, compressed ultrafast photography University of Michigan in naval architecture. He also Mathematical Sciences (100 billion frames/second), Mueller-matrix received an MS and PhD in aeronautics and applied optical coherence tomography, and optical mathematics from Caltech. He joined ETH Zurich as Soon-Jo Chung Andrew Stuart’s research is coherence computed tomography. Assistant Professor of Computational Fluid Dynamics Associate Professor of Aerospace in applied and computational He obtained his BS and MS from and was then named Professor of Computational mathematics—in particular, in the Huazhong University of Science & Science. Later, he became the founding director of the Soon-Jo Chung’s research the analysis and development Technology in Wuhan, China, and his PhD ETH Zurich Computational Laboratory and the Zurich focuses on nonlinear control of effective algorithms and from Rice University. Prior to joining the Graduate School for Computational Science. In addition and estimation theory as well the creation of mathematical Caltech faculty, he held the Gene K. Beare to being a Caltech Moore Scholar, he is a fellow of the as motion planning and flight frameworks within which to further the analysis Distinguished Professorship of Biomedical Collegium Helveticum and of the Radcliffe Institute at control, with application to and development of those algorithms. His current Engineering at Washington University in Harvard University. spaceborne interferometry, research focus is on the interfacing of mathematical St. Louis. spacecraft swarms, and robotic models with data, and more specifically the solution spacecraft systems. Other areas of research include of inverse problems and data assimilation. He has aerial robotics, bioinspired flight, and vision-based developed foundational mathematical frameworks navigation. At Caltech, he is establishing a research for the formulation of statistical inverse problems, Michael M. Watkins and education program in distributed spacecraft where both model and data are uncertain, and for Professor of Aerospace and Geophysics; Vice President and Director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory systems and aerospace autonomous systems. filtering of high-dimensional systems; guiding ap- He received his BS in aerospace engineering plications for this work include subsurface geophys- Before being appointed as the JPL director, Dr. Watkins was the Clare Cockrell Williams from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and ics and atmospheric modeling. Centennial Chair in Aerospace Engineering and Director of the Center for Space Research Technology (KAIST). He then went to the He graduated in mathematics from Bristol at the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to his time at the University of Texas, he worked Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to University and then obtained his PhD from the at JPL for 22 years. He served as mission manager and mission system manager for the Mars earn his MS in aeronautics and astronautics and Oxford University Computing Laboratory. After a Science Laboratory’s Curiosity rover, led review and development teams for several missions, ScD in estimation and control with a minor in postdoctoral appointment in mathematics at MIT, including the Cassini, Mars Odyssey, and Deep Impact probes, and was the project scientist optics. Prior to joining Caltech, he was on the he held permanent positions at Bath University leading science development for the GRAIL moon-mapping satellites, the GRACE Earth faculty at Iowa State University and the University in mathematics and at Stanford University in the science mission, and the GRACE Follow-On mission. He also served as manager of the JPL Science Division of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has a strong computer science and mechanical engineering and the chief scientist for the Engineering and Science Directorate. He holds a BS, MS, and PhD in aerospace collaboration with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on departments before joining the Warwick University engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. distributed small satellites. Mathematics Institute.

6 division of engineering & applied science ENGenious ISSUE 13, 2016 7 PROGRESS REPORT PROGRESS REPORT

common cause of blindness and other pathologies. But pressure measurements and diagnoses have been almost exclu- sively done in medical offices several times a year and sometimes late in the game, long after pressure buildup has started. Thus either the pressure may not be at dangerous levels the day of the exam or treatment, or abnormally high pressure will have gone undi- agnosed before extensive, irreparable damage has been done. Doctors have discovered—by exhaustive (and exhausting) marathon tests—that ocular pressure varies a great deal over time, going from normal to high and back again. These changes may be associated with the Yu-Chong Tai progression of disease. This has led, as ophthalmologists have long noted, to late or incomplete diagnoses—less than half of the patients who have glaucoma are diagnosed early enough New Sight for Sore Eyes for optimal treatment. Modern medical technology now allows blood pressure, blood sugar, and many other medical variables to A formidable team of Caltech and research investigates. Caltech profes- to diagnose eye conditions, to restore be monitored virtually continuously University of Southern California sors Yu-Chong Tai and Hyuck Choo vision to the blind, and to make state- by portable devices, including modern (USC) investigators has geared up work with students and postdocs of-the-art medical eye-examination smartphone apps. Work using very along with distinguished USC faculty technology available much more different approaches and on separate to understand, protect, and repair and medical professionals on a range widely around the world, even in paths by Professors Tai and Choo a critical living system outside the of these challenges, using multi- places with limited health systems. at Caltech is leading to similar usual gamut of engineering re- disciplinary approaches spanning The Caltech and USC teams hope to modernizations in the realm of eye search. Their investigatory target nanotechnology, electrical engineer- deliver revolutionary new systems that measurements. is a complex, delicate structure ing, biomedical engineering, physics, may soon enable patients in remote Tai has been working on the consisting of a membrane enclos- optics, photonics, and optomechanical areas around the world to be exam- problem the longest, consulting for engineering. ined rapidly, without having to have more than a decade with a neighbor ing a ball of liquid in which pre- Meeting these challenges offers their eyes chemically dilated and then who happens to be a prominent Hyuck Choo cisely shaped gelatinous bodies are the potential for significant human be immobilized for many hours in ophthalmologist and biomedical arranged to control and respond rewards. While the most widely clinics. If these new systems succeed, engineer—Mark Humayun, an MD actively to light, a system designed feared disease is cancer, as Tai notes, many more patients will receive full and PhD who is director of the USC Eye-implantable micro- Tai and Humayun have been to turn the incoming light into data next on the list is blindness. And eye exams instead of brief looks. Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics electromechanical systems (MEMS) developing a new pressure sensor to for neural information processing— there, he says, the medical bar is high: For example, the measurement of and co-director of the USC Roski are potential ophthalmological make the monitoring process easier. “People usually don’t make enough pressure within and around the eye’s Eye Institute. game changers in many ways, says Nine years ago, they reported the a system known as the human eye. effort to maintain their eyes until liquid center illustrates one of the “We have elected,” says Humayun, Humayun. “The eye is a great spot first prototype of an “implantable it’s too late. On the other hand, for unique Caltech and USC medical “to collaborate with engineers at for MEMS because it’s small, and micromechanical parylene-based Eyes, fragile but crucial for human the blind, having their vision even engineering approaches. Intraocular Caltech because they have some so it’s constrained by size, and the pressure sensor for unpowered and almost all other animal life, pose partially restored would represent a pressure has long been recognized specific knowledge that we need tissue is very delicate and also often intraocular pressure sensing”—that is, difficult challenges, both for basic major advance.” as a critical diagnostic parameter for and we think it very important for transparent. So all those things make a fitted and flexible plastic device that research and for effective solutions New tools are changing the ophthalmology. Higher pressure is a the medical application—and, well, it a specific challenge that MEMS is can be implanted within the eye and to the medical problems that such game—tools that have the potential symptom and warning of glaucoma, a because they’re just nice people.” able to address.” activated externally to report pressure.

8 division of engineering & applied science ENGenious ISSUE 13, 2016 9 PROGRESS REPORT PROGRESS REPORT

ing technologies will not only change rapid examinations of many subjects units that can remain in the eye for medicine in state-of-the art hospitals with maybe even a handheld device or 10 years or even longer. Morteza but may also change it in third-world a small ophthalmoscope that would Gharib, Hans W. Liepmann Profes- settings. This is one of the attractions be inexpensive and hence far more sor of Aeronautics and Bioinspired for the members of the Caltech and accessible. This new idea got us at Engineering, has patented a design USC medical engineering team, Caltech and USC really excited. We for carbon nanotube microneedles for which also includes Armand R. patented the concept at USC a few drug administration. Tanguay of the USC Viterbi School years ago, and we’ve been continually Graduate students are also of Engineering. working on developing it further.” picking up the threads and the For example, Professors Humayun The eye pressure sensor is only unique perspective offered by the and Tanguay at USC, in collaboration one example of Humayun’s work with collaboration. “Our program relies with Professor Choo at Caltech, Tai. In collaboration with Tanguay, on very deep engineering,” says Tai. are harnessing ultra low light level the multi-university research team is “Our students are recruited from imaging technologies to develop both also working toward developing an engineering backgrounds, but for improved surgical microscopes and intraocular retinal prosthesis that is their graduate research, they need to ophthalmological imaging devices. capable of restoring partial sight to solve medical problems. This is very “We’re always trying to figure out the blind. different, because we believe that in different ways to measure and image Humayun notes that, with Tai, order to solve a real-world medical the eye,” says Humayun. “Our current “we’ve worked on a retinal implant problem, you need to have a really cameras and imaging equipment are technology that is very novel, very deep understanding of engineering.” very sophisticated, but if you’re in a different than what currently exists. But academic silos can interfere rural area of China, India, or Africa, It potentially allows the manufactur- with the process—and both Caltech it is currently very difficult to bring ing to be simpler, and therefore the and USC are consciously avoiding Armand R. Tanguay (left) and Mark Humayun these instruments into the field cost of the eventual product to be the trap. “There’s no lack of students to perform screening and testing. lower. It also allows the implant to who want to work on medically Therefore, we’ve been thinking about be smaller but with more resolution, related projects, especially no lack This device has been continually at discovering exactly what causes within the eyeball to hold together an easy-to-use technology that one and therefore to potentially provide of engineering students. But many improved for use in high-risk the spikes and investigating possible the pieces of a retinal tear. However, it could take to the Serengeti, a device better vision.” Tanguay and Humayun engineering students don’t have the patients. cures for the disease. Intensive work can only do so if the patient maintains that anyone can use to upload images have collaborated for a number opportunity to acquire the range of Pressure monitoring remains is already being done on rabbit eyes, a specific head position for more than to the doctors in a clinic hundreds of of years on visual psychophysics medical skills needed for research in critical. Choo is collaborating with says Choo. “It involves a sensor that 12 hours so that the bubbles will be miles away. We’re really working at experiments to better understand this field,” says Tai. University of San Francisco (UCSF) has a wireless electronic or optical properly positioned against the retinal the edges of medicine, physics, and the natural coupling between head The students admitted to the colleague David W. Sretavan on automatic readout capability to tear and will push against the wall. At engineering to be able to do this.” and eye movements, and they are Caltech medical engineering program perfecting an optomechanical system understand the relationship between present, this can only be done with a Tanguay takes up the thread. He developing an ultraminiature camera have the opportunity to build on their designed to report intraocular pres- the pressure and optic nerve damage patient immobilized face down in a explains: “I don’t know if you’ve ever to implant directly into the eye in engineering strengths and learn in a sure continuously for hours at a time. as well as other immune responses hospital. had your eyes dilated, but it’s a long order to restore this natural coupling uniquely multidisciplinary environ- “Other than the time that the patient that occur in the eye. To put all of However, new electronic process. Chemicals are used to expand and replace an external camera that is ment that rewards original thinking is asleep, we can monitor the pressure this into a single package is a very equipment developed by Choo and the iris. There’s a long waiting period typically mounted on a pair of glasses. and innovation. USC has imple- pretty much around the clock, during efficient approach. It really speeds up Professor Robert Grubbs is opening before the ophthalmologist can actu- Taken together, these advances could mented a novel Health, Technology, all activities,” whenever the eye is the progress.” up a new possibility: an external ally do the examination. People are provide a retinal prosthesis that is and Engineering (HTE) program open, he says. On the horizon is an implant- device that actually tracks the position also very sensitive to light for a long so well integrated that the entire that integrates engineering and medi- The research involves studies that, able device that not only measures of the bubble inside the eye. The new time afterwards. But everyone’s eyes apparatus can be implanted directly cal students in a highly interactive Choo explains, “followed a [glau- intraocular pressure but also responds system consists of a headband that is naturally dilate rapidly at night, or in into the eye. curriculum and research environment coma] patient’s pressure for a week to it. “If we can develop a device that wirelessly connected to an iPhone. It the dark,” which provided an opening Other members of the collabora- that even includes hospital rounds. or two, 24 hours a day, to see how the controls the pressure by draining a actually tells the patient whether his for the new technology. tion also have innovations approach- The results may someday save the pressure changes. The study found little bit of fluid, it would be really or her head is properly positioned. If Tanguay continues, “Because ing the market. Robert Grubbs, sight of you or someone you know. that the patient’s pressure actually revolutionary!” Humayun says. it’s even slightly out of position, the image sensor arrays are far more Caltech’s Victor and Elizabeth changed over the course of a day. For human medical care, facilitat- system warns post-op care workers sensitive now than they were 20 Atkins Professor of Chemistry, is part Furthermore, there’s a particular time ing internal ocular monitoring of right away. Choo reports that a years ago, we thought that we might of a team developing the targeted Yu-Chong Tai is the Anna L. Rosen of the day that the pressure spiked. other variables can change the game prototype is due for trial in summer be able to use ultra low light level microbubbles that are used in retinal Professor of Electrical Engineering and Clinicians believe that this pressure in a number of other ways. For 2016. It will be tested by UCSF imaging of the retina to allow a full replacement for application in other Mechanical Engineering and Executive spike is what causes the damage to example, a new surgical procedure can collaborators Dan Schwartz and ophthalmological examination in a body areas. Azita Emami, Professor of Officer for Medical Engineering at the optic nerve.” repair retinal tears and restore vision Frank Brodie. darkened office without any chemistry Electrical Engineering, is developing Caltech. Hyuck Choo is Assistant Glaucoma research is also aimed in a damaged eye by using a bubble These and other new and emerg- at all. So then you could have very ocular microimplant technology for Professor of Electrical Engineering.

10 division of engineering & applied science ENGenious ISSUE 13, 2016 11 ALUMNI PROFILE ALUMNI PROFILE

Eduardo Repetto: Communicating Difficult Concepts ENGenious: What was it like being a to iterate and work until all the difficult concepts with great ease. An- foreign student at Caltech? different aspects needed to under- other Caltech mathematics alumnus stand that a solution is the right that I know and admire is Luis Reyna. able to interact with mathematicians, Guruswami Ravichandran, Ares Repetto: I was very lucky to be solution are taken care of. Luis showed me that you can succeed engineers, computer scientists, and Rosakis, Kaushik Bhattacharya, and mentored by Caltech professors that When I was doing research at in finance with a PhD from Caltech. many others as part of my courses and Wolfgang Knauss—among others— really care about their students. As a Caltech, first I tried to understand the He was the one that told me that a research. I learned how to work and taught me. foreign student, even though we study problem at hand and the work done Caltech education and work ethic communicate across groups with dif- English and have tests in English as by others in the same or similar fields. are highly desirable in the financial ferent sets of expertise. This experi- ENGenious: Why is building trust so a second language, it can be difficult This process included reading papers, industry. ence has been extremely useful in my important in the financial industry? to order a sandwich, let alone speak speaking with professors and fellow current working environment. up in class! The professors helped us students, and performing multiple ENGenious: What made you decide I interact with people from many Repetto: People’s savings often create a network that made us feel at iterations. Then I tried to push the to support graduate fellowships at backgrounds, including investors, represent years of life committed to home, which is extremely important current state of knowledge and be Caltech? boards, lawyers from different coun- work and sacrifices made to put aside when you are on your own, far from innovative while focusing on finding tries, employees from each one of the right solution. I became disci- earnings to fulfill future aspirations your home country and your family. Repetto: It was not just me. It was our offices, marketers, data manag- plined in being critical of my work or manage future life uncertainties. Professors Ortiz and Knauss would also my wife, Carla, who grew up in ers, portfolio managers and traders, and my knowledge in a systematic Speaking about savings is the same even invite us to their homes, allow- this area and whom I met at Caltech’s computer scientists, etc. way—recognizing its weaknesses and as speaking about people’s lives, so ing us to interact with their families. Dabney Hall. Coincidentally, we now trying to find ways to overcome them people need to trust that you bring live across the street from where she ENGenious: What were some of the or find alternative solutions. Caltech expertise that can help them and that ENGenious: Why was it hard to grew up. Caltech has done a lot for lessons you learned at Caltech? teaches this very well! Caltech brings you understand their needs. Investors order a sandwich? me, and we decided we should do you together with extremely talented will not commit their savings without something for the next generation. We and approachable people from all over Eduardo Repetto (PhD ’98, aero- Repetto: You don’t realize what trusting the company or the strategy. Repetto: When I first came to the have been very lucky. One’s studies, the world, who are always willing you’ve learned until you have to apply It is a big responsibility, helping United States as a student, I was at knowledge, constant willingness to try nautics) is the Co-Chief Executive to speak about interesting problems that knowledge or those lessons. We people with their investments. In Brown University. One day, I went to to learn enhances his or her chances of Officer and Co-Chief Investment and possible ways to solve them. This all learn great technical skills in our order to gain their trust, we need order a sandwich in a coffee shop. I doing well when opportunities show Officer of Dimensional Fund Advi- is very similar to my current work own field of study that can be trans- to have a sound investment process was used to ordering sandwiches in up, but you also have to be at the right environment; we are always searching sors LP. The Dimensional firms man- ported to other disciplines, but there but also have a good understanding Argentina, where when you order a place at the right time. Hopefully, for the right solution and always age over $400 billion for investors is much more. As Caltech students, of people’s needs and the ability to ham-and-cheese sandwich and you Carla and I can enable other students debating ways to improve it. worldwide, with 12 offices around when we spoke with professors, we communicate how we can help in a just get a ham-and-cheese sandwich. to be lucky like we have been. realized their ability to communicate trustworthy and straightforward way. the globe. Repetto has oversight In the United States, I asked for a extremely complex and technical Some investment concepts are very sandwich and then the guy, who had ENGenious: Is a Caltech educa- across the investment, client ENGenious: What advice do you have topics to us in easy and understand- technical, so the manner in which we a line of 50 people waiting to order tion valued by your colleagues in the service, marketing, and operational for the next generation of Caltech able ways. communicate matters. sandwiches, starts speeding through financial industry? students? functions of the firm. ENGenious That was a big lesson by itself! It I see a big similarity in how the selection of cheeses—Swiss, sat down with him to learn more applies to all aspects of business. It is Caltech professors are able to com- American, white, yellow. I felt like he Repetto: Being a Caltech alumnus about his time as a graduate very relevant in the financial industry municate very difficult concepts. They was bombarding me with it all and and being associated with Caltech is Repetto: Take advantage of all that because we need to communicate have such a deep understanding of the a very strong endorsement, no matter Caltech can give you. And it’s not only student at Caltech and his unique then, once he finished with the selec- technical and complex topics in a subject that they are able to simplify where you are. Caltech has a reputa- the courses; it’s also the interactions career path in the financial industry. tion of cheeses, he started with the manner that reaches a wide range of the communication but still keep it selection of bread—white, wheat, rye. tion outside the main scientific envi- with professors and other students. audiences. In many cases there is no meaningful and preserve the integrity I didn’t know the difference among ronment for the rigor that it imposes Learn the communication skills you ENGenious: How has your Caltech time to negotiate and agree on how of the concept. As a Caltech student, the types of bread or even what the on every process that it is involved need to convey difficult concepts to education influenced you? technical the language should be. We you get the technical knowledge, but names meant. I remember just saying with. There are many Caltech gradu- different kinds of audiences. Take need to adapt to the language used by your group meetings, your conference “yes,” because I didn’t know what ates who are dispersed around the advantage of learning from different Repetto: You become humble very our audience without sacrificing the presentations, and your posters force else to say without delaying everyone world in very important positions and people who come from different back- fast when you go to a school like accuracy of the content. you to find ways to communicate your behind me! are highly recognized for what they grounds. Enjoy every moment. Enjoy Caltech. You realize that there are At the end of the day, communi- ideas efficiently, and that’s important, have done in science and in other every opportunity. I always tell people a lot of talented people around you cation is trying to make our audience too. All of us are in the business of fields. I work very closely with one who are looking for a job: Don’t find who can add to your own experiences. understand what we are trying marketing something—our products, ENGenious: How is the Caltech ap- such Caltech PhD, Gerard O’Reilly. the job that pays you more. Find the I recognized that what other people to convey. We have to distill the our expertise, or our ability to help proach unique, and has it helped you He’s one of the smartest people I’ve one that you can do for a long time, bring to the table is very important; information so it can be assimilated, or to teach. Caltech is not a business overcome barriers? met. He’s Irish, from Trinity Col- and have fun and enjoy it, because the the group can bring something that trusted, and repeated. This is one school, but it taught me many of lege, a clever guy, very approachable, rest happens. Enjoy what you’re do- you cannot do on your own. As a of the lessons my Caltech mentors, the skills I apply on a daily basis in Repetto: Caltech taught me the dis- always willing to take an extra step to ing. That’s the most important thing. graduate student at Caltech, I was including professors Michael Ortiz, business. cipline to try to find the right answer, help and able to communicate very

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is forcing you to go read those extra papers. This not only makes research very rewarding but also makes you a better-rounded person, because you have knowledge of all the other aspects.” Deffo Nde had critical help in getting from his city of Douala in Cameroon to the United States. As a senior in high school, he placed first in the Cameroon national graduation examination, which led to a newspaper article that brought him to the atten- tion of a nearby entrepreneur and philanthropist, Bernard Fokou, who gave him a scholarship to go abroad for Pushing the Limits his education. He is still grateful, and he is giving back by working with Base 11 students interning at Caltech. The nonprofit partners with Caltech to train the next of Engineering Education generation of leaders in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathemat- ics) from underserved communities. Deffo Nde finds this work very gratify- Arnold Durel Deffo Nde ing, and he is proud to report on the progress of one of the Base 11 students Graduate Student: Aeronautics he has worked with: the student is now and Research Advisor: Michael Ortiz, Frank and Ora Lee Marble Professor of Aeronautics headed for the University of California, and Mechanical Engineering Riverside.

Arnold Durel Deffo Nde grew up accept the fact that other people at in Central Africa, and studying at Caltech are better than you in some A key ingredient of the celebrated Caltech culture is the in climate change, building new oxygen-delivery systems Caltech was a longtime dream. While aspects. And instead of looking at it What languages do you speak? student body. To gain insight into the current student for hypoxic cells, and using carbon nanotubes in seawater still in high school in Cameroon, he in terms of competition, you must Besides English, I also speak French experience at Caltech, ENGenious sat down with 14 desalination. met a JPL fellow from Mali who told accept it and go to them if you need and Bansoa, the latter being my students who have chosen to get their degrees from the Caltech has also created many opportunities for him about JPL and Caltech. help. Caltech also made me realize mother tongue. Division of Engineering and Applied Science. Two were the students to contribute to companies and startups, The connection stuck. When that science is usually done as a selected from each of the seven EAS departments. For including hedge funds, a Japanese company making Deffo Nde went to the United States collaborative effort.” What is your favorite online activity? the three departments with the largest number of spider-fiber composites, SpaceX, and Northrop for college to study aeronautical The Caltech engineering Playing the soccer video game FIFA undergraduate students, Computing and Mathemati- Grumman. This experience has encouraged some to engineering, he began at Wichita approach was also different, he online with friends. cal Sciences, Mechanical and Civil Engineering, and become entrepreneurs and others to join larger and more State University in Kansas. “But I found. “At Caltech it’s still engineer- Electrical Engineering, one of the students chosen was established companies where they can push the limits of always wanted to go to grad school,” ing, but engineering at the more What is your favorite story? an undergraduate and the other was a graduate student. technology and innovation. he says, “and when it came time to fundamental level. Caltech prides L’Enfant Noir by Camara Laye. It’s an All the students shared a passion for research and Furthermore, the intense yet intimate Caltech culture apply for grad school, Caltech was itself in dealing with fundamentals. autobiography by an African writer excitement about the unique opportunities in the EAS has allowed the students to get involved in an equally the first school that came to mind. The depth to which professors go is that reminds me of my own story in division to work closely with faculty and interdisciplinary diverse set of activities. Several are advocates for STEM Thankfully, I was admitted. So here I something that makes Caltech quite many respects. research groups. The students are involved in a broad education in underserved communities, some are engaged am today.” different from the experience I had range of research, including packaging big antennas in science policy at the state and national level, and others Deffo Nde, who is now conduct- as an undergrad.” into small satellites, designing color-splitting optics, are contributing to the arts as members of the Caltech ing research in materials science and The professors are only part of What is your favorite destination? modeling the behavior of large groups in social media, orchestra and chamber music society. specifically in dislocation dynamics the Caltech difference. “In grad Douala, Cameroon (of course)! developing ultra-low power systems for medical devices, As you read the following student profiles, we with Professor Michael Ortiz, learned school, it’s all from within,” Deffo studying the critical moments when earth structures encourage you to share your thoughts and impressions a crucial lesson early in the talent-rich Nde says. “You must be willing to move, understanding the role of single-cell eukaryotes with us at [email protected]. Caltech environment. “You have to make that effort, because no one

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Evan T. Miyazono

Graduate Student: Applied Physics Advisor: Andrei Faraon, Assistant Professor of Applied Physics and Materials Science

ing with his graduate lecture about the properties of ellipses What languages do you speak? student mentee, Ioana and parabolas and the applications of English and Russian Craiciu. Miyazono conic sections from orbits to optics. says, “We have made It was really fun to improvise and What is your favorite online activity? devices for coupling get the students enthused about the Browsing travel photography to rare-earth dopants subject. I will try to go back before I using electron beam graduate from Caltech.” lithography techniques. What is your favorite story? This allows us to scale “The Rocket” by Ray Bradbury our coupling platform to easily make arrays of What is your favorite destination? interconnected devices. New Zealand Our previous work used focused ion beam What languages do you speak? devices, which were I’m a native English speaker, can read individually sculpted by and hold a slow conversation in Spanish what could be described (took four years in high school), and have as sandblasting with been recently trying to learn German, Maria Sakovsky gallium ions. Our new because I thought it would be fun. devices are a big step Graduate Student: Aeronautics forward!” What is your favorite online activity? Advisor: Sergio Pellegrino, Joyce and Kent Kresa Professor of Aeronautics and Professor of Civil Engineering; He has an anecdote Reading articles on politics, economics, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Senior Research Scientist Evan Miyazono is a graduate student to share about the Caltech attitude sociology, and the occasional popular in applied physics and spent multiple toward learning: “I had a friend who science article from a variety of sources, summers as an intern at Northrop told me that they absolutely loved ranging from the Guardian, the New Grumman before coming to Caltech. getting the book for a class, opening Yorker, and the Economist to Wired, Maria Sakovsky engineers twenty- Sakovsky has had the opportunity engineering was outside of my comfort He has worked on various electri- it up to almost the last page, and Medium, and TechCrunch. first-century origami structures. She to work with prototypes in numerous zone, but I was pleasantly surprised cal engineering, data processing, and just staring at what was basically hardware testing problems, as well as incomprehensible and thinking: I’m works in Professor Sergio Pellegrino’s venues. “I actually got to go to Albu- to learn more about the interaction What is your favorite story? on the setup for thin-film research. going to understand this book in 10 lab on components that can unfold querque last year to take one of these between electrical engineering and God’s Debris by Scott Adams or The He explains, “I learned a lot about weeks or a year. I love that. I love from compact packages to form large antennas into their anechoic chamber, structural engineering, and that’s now Martian by Andy Weir (honorable how engineering is done in industry, that classes are really a great excuse space structures of complex shapes. where we measured the performance what I do,” she says. mention to Andy Weir’s short story and to a large extent, it motivated me to better yourself without any sort of She is also a Keck Institute for Space of the antenna. We put the antenna When not folding and unfolding “The Egg”). I’m convinced stories are to apply to PhD programs.” external metric for success.” Studies graduate fellow. on one end and the receiver on the antennas, Sakovsky reaches out to an one of the best tools humanity has to His research with Professor Miyazono also enjoys STEM Her research is developing other end. We then attached the extended Caltech community. “I really foster empathy, and I also love optimistic Faraon at Caltech centers on optical outreach, and he fondly recalls a novel deployable antennas for small antenna to a CubeSat and rotated love working with the Caltech Y on stories that show potential worlds that storage of quantum information recent trip funded by the Institute for satellites. The idea is to pack big, it to measure its performance in all the Rise tutoring program for high people actually want to live in; the first using rare-earth atomic dopants, a Quantum Information and Matter very-high-performance antennas into directions.” school kids,” she says. “I get to work step in engineering an improvement is complex problem that requires wide- (IQIM) to the Navajo Preparatory very small volumes. Elegantly folding Sakovsky, who was born in Russia with students who are struggling with believing that things can improve. them up stores strain energy so they and later lived in Israel and Canada, math and science. I find this work to ranging expertise, including software School in Farmington, New Mexico. unfold themselves autonomously. came to Caltech from the Univer- be a lot of fun because the students engineering, nanofabrication, optics, Between his planned lectures to phys- “We’re able to get a lot more data sity of Toronto, where she became ask very good questions, and they vacuum systems, and even, occasion- ics classes, Miyazono visited some of What is your favorite destination? back, and this is a very efficient way passionate about aerospace. When get so excited when they hear that a ally, plumbing. To Miyazono’s sur- the school’s math classes. “I just sat at The nearest uncrowded beach with clear to get into space, so everybody’s she arrived at Caltech, she needed to tiny little math equation that they’re prise, he has found all of this expertise the front of the room and answered water, sunny skies, and good surf. excited about the technology,” deepen her understanding of electrical working on can be applied to building among his own group members. He the age-old math student’s question, Sakovsky says. “We are pushing the engineering. “At first I was terrified, spacecraft. Then they start asking even recently scored a breakthrough in this ‘When will I ever use this?’ And I had communications envelope.” because circuits and any electrical more questions.” cooperative environment while work- answers! This led to an impromptu

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is a very different thing than giving an electromagnetic or acoustic a conference talk in front of even 50 wave. If you can solve this problem or 100 people,” she says. Despite a accurately and efficiently, you can moment when she lost her place in extract very useful information. For the script, she treasures the memory. instance, you can determine if there “It was a very fun event to participate is an object buried underground, in. I got to sit up on the stage next and, even more, you can theoreti- to Nobel laureates from Caltech and cally determine the shape of that the past president,” including David object and the materials it is made of Baltimore and Thomas Everhart. by solving an inverse problem.” In addition to presentations she At Caltech, Pérez-Arancibia is is organizing, Darbe has started relishing the experience of diversity an Applied Physics and Materials in people and cultures. Chile, he Science student group with the notes, is a very “homogenous department’s executive officer, Profes- country. It has been wonderful to sor Kerry Vahala. Beyond Caltech, get to know people from all parts she is interested in being part of the of the world. I have friends from technology pipeline between more Syria, India, Poland, Argentina, and fundamental research and technolo- Mexico. In fact, very few of them gies that are impacting the world. are born Americans. I think that’s an “I want to spend my career on that Carlos A. Pérez-Arancibia experience that very few places can trajectory, to be part of the whole give you.” process,” she says. “I think, moving Graduate Student: Applied & Computational Mathematics There is something, though, he’s forward, it’s going to be smaller pieces Advisor: Oscar Bruno, Professor of Applied and Computational Mathematics been missing: “I like philosophy, and at a time, but I’m excited about a I have not yet met anyone at Caltech Sunita Darbe career bringing new technologies into who is interested in philosophy.” the world. Right after graduation, Carlos Pérez-Arancibia came to branch of mathematics—because I But he will soon be moving on. “I Graduate Student: Materials Science I will start working in Japan with a Caltech from Chile because he knew love physics.” accepted an offer from MIT. I’ll be Advisor: Harry Atwater, Howard Hughes Professor of Applied Physics and company called Spiber Inc. that is exactly how and what he wanted to The current state of the art of a postdoc in the math department Materials Science; Director, Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis commercializing spider silk. Specifi- study. He had also identified the best integral equation methods involves starting this fall. I’m very excited cally, I will be working on developing place and person to learn from. “I pushing beyond the general about that,” he says—and perhaps spider-fiber composites.” came to work with Oscar,” he says. understanding of simple shapes to he will find philosophers in Mas- Sunita Darbe is a graduate student her research focus the summer after “I have Oscar telling me, with all his model intricate, real-world objects. sachusetts. who found her way to the stage at her first year. The team has stayed characteristic passion, ‘We’re go- “PDEs allow you to extract very the most recent Caltech presidential together as the project has moved all ing to solve this problem! It’s really detailed information about the inauguration, where she sat next to the way from fundamental physics to hard, but we’re going to do it.’ That physical world, as long as you take Nobel Prize winners. fundraising and financing. It has been combination of intellectual ambition some of the complexity of the Darbe’s research focus is on a great learning experience for her. What languages do you speak? and determination to achieve some- physical world into account in your What languages do you designing color-splitting optics. In the meantime, Darbe has English, French, some Telugu, and I’ve thing outstanding in terms of research model,” he says. “To extract reliable speak? “Sunlight is broadband white light,” become involved with the greater just started learning Japanese for my is really hard to find anywhere else, information from a PDE, you have Spanish and English she says, and a solar cell with a single Caltech community. For the Graduate new job! I think. It is one of the best things to develop efficient algorithms and Caltech has offered me.” implement them in the computer absorber material is most efficient Student Council and other groups What is your favorite online at extracting power from a narrow such as Women Mentoring Women, Pérez-Arancibia’s work is highly to then produce approximate solu- What is your favorite online activity? activity? color range of sunlight. So her devices she frequently finds herself behind mathematical and abstract, and the tions that you need to analyze, to I’m a big fan of streaming podcasts. Get to know new bands, separate the incoming colors, sending podiums, where her experience resulting algorithms can be used to make sure you’re computing the I just started listening to More Perfect, especially progressive rock them to different solar cells with with the Atwater group has come tackle a wide range of problems in right thing. This whole process about significant Supreme Court cases. and jazz different absorber materials. in handy: “One thing that Harry different areas of science and engi- is what excites me about applied Darbe has been working on the emphasizes quite a bit is oral presen- neering, such as electrical engineer- math.” project in Professor Harry Atwater’s tation skills.” What is your favorite story? ing, physics, and astronomy. It focuses He offers the example of What is your favorite story? laboratory since soon after her One notable occasion was when A new one! on new, fast, high-order integral visualizing interior structures: “El Aleph” by Jorge Luis Borges arrival at Caltech in 2011 with a BS she represented Caltech graduate equation methods for solving PDEs “Let’s say you have layers of various from MIT and a master’s degree students at the inauguration of What is your favorite destination? (partial differential equations). “PDEs kinds of dielectric materials, and What is your favorite from France’s École Polytechnique. President Thomas Rosenbaum in the My hometown, Edmond, Oklahoma. come from physical models most of you’re interested in solving the destination? Seven Atwater students cooperated summer of 2014. “Speaking in front the time,” he explains. “That’s why scattering problem they create New York City in writing the initial proposal for of a thousand people from a script I got involved with this particular when you illuminate them with

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What languages do you speak? I speak English and some Spanish. What languages do you speak? Spanish and English What is your favorite online activity? My favorite online activity is going on food and travel websites. What is your favorite online activity? Reading or watching reviews and news about technology and cars; following What is your favorite story? sports like NBA, swimming, soccer; My favorite books are One Hundred Years watching Netflix of Solitude, the Harry Potter series, and The Caine Mutiny. What is your favorite story? Science fiction What is your favorite destination? My favorite destination would be any- where exotic, with new food to try and What is your favorite destination? sights to explore. Places near water, like seas, lakes, rivers

The Caltech environment has, Manuel Alejandro Monge Osorio according to Sirohi, allowed her to move out of the restrictive “girl Graduate Student: Electrical Engineering science-math student” she felt like Advisor: Azita Emami, Professor of Electrical Engineering; EAS Division Deputy Chair Nikita A. Sirohi during high school in the suburbs of Seattle. “There weren’t many others Undergraduate Student: Computing and Mathematical Sciences who were as interested in the things I am interested in,” she says—but Manuel Monge Osorio is originally says. He adds that his faculty mentors undergraduate students. He’s been a Caltech has allowed her to broaden from Lima, Peru. He graduated first “really appreciate a student’s interest mentor four times. “I’m very happy Undergraduate student Nikita Sirohi if the particle models predictably her identity. “I define myself through in his undergraduate university class to get to know other areas, because it with the results,” he says. “My first enjoys finding unexpected connec- matched what was being found in the different things because I now know in electrical engineering and won a makes their vision grow. Originally, SURF student won one of the tions, both engineering and human. LHC. so many people that are interested in Caltech Atwood Fellowship and US coming here, I just wanted to learn poster competitions. Now she’s a Speaking of her computer science Her other internship involved very the same things I am. It’s allowed me State Department Opportunity Grant more and deeply about electrical very talented graduate student and courses, she says, “I like classes where different models, analyzing trade in to explore other parts of myself.” that brought him to Pasadena. engineering. But now, I focus on how my friend. I have also served as a I can see different ideas coming to- commodity futures. “I was working For example, she is now involved At Caltech, he works with Profes- I can incorporate other ideas and SURF judge a few times.” gether, where you approach a problem with a Caltech alum and his partner at in student government and is a sor Emami on advancing ultra-low approaches. You think about your He also enthusiastically from very different angles, where you Crabel Capital, a quantitative hedge mentor. “This type of work never power systems for novel implantable, research in the context of the greater participates in international-student get similar insights from really differ- fund based in Century City, on creat- really occurred to me as something I wearable, and point-of-care medi- goal rather than just yourself. You orientation events. “It is great to ent approaches.” ing an algorithmic trading system by would enjoy,” she says. “But it’s been cal devices. One of them is a fully start looking into, ‘How can I solve share my own experiences and meet She is applying that strategy to analysis of a 20-year universe of daily very rewarding. It’s taught me skills intraocular epiretinal prosthesis that this particular problem in a better new students. I try to answer ques- work on two very different problems: and monthly data for 24 commodities like how to manage my time and how helps patients suffering from severe way?’” tions and provide some perspective the behavior of subatomic structures, futures markets,” she explains. to communicate effectively. I am now vision loss due to degenerative retinal Monge Osorio’s approach is about being new to this country, as in the search for dark matter, and She helped to develop two thinking much more about how I can diseases. broadening. “I’m excited about the academic life, and, in general, the behavior of large groups of human momentum-based strategies now do things for other people.” As he works toward his PhD, biology, chemical engineering, applied interacting with others,” he says. beings in social media and financial close to implementation, a process As for career plans, Sirohi says, “I Monge Osorio is appreciating physics, materials science, medicine,” As for his next steps, he offers: markets. that involved generating long and think in the immediate future, I want the compact academic and scien- he says. “And when I see a class that “I would love to continue in She began working on dark matter short signals signing certain moving to go into finance or the computer tific power he finds characteristic relates to what I want to do in the academia. One of my goals is to with a Caltech team of 40 faculty and averages. “I never really explored the science industry. I’m not sure exactly of Caltech, as well as its focus on future, I try to go and sit in on it.” become a professor, because I love students associated with the research world of finance before then,” she says. what combination of finance and collaboration. “I do not take many One of his favorite Caltech doing research and mentoring being conducted at the Large Hadron “And it was amazing to understand programming I would want to do. I’m classes as a graduate student, but traditions involves the Summer students. Those are two things I Collider (LHC) in Switzerland. how complicated it is and how the hoping to figure that out and learn there are still many opportunities to Undergraduate Research Fellowship want to keep doing throughout While still a freshman, Sirohi helped things I’m learning at Caltech are so more about both fields this summer.” learn more about my area, and I get (SURF) program, in which graduate my career, no matter where it takes to model particle collisions, seeing applicable.” exposed to so many other fields,” he students can serve as mentors to me.”

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Aashrita Mangu Natalie Higgins to the curriculum. “The faculty ended What languages do you speak? Undergraduate Student: Electrical Engineering up implementing a few of them!” she Graduate Student: Mechanical Engineering English is my native language, and I also reports. Advisor: Nadia Lapusta, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Geophysics speak German. As for what’s next, Mangu says, “I’m going to take a year off before I What is your favorite online activity? go to graduate school. I hope to do How do earthquakes initiate, and embraced Caltech’s interdisciplinary Netflix! a PhD in experimental physics. I’m can one notice this process before the identity. “I like that the boundaries definitely going to be doing research destructive shaking comes? Natalie between departments and divisions What is your favorite story? during that year, and I have a few Higgins is trying to deepen our under- are blurry, so it is easier to do what I love a good underdog story. For example, options.” standing of foreshocks, small seismic you want and fill in there,” she says. the story of Erin Brockovich. Wherever she goes, she’ll carry events that sometimes occur close in Her classroom experiences have been with her the unusual, remarkable time and space to the large earthquake. rewarding, as well: “All the professors What is your favorite destination? culture of the school a few miles She performs numerical simula- are here because they’re at the top of Sauvie Island U-pick farms. from her home. “I think Caltech, tions to study earthquake nucleation their field. Attending their classes is precisely because outsiders label and foreshocks, and along with her exciting in a celebrity sort of way.” students as dorks or nerds, ends up advisor, Professor Nadia Lapusta, she Higgins has become increas- being a tighter community. There are is zeroing in on critical moments when ingly interested in organizational stereotypes with every school, but I earth structures move “from still to structures as well as geological ones. really think that Caltech has some of motion, the moment between when a She has served as the vice chair of they want in a mentor, and then we the sweetest people you’ll ever find fault is not doing anything to when an the Graduate Student Council. She do the matching based on that,” she and also some of the most humble.” earthquake is happening.” was also one of the leaders of the explains. Higgins underlines a crucial Society of Professional Students and “I’m learning a lot about how distinction: “The ultimate goal of my has been instrumental in redesigning the administration works and how research,” she says, “is to contribute the Big Sib mentoring program for universities are run,” Higgins adds. to earthquake forecasting. But equally mechanical and civil engineering “Because I have enjoyed it, I’m Aashrita Mangu came to Caltech where she did cosmic microwave critical is to improve early warning, students. “I spearheaded the revamp- wondering if there is a way to add this from next door: her home is in South background radiation research, What languages do you speak? a process that only works once the ing of the program, from the basic aspect to my career as an academic. It Pasadena, only a few miles from building a user interface for a I speak Hindi and English. I can also earthquake has already begun. It can matching of contact info to a more is great to be at a place like Caltech, campus. She jokes, “My parents Fourier transform spectrometer. understand some Telugu, I took Chinese warn people by indicating that in a careful structure where the incoming where I can explore all that academia threatened to send me to Pasadena This year, she was at JPL doing (Mandarin) in high school for three years, few seconds the waves will be in their students fill out a survey about what has to offer.” City College, but they chose Caltech avionics. “It’s kind of interesting to and I took a year of German this past year. area and they will feel the shaking and because it was closer.” work on flight hardware, because therefore they should get ready.” Mangu has found much to like at it is so different from the typical What is your favorite online activity? Moving beyond early warning to Caltech. “I chose Caltech because I hardware I’m making at school.” I’m not really sure I have a favorite online actual earthquake forecasting—that is, feel there’s a lot more opportunity to Mangu is also a student leader activity—usually I’m online to waste time, the ability to translate monitoring data take classes across disciplines, which and is the outgoing Institute so it never really feels too good afterward. about the fault’s current behavior into I do a lot. And then, on top of that, of Electrical and Electronics information about when and where research opportunities at Caltech are Engineers (IEEE) student chapter What is your favorite story? the upcoming quake will happen—is a lot easier to get.” president. She also served on the I have so many favorite stories, and most far, far more difficult, Higgins says, She also likes the Caltech liaison committee between faculty of them come from Indian history! I’ll but she is looking for ways. “We do approach: “I have so many friends and students, the Academic and choose the Mahabharata because it’s so not have the mechanical understand- in other schools, and they’re caught Research Committee. “I loved intricate—there are stories within stories ing of the Earth in order to do real up in rote-learning material rather going to meetings and hearing within stories. earthquake forecasting. And that’s why than figuring out how to learn things about what’s going on around we do the research we do.” quickly and how to apply them. Caltech,” she says. “You get to talk Higgins came to Caltech from That’s one of the best things I learned to some amazing people. You talk What is your favorite destination? a small all-undergraduate college in at Caltech, and probably one of the about what work they’re doing, the My favorite destination is India, where Oregon; she had previously worked on most important life skills.” sort of things they’re interested I get to visit family every few years and a Fulbright grant study of wave-based She has used this skill during in. It gets you inspired to do other reconnect with my culture more person- damage detection in overhead power her summers of research, first in things.” Furthermore, she was on ally. It’s always incredibly fun and filled lines. On her visit to Caltech as a applied physics at the Joint Center the Student-Faculty Committee with adventure. prospective student, she met with Pro- for Artificial Photosynthesis and then for the electrical engineering fessor Lapusta to discuss research, and in high-energy physics at Fermilab. department, where she led meet- a bell rang: “It’s completely new, but Next, she spent time at Princeton, ings and wrote a report on changes it’s still vibrations.” Higgins has fully

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Katherine Saad had been in graduate school in Boston for two years before transferring to the Caltech Envi- ronmental Science and Engineering (ESE) program because the research of Professor Paul Wennberg captured her imagination and fit her scientific vision. She has now found that besides research power, Caltech’s academic culture has provided an excellent pathway for her efforts to solve a pressing world problem that she is passionate about, as well as to understand and enhance the role of science in doing so. Saad is investigating subtle changes and feedbacks that occur in the gas composition of the lower atmosphere. “We can measure Edward D. Fouad abundances of different molecules the process. He gave me the freedom tutor, a Caltech Y Rise tutor, and an because we know how each one of Undergraduate Student: to pursue my own designs.” active violinist in the Caltech orchestra. them absorbs and emits light,” she Mechanical and Civil Engineering Fouad has also been working with Fouad is now at SpaceX, where explains. Using data from a network students as an undergraduate teaching he will be working on mechanism of instruments, including a sophis- Katherine M. Saad assistant (TA) in the introductory design for the Dragon 2 spacecraft. ticated spectrometer that measures mechanical engineering design course “I interned in the same group last minute changes in the solar spectrum, Graduate Student: Environmental Science and Engineering Edward Fouad has compiled an (ME 14) and the robotics competi- summer and was blown away by the she creates continuous and accurate Advisor: Paul Wennberg, R. Stanton Avery Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry and impressive set of both theoretical and tion course (ME 72). “Being an talent, intensity, and commitment of assays of the chemical composition of Environmental Science and Engineering; Director, Ronald and Maxine Linde Center hands-on talents on his way to a BS undergrad TA was one of my favorite everyone I worked with,” he says. “I the atmosphere the sun’s rays transit. for Global Environmental Science in mechanical engineering. And not parts of the Caltech experience,” he couldn’t be more excited to join the The molecule she is focusing on just with his human hands: at JPL, he says. In both courses, the instructor, team and be contributing to SpaceX’s now is methane, a greenhouse gas joined up with the Extreme Environ- Michael Mello, gave Fouad and the ultimate mission of bringing about the that is a product of a vast set of differ- ment Robotics Group to construct a other TAs tremendous responsibil- first human colony on Mars.” ent human processes and the subject how do we change that? She explains, robotic gripper that could pick up a ity in making modifications and of many ongoing policy debates. “But “It was really important to me to large boulder from the surface of an improvements. “It fills me with pride because we don’t know which of the create this organization not just as an What languages do you speak? asteroid and bring it back. to know that the current curriculum myriad sources have been changing in outlet for my own interests but also as I speak Arabic and French, but neither In constructing the first full-scale is even better now than what it was the last 10 years, we don’t know how a resource that serves the needs of the well enough to claim fluency. prototype of the gripper, it became when I first came in,” Fouad says. effective these policies and regulations community in such a way that people clear to the group that the existing “I know that Caltech’s progressive What languages do you speak? are going to be,” she says. would always want to invest in it.” What is your favorite online activity? design presented critical fabrication teaching approach will allow it to English, French Saad is attacking the methane A Southern Californian, Saad Looking up new recipes and baking and assembly challenges. So Fouad continue improving in the years to problem on an instrumentation visited Caltech years before enrolling. techniques. At her visit, she says, “It wasn’t clear developed an entirely new approach come.” What is your favorite online activity? and analytical level—but also on a by using a flexure-based mechanism, Beyond the classroom, Fouad person-to-person level at Caltech, how vibrant of a community there is Watching How It’s Made videos which addressed the manufacturing served as project manager and with the aim of understanding (and at Caltech. There’s so much here, not What is your favorite story? concerns and showed improved mechanical lead on the Caltech someday perhaps influencing) science just in terms of interaction and com- If you mean any story, I would say the grasping ability on the various Robotics Team, an undergraduate What is your favorite story? policy. She founded the student munication but [in terms of ] interest biography of St. Katherine, whom I was surfaces tested. “The best part of that group that has constructed three Pocahontas organization Science & Engineering in other people’s work and research. named after. If you mean a story found in experience was the relationship I had autonomous underwater vehicles for Policy At Caltech to discuss key Even if it’s not directly relevant to a book, probably The Alchemist. with my mentor, Aaron Parness,” the International RoboSub Competi- What is your favorite destination? questions related to this work: Do we your work, you’re still interested in it Fouad says. “He has incredible experi- tion. He also was co–editor-in-chief Mars have any say in the way that science because you’re interested in science. What is your favorite destination? ence with these types of systems, but of the Caltech Undergraduate Research is used in this country? If so, what are And that doesn’t exist everywhere.” My favorite destination is the beach, but he didn’t hold my hand throughout Journal, a Hixon Writing Center peer the ways we can engage? And if not, I also love going out into the desert.

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Colin A. Cook

Graduate Student: Medical Engineering Advisor: Yu-Chong Tai, Anna L. Rosen Professor of What languages do you speak? Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering; English and some Spanish Executive Officer for Medical Engineering

What is your favorite online activity? Listening to podcasts or TED Talks had an opportunity to go to Northrop What is your favorite story? Grumman with the aerospace students, and I thought: if we could Gone with the Wind start doing that with the medical engineering department as we grow, What is your favorite destination? that would be really important.” Mo’orea (I studied abroad there for One of his first mentors was his three months) Colin Cook, an aspiring entre- He’s glad to be at Caltech. “I had grandfather, Dr. Wilfred Goodman, preneur, is working with Profes- been looking at all the top medical who was a professor of otolaryngol- sor Yu-Chong Tai on new ways of and biomedical engineering schools ogy and developed open rhinoplasty. delivering oxygen to hypoxic cells for in the country,” he says, “and I saw But, Cook says, “I saw that it took applications including cancer therapy, Caltech pop up as introducing this him close to 20 years before it became Chanel A. Valiente pancreatic islet transplantation, and new medical engineering program. widely adopted. So rather than going ophthalmology. So I visited, and the passion and the to the clinical side, I decided I would Graduate Student: Environmental Science and Engineering Some eye diseases arise from lack energy here and also the nimbleness go to the engineering side, where we about the earthquakes on TV, that’s of oxygen. Cook explains: “In diabetic of the Institute attracted me to it.” can develop these technologies and Advisor: Jared Leadbetter, Professor of Environmental Microbiology Caltech.’ Or ‘You know JPL? That’s retinopathy, the blood vessels that The closer was his meeting with then disseminate them globally, to Caltech.’” She is reaching out and supply the retina start to die, and Professor Tai. “I spent about two have the maximum impact possible.” spreading the word, “mostly with my patients experience progressive vision hours with him, interviewing and Chanel Valiente came to Caltech astonishing, still-little-understood old high school, but I also speak to loss but also subsequently get the talking about research interests, three years after she obtained a BS in abundance and variety. my nephews. I focus a lot on them pathological ingrowth of new blood going around the lab,” Cook recalls. ecology at UC Berkeley. Her initial This abundance and obscurity because most of my family members vessels, which causes blindness by It was Professor Tai’s commitment to motivation for graduate school was motivates her research: “Because do not have a college degree, and my obstructing vision.” building working medical devices that to continue her career in microbial there’s so many of them and they’re nephews are asking questions that I Cook and others on Professor Tai’s really caught Cook’s attention. “He ecology, but once at Caltech she was so abundant and basically ubiquitous can answer!” team are working on solutions. “We let me sit in on a patent call that he What languages do you speak? struck by how much besides ecology in the environment, they have to She has been involved with out- have an implant that sits just below was making, and we kind of looked at English and a little German and French was on her educational plate. “Envi- be doing something important.” reach on campus, as well. “Last term, the surface of the eye, exposed to the each other afterward and he said, ‘Do ronmental science and engineering Working with Professor Leadbetter, I was involved with Club Latino, atmosphere, where oxygen is 21%. you want to come to Caltech?’ And I What is your favorite online activity? requires you to have a fundamental she is finding out what part they may which is for graduate students,” she This implant has a hollow conduit to said, ‘Yeah, I think I do.’ And soon I Reading academic journals (I’d rather be knowledge of most fields, so I was be playing in climate change and the says. “There’s another undergrad club shuttle this oxygen back to the retina, was here,” part of the inaugural class outside than online) learning oceanography, atmospheric global carbon budget. that is dedicated to undergrads and where it can nourish the retinal cells,” of the new Department of Medical science, geological sciences. It was Caltech is near Valiente’s family in some ways is more active. But as Cook says. Engineering. What is your favorite story? amazing to learn all of this, and home in the San Fernando Valley, so graduate students, we are so focused Beyond the technical, design in Soon after arriving, Cook started A story my grandfather told me it’s given me a good foundation for it is relatively easy for her to reach on our research that it is sometimes medical engineering requires clinical, engaging his classmates and organiz- about his father and a little pig named understanding most fields. So I can out to others who share her roots. hard to get together and socialize. We regulatory, and commercial consid- ing events. “Because we were the Funny Face go to a seminar now, and although I She reflects on how Latino students are trying to change that by organiz- erations. It’s the need for multidis- inaugural students, we worked to set might not know the fine details, I can who live nearby often know little ing more events.” But her spare time ciplinary and creative solutions that up something of a social committee understand the basic goal, the higher about Caltech: “When I tell my is scarce: “I’m mostly focusing on my keeps Cook engaged in the work, he or a government body to create What is your favorite destination? purpose of the work.” friends or old coworkers that I go research, because that’s why I’m here! says. Ultimately, he’d like to “create events to help the medical engineers Vanaheim, a cherished family farm in Her research focus is single-celled to Caltech, I have to explain that I also make sure my fiancée doesn’t some kind of IP-driven company network with each other and create beautiful Ontario, Canada eukaryotes, microorganisms with it is a top-ten university, leading feel neglected. I have another at least that’s developing new technologies the cohesion that you would like in genetic affinities to larger, multicel- the way in many research areas. three or four years here. So I’m just and translating them as efficiently as a new class,” he explains. He found lular plants and animals, that exist in Then I say, ‘Those people who talk buckling in.” possible.” examples in other departments: “I

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patent. I want to collaborate with great people, build devices, and sell them. I Caltech Graduating Class of 2016 also think it’s important to come up with a product that works well and is reasonably priced so that more people can benefit from it in the developing world.” One of the keys to her success is her network of learning, family, and social relationships. She’s part of the Caltech Chinese Students Association, Smith College Club of Los Angeles, of Caltech graduates are from and the Junior League of Los Angeles. the Division of Engineering “Through my network, I was able to 54% & Applied Science (EAS) get connected with people with similar interests and mindsets,” she says. “It keeps me up to date on front-end technologies, allows me to listen to voices from different perspectives, and gives me a chance to embrace various opportunities in the field.” Huang did her undergraduate work of BS degrees earned at Smith College, which shares, she 53% are in EAS Jinglin (Alice) Huang says, the intimate cross connections of Caltech. There, she studied engineer- Graduate Student: Medical Engineering ing science and music. Continuing her Advisor: Morteza Gharib, Hans W. Liepmann Professor of Aeronautics passion for music, she is a pianist with and Bioinspired Engineering; Director, Graduate Aerospace Laboratories Caltech Chamber Music.

of MS degrees earned Jinglin Huang works at the borders an extremely small, painless are in EAS of disciplines, interests, and nationali- drug administration system. 69% ties. She is mentored and advised by She explains: “There are lots What languages do you speak? Professor Morteza Gharib, whom of things we can do to make I speak Chinese and a bit of French. she admires for his innovative and minimally invasive surgery entrepreneurial approach. “I want to possible. Microneedles are just What is your favorite online activity? have my own company and make my the beginning.” I like watching documentaries on the BBC. own products,” says Huang. “I am Huang identifies potential of PhD degrees earned learning from him to be creative and needs in the medical field by What is your favorite story? are in EAS spontaneous.” shadowing a physician. He 44% Two projects she is working on gave her some key advice: “He Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis in Gharib’s lab illustrate the range of said, ‘It is important for the Carroll. Alice is adventurous, curious, logi- both the laboratory and her interests. engineer to go from benchside cal, and rational. She has to re-establish As a Resnick Institute Graduate to bedside.’ I find this to be a her identity in a whole new world, but she’s To learn more about degrees offered in EAS, Fellow, she is investigating the broader way of getting into the not scared. She always tries to maintain her visit eas.caltech.edu/dept. potential applications of carbon engineering theory, because good manners, even at moments when she’s nanotubes in seawater desalination. you include the needs of the facing fears and loneliness. She stands up “Drinkable water could be an urgent physician.” for herself and her beliefs but still tries to problem in the near future. So I’m Huang relishes the understand and assimilate into the nonsense glad that what I am working on right entrepreneurial possibilities of world. I think she has a lot of good qualities now has the potential to be of benefit her work—but only in ways for me to learn from. to many people,” she says. that will benefit others as She is also involved in micro- well as herself. “I really want What is your favorite destination? needle research efforts to create my own patent, a working London!

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Up until the 1960s, these two technologies were considered Photons, Electrons, Silicon: and treated as two separate fields. The main reason was that the two basic enabling ‘mother materials’ for these disciplines were very different.

Amnon Yariv, Martin and Eileen Summerfield Professor of Caltech’s Electric Light Applied Physics and Professor of Electrical Engineering

Orchestra Silicon photonics group: Professors Amnon Yariv, Azita Emami, Kerry Vahala, and Ali Hajimiri

Caltech has long brought together There are many conductors of this sion of data, as demonstrated by the masters from many fields to cre- orchestra, but ENGenious sat down capacity of the optical cables that ate the unimaginable. In the field of with four of them: Professors Azita carry the information weight of the Emami, Ali Hajimiri, Kerry Vahala, Internet around the planet. Electron- silicon photonics, in particular, the and Amnon Yariv. They shared the ics, on the other hand, can store and open and collaborative culture of history of the field, their current work manipulate exabytes or zettabytes the Division of Engineering and Ap- in it, and some incredible potential of data as well as perform trillions plied Science has allowed for the applications, ranging from 3-D of operations in an instant. The two assembly of an incredible orchestra cameras on T-shirts to biosensors sister technologies, electronics and of scientific expertise. Silicon (Si) under the skin to planetary imagers. photonics, started with immense The key innovation behind these potential but also some seemingly wafers have for decades provided efforts is the possibility of manipulat- irreconcilable differences. the instruments for this orchestra, ing photons and electrons together in Amnon Yariv, Caltech’s Martin but recently, a flood of integrated- a single device. As the sophistication and Eileen Summerfield Professor systems research has led to of building devices into the fabric of of Applied Physics and Professor of applications that have completely silicon has increased, researchers have Electrical Engineering, provides some transformed these instruments— learned to use devices based on or historical perspective on the critical embedded in silicon to generate and work that allowed for the integration and this, in turn, has impacted the process light quanta and photons, for of photonics and electronics on life of almost every human on the data processing, storage, and more. silicon. “Up until the 1960s, these planet. Photonics offers the possibility of two technologies were considered immense bandwidth for the transmis- and treated as two separate fields

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and pursued separately,” he explains. grated circuits (OEICs). A canonical “The main reason was that the two example was the demonstration of basic enabling ‘mother materials’ for transistors [electronics] driving lasers these disciplines were very different. [optics] on a single gallium arsenide Electronics was mostly based on (GaAs) crystal—that is, having the silicon, which cannot, for fundamen- key devices of optics and electron- tal reasons, be made to also make ics [see Figure 1]. A more recent Caltech is a place where you lasers.” example from my group involves But, he continues, “starting in a hybrid Si/III–V platform that is can, at every dimension, find the mid 1970s, it became clear that a demonstration of a new type of major advantages could follow if these laser in which light is generated in two foundational technologies could the III–V material but is stored in your research passion and come together, with both optical the essentially transparent Si that is explore new directions. Figure 3: Compact, low-power, and high- and electronic functions carried out bonded to it. The result is a reduction speed electro-optic modulators (EOM) in physical proximity, ideally on of a thousand times in the quantum are one of the key components of optical single optoelectronic chips. The first phase noise of the laser output field Azita Emami, Professor of Electrical Engineering; interconnects. Resonant structures such as steps in this direction were taken at and a corresponding increase in its micro-ring modulators (above) are promising Figure 1: An integrated EAS Division Deputy Chair candidates due to their compact size and optoelectronic circuit, Caltech starting around 1970, when coherence.” low power consumption. This differential consisting of a laser, we proposed and demonstrated the Ali Hajimiri, Thomas G. Myers ring modulator maintains a constant energy detector, and control in the ring to avoid pattern-dependent circuits new field of optoelectronic inte- Professor of Electrical Engineering power droop. and Medical Engineering, explains further. “Now, the beauty is, elec- tronics and optics have their own strengths. For example, if you think I think silicon photonics is in the same about electronics, the strength of the These kinds of advances are part are the silicon photonic differential electronics is that gain, amplification, of a pattern, says Hajimiri. “I come micro-ring modulator (MRM) (see place as electronics was, in terms of the is easy to generate in electronics. We from an electronics background. I Figure 3) and the 3-D–integrated number of elements and the growth of the have also learned to perform other think silicon photonics is in the same CMOS-silicon photonic optical complex tasks, such as mixing and place as electronics was, in terms receiver (see Figure 4). Such devices number of elements, in the ’60s and ’70s. oscillation, as well as signal processing of the number of elements and the reflect a holistic approach to the in both analog and digital domina, growth of the number of elements, design of electronics and photonics. thanks to the practically unlimited in the ’60s and ’70s. The beauty of “The years that we have put into Ali Hajimiri, Thomas G. Myers Professor of Electrical Engineering number of transistors. These are it is that now you can integrate the the silicon industry to develop all the and Medical Engineering; Executive Officer for Electrical Engineering; the strengths of electronics. Now electronics and the photonics to infrastructure for electronic systems Director, Information Science and Technology optics, on the other hand, gives you create something that is more than can now be repurposed and used for extremely high-quality delays and the sum of the parts.” development of silicon photonics,” extremely large bandwidths. The Yariv adds: “The early OEICs did Emami says. “This can lead to lower Figure 4: Integration of electronics and pho- not employ silicon and thus could cost, a better platform for integration tonics leads to better performance in optical trick is the combination. It is a match links but necessitates a holistic approach for made in ether!” not benefit from the existing base of of electronics and photonics, and use co-design of the two. This figure features a Products of Hajimiri’s laboratory fabrication technology, representing a of computer-aided design tools.” 3-D–integrated CMOS-silicon photonic re- cumulative investment of trillions of It is a particularly interesting time ceiver, which employs a novel low-bandwidth illustrate these powerful congruen- trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) front-end, cies and combinations. One recent dollars. We are now in a position to for scientists to be working in this doublesampling, and equalization through example is a 3-D camera chip called a benefit in optoelectronics from this field, she continues, “because now we dynamic offset modulation. nanophotonic coherent imager (NCI) investment.” can use the same kind of approach for that translates laser illumination of Azita Emami, Professor of building sophisticated systems in both a target object into high-resolution Electrical Engineering, is also work- electronics and photonics. My focus three-dimensional images. The ing on the co-design of electronics is on what enables high-performance prototype uses only 16 pixels but can and photonics to take advantage of computing, data centers, and efficient Figure 2: A silicon nanophotonic coherent scan a larger area by imaging four this investment. Her lab is design- communication systems. Silicon imager (NCI) that uses interferometry and the ing devices that can dramatically photonics is well suited for these chirp radar principle to capture a 3-D profile squares at a time to create a mosaic of objects from a distance. A lens is used to (see Figure 2). He imagines one pos- reduce the energy consumption of applications, because it provides a form an image on the NCI pixel array. Using sible application of this technology to data communication systems in low-cost platform for very low-power this setup, the surface profile of a penny has data centers and high-performance and high-speed data communications been imaged from a distance of 0.5 m with an be a 3-D camera on the surface of a average depth resolution of 15 μm. T-shirt. computers. Examples of such devices in the optical domain.”

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While photons and electrons continue to have clearly defined roles, certain traditional electronic

Figure 5: A silicon wafer of nonlinear optical functions will shift to photonics ring resonators fabricated by the Vahala group. The devices on this wafer produce because of the inherent soliton waves when power is applied using a microscopic optical wire (not visible in the performance advantages . . . photo). These particular ring resonators will be used in a larger system called an optical synthesizer that is being built under support from DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Kerry J. Vahala, Ted and Ginger Jenkins Professor of Projects Agency) at the National Institute of Information Science and Technology and Applied Physics; Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, Colorado. Executive Officer for Applied Physics and Materials Science

Kerry Vahala, Ted and Ginger of device. For example, his group is open it is to new ideas, people here Azita Emami is Professor of Electrical Jenkins Professor of Information studying special optical waves called have the ability to jump from one Engineering and EAS Division Deputy Science and Technology and Applied solitons to create precisely spaced field to another.” Chair. To learn more about her research, Physics, has pioneered silicon “combs” of optical lines that are He continues, “If I have a ques- visit eas.caltech.edu/people/3341/ photonic devices that dramatically useful in spectroscopy, accurate time tion, I go knock on Kerry’s door. I profile. Ali Hajimiri is the Thomas lower the power required for nonlin- keeping, and even astronomy. One know that he will be helpful. It’s so G. Myers Professor of Electrical ear optical processes. Optical devices version of this device is going into a easy to access the top-class talent in Engineering and Medical Engineering, that traditionally require hundreds silicon photonic system to create a everything.” Executive Officer for Electrical of watts of optical power are possible device called an optical synthesizer Emami adds, “Caltech is a place Engineering, and Director, Information using 100,000 times less power, in (see Figure 5) that generates tunable where you can, at every dimension, Science and Technology. To learn more the milliwatt range. This new class optical frequencies with extremely find your research passion and explore about his research, visit eas.caltech.edu/ of extreme-nonlinear optical device high stability. Vahala says: “An added new directions. Faculty take risks all people/3038/profile. Kerry J. Vahala is is the underlying breakthrough in a benefit of placing components on the time. We do different things in the Ted and Ginger Jenkins Professor of number of integrated devices that can silicon is that sophisticated electronics any given stage of our careers. It’s Information Science and Technology and challenge the dominance of electron- can be called upon to monitor and amazing that we can do that.” Applied Physics and Executive Officer ics in areas like microwave oscillators. control these new all-optical func- Hajimiri agrees: “I think combin- for Applied Physics and Materials Vahala says that while photons tions.” ing top-tier, high-quality scientific Science. To learn more about his research, and electrons continue to have The professors who are leading expertise together with risk taking visit eas.caltech.edu/people/3238/ clearly defined roles, certain tradi- Caltech’s electronic light orchestra at a place like Caltech has allowed profile. Amnon Yariv is the Martin tional electronic functions will shift agree that the Institute is an ideal it to be a center of gravity for the and Eileen Summerfield Professor to photonics because of the inherent place to research and develop silicon silicon photonics effort. Now we can of Applied Physics and Professor of performance advantages of these new photonics. As Hajimiri puts it, take it to the next level, applying Electrical Engineering. To learn more silicon-photonic devices. Other areas “Caltech obviously is very strong in the concepts over a broad range of about his research, visit eas.caltech.edu/ will also benefit from the same class fundamentals. But because of how applications.” people/3262/profile.

34 division of engineering & applied science ENGenious ISSUE 13, 2016 35 ALUMNI PROFILE

I flew to Caltech after I was discharged and I still had my uniform on—I didn’t even Cecil Drinkward: have civilian clothes when I Focused came back!

Cecil Drinkward (BS ’50, civil on Getting engineering) joined Hoffman Construction Company in 1967, ENGenious: What was your Caltech Drinkward: It was probably the an Education graduating class like? Trojan Nuclear Plant, which has since later serving as president and now been decommissioned and torn down. retired. Hoffman Construction Drinkward: My class was probably That was at the start of the nuclear has built many major structures after WWII two-thirds veterans, including myself. program at Portland General Electric in downtown Portland, Oregon, It was an excellent learning environ- (PGE). It was just so different tech- including the Convention Center ment because you had senior people nologically. At that time, there was no and more than half of the modern that set a really good example. We precedent for building these plants, so in a way it was a pioneering nuclear office buildings. The company were a very focused group. Just as an aside, I managed to meet Linus plant. There was nothing to compare also built sewage and water- Pauling 30 years later to speak to him. with, which made it interesting to me. treatment plants and industrial I graduated in 1950 and went right I said I graduated in 1950, and he ENGenious: What’s next for the field facilities in the northwestern United to work in the construction industry. said the classes of 1950 and ’51 were of civil engineering? States. ENGenious sat down My first job was doing field engineer- the best students he ever had because with Drinkward to learn about his ing work at a large hospital in Denver they were all focused on getting an Drinkward: I think the biggest chal- so you don’t get all that shrinkage. I for a contractor. education. lenge is the aging infrastructure of experience as a Caltech student always felt that reinforced concrete the United States. There’s got to be during the World War II years and was the best way to build for the right ENGenious: Was your father a civil ENGenious: How has your civil better and more cost-effective ways to how it has influenced his career. structures, but the whole engineer- engineer? engineering degree helped you in do it than we did it in the past, with ing of reinforced concrete has a lot of your career? more longevity built in. We can’t just advances that could be made. ENGenious: How did you Drinkward: No, he was a I never applied to another school. I build a road like we did 50 years ago. experience Caltech as a student? construction superintendent. Both my don’t even know what it’s like to get Drinkward: I never did civil People don’t have the money to do parents were immigrants. He came an application now for a school. At ENGenious: What are some of engineering as such. What I did was it over. This includes roads, bridges, Drinkward: I went there a year and from Holland and she came from the time we got admitted, it was on the ingredients needed to create a construction. The best thing civil airports, other civil structures and a half out of high school at age 17, Germany. They didn’t come here the basis of an all-day test. forward-looking civil engineering engineering did for me was that the projects, including wastewater and during World War II. I did my fresh- looking for any freebies, I know that. program? structural engineers I worked with water-treatment facilities. We need man and half of my sophomore years, They came here to get a better life ENGenious: Was it similar to what wondered how I fit in, and when I cheaper and better ways. and then I went into the navy for two after World War I, when things were we now call the SAT? Drinkward: There needs to be an would say I graduated from Caltech, years. I flew to Caltech after I was horrible in Europe. They had the ENGenious: There is a tendency to investment in teaching the latest they were impressed. If we were in discharged and I still had my uni- intent of going back, which of course Drinkward: Yes. I thought the test think that most of the problems of in materials research and structure a meeting and an issue came up, I form on—I didn’t even have civilian never happened. was awful tough. I couldn’t answer civil engineering have already been research. We also need to be able would give an opinion, and it would clothes when I came back! I started some of the questions. There were solved. How much more can you in- to—and willing to—think out of the be looked at as an engineering opin- classes sometime in March and the ENGenious: How did you decide to several wise guys who said, “Oh, I novate? Cement is still cement. box when training the next generation ion, in addition to the construction quarter had already started, so I had study at Caltech? knew all that stuff. I answered them of civil engineers. It is not just about feasibility. That was a big plus. about eight weeks to finish a 10-week all. This isn’t hard.” It made me think Drinkward: Well, cement is one using computers and following what’s quarter. Eight weeks of school was Drinkward: I had grown up in San I would never get in. The other guys that I think can be improved. It still been done before. It has to be done really tough when you get back after Gabriel and South Pasadena, and all I were too dumb to know what they ENGenious: Is there a project that shrinks. It cracks. It has a series of better. So far, we’ve done so much serving in the navy. I managed to knew was Caltech was supposed to be didn’t know. And I never saw them in you’re most proud of or that you problems that you have to accom- that makes things more expensive, skate through by the skin of my teeth. the best place. Interestingly enough, my freshman class. found the most challenging? modate. Maybe it can be made better but not better.

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channels. There was so much energy in the air that day and everyone was so excited about what was happen- ing on campus. That event lead to a new way to describe science. Through post-event surveys, we discovered that for approximately 25% of the audience members, it was their first time on the Caltech campus. The event was livestreamed and had more than 21,000 unique views. We Mary Sikora, had a second TEDxCaltech event Oskar Painter, and Nai-Chang Yeh in 2013, and in total, the talks from both events have had more than three million hits just on YouTube. This translates into an amazing amount of Nurturing Nanoscience outreach! The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech Yeh: We’re not just running facilities. We are creating an environment that nurtures nanoscience and technology. For over a decade, the Kavli Nanoscience Institute (KNI) at Caltech has been an intellectual hub and facilitator of cross-disciplinary research in the areas of nanoscience and nanotechnology. It houses an advanced nanofabrication ENGenious: What are you doing to facility that supports the research endeavors of many Caltech and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) researchers and ensure the continued success of the has been critical to realizing exciting breakthroughs in nanoscale photonics, materials science, and biotechnology. KNI? ENGenious sat down with the KNI’s two Fletcher Jones Foundation Co-Directors, Professors Oskar J. Painter and Painter: The KNI is an enabling re- Nai-Chang Yeh, as well as the KNI’s Associate Director of Business Operations, Mary Sikora, to discuss the past, source. We’re trying to think beyond present, and future contributions of this intellectual hub. just the facility. What is the meaning of the KNI? What are the real hori- zons in nanoscience, and where do we see that going in the future? Because ENGenious: How has the purpose of and broader. Now we are facilitating co-director, were instrumental in the ENGenious: How do you know that their own clean room to do their own it’s such a broad field, it’s sometimes the KNI evolved since its creation? work on the frontiers of nanoscience genesis of the KNI. They started by the KNI has been successful? nanofabrication or microfabrication. hard to articulate, but we’re working and technology research, particularly acquiring an industrial electron beam The KNI has been a total remodel on trying not just to have the facility Yeh: Nanoscience and technology in areas of quantum science and tech- lithography system. Previously, most Yeh: The facilities have enabled lots for Caltech in many ways, and the but to have this community, this envi- was starting to become an important nology, bio- and medical engineering, university facilities were limited to of research activities by groups around estimate of research funds used shows ronment, that can help nurture these interdisciplinary research area at the renewable energy and sustainability, small scanning electron microscope the campus, from JPL, and also from the vitality and the importance of the various aspects of nanoscience as well. time the KNI was created, and a lot and space exploration and astronomy. tools that were retrofitted to do li- industry and local universities. To get facility and the approach. of the research required very expen- thography, greatly limiting the fidelity a more concrete sense of this, we did Yeh: Since we acquired our industrial sive facilities. Thus there was a sense Sikora: When I came on board in and throughput of the features being an estimate of how much Caltech Yeh: Every year, we have on the order electron beam lithography tool, a lot that it would be much more produc- late 2005, we were still building and made. This new tool, which Michael research funds have supported people of 100 users from five different divi- of universities have caught up to us, tive if we could create a central- planning the facility. We were also and Axel made available to a com- using the facility since it opened. sions at Caltech, as well as 20 to 30 and we’re thinking about how to re- ized facility that housed a variety trying to grow the community, but munity of users (not the norm at the research groups that professorial fac- invent ourselves in such a way that we of instruments for nanoscience and the main focus was the renovation of time at Caltech), enabled one to do Painter: It has been roughly $150 ulty members are affiliated with. We will continue to lead the pack in the technology research. As we brought the sub-basement of Steele Lab. nanoscale fabrication on the scale of million over 10 years. That’s an im- also host international workshops, future. We recently put in a proposal multi-disciplinary researchers together, a six-inch wafer, integrating many pressively big number for a place the symposia, and tours. to the National Science Foundation they would come up with new ideas, Painter: From the beginning, it was devices together over multiple steps size of Caltech. It’s a little bit scary, to get a special focused ion beam and the KNI evolved into an intellec- clear that the creation of the KNI was of lithography. This was prior to the actually, because as a co-director you Sikora: We hosted the first TEDx system that uses very light atoms, tual hub. Initially, the KNI members’ going to be an exciting opportunity establishment of the KNI, and it was quickly realize how important it is event on the Caltech campus. The helium and neon, to do extremely fine research focused on nanophotonics for many of us to conduct nanosci- a pivotal moment at Caltech both to make sure this facility is running KNI organized it because of the con- three-dimensional cutting and pat- and nano-biotech, and then, as time ence research. Michael Roukes, the in the sense of the new technology optimally, since it is so critical to nection of nanoscience to Richard terning of materials. It directly sculpts passed, the opportunities for nanosci- first director of the KNI, and Axel available to do science and also in the everyone’s research now. Before the Feynman. The event was sold out! your three-dimensional mask. It’s like ence and technology became broader Scherer, who later became a culture. creation of the KNI, everyone had Five of the talks made it to the TED an Etch A Sketch, but at the atomic

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scale. There’s only one other univer- help in the training of new students. research to biology. One area that is sity in California that has such a tool. So it’s very much a communal atmo- currently benefiting greatly from na- I see that as being another moment sphere. noscale research at the KNI is quan- where we’re really going to advance tum physics, where the science and the capability here at Caltech. This ENGenious: How does the KNI engineering of new quantum materi- new tool enables researchers to do serve nanotechnology startup com- als, information processing systems, things they never could have done panies? and sensors are rapidly progressing. before. In general, I am very excited by the Painter: When I graduated from scientific opportunities I see on the ENGenious: How are your roles dif- Caltech, I started a company with horizon for the KNI. ferent? Is there a secret behind your Kerry Vahala and Amnon Yariv. At team’s success? the time, we used a good portion of ENGenious: How are the KNI and our A-round of fundraising to build the JPL Microdevices Laboratory Yeh: Oskar and I always consult with our own clean room. Today, with complementary? each other, work on things together, the presence of the KNI, as a faculty and, if necessary, take the blame member it’s much easier to think Painter: They have an amazing together. Mary has been marvelous; about starting a company using the facility at JPL. At the KNI, we have she helps with all kinds of things, KNI as a cost-effective means to some tooling and some ways of doing and Guy DeRose, the KNI Associ- create proof-of-principle devices. But things that are different and comple- ate Director of Technical Operations, there’s always a balance between serv- mentary. In some ways, our facility is takes good care of the staff members ing industry and serving students and a little freer in terms of what pro- and the day-to-day operation of the faculty on campus. Right now, I think cesses you can run and how accessible facilities. we are in a sweet spot. We have a different tools are. Of course, we good amount of industrial users, and don’t have the same sort of demand Painter: The constants throughout they don’t tend to monopolize any of on us in terms of the reliability of our the years have been Mary and Guy; the equipment. I should add that the processes. At the KNI, you can fail a they’ve worked with all the co- benefits can also go both ways; there’s little bit more, which means you also directors since the inception of the the potential for the cross-fertilization get to explore more things. KNI. We really rely on the expertise of ideas between academic innovation of Mary and Guy, as well as the rest and industrial “know-how.” ENGenious: What do Caltech alumni of the excellent technical and admin- need to know about the KNI? istrative staff of the KNI. We have a ENGenious: What’s next for the relatively lean staff that does a huge KNI? Yeh: The KNI has nurtured a new amount of work, if you compare it to generation of scientists and engineers other institutes of similar size. Yeh: If we continue to build up our in nanoscience and technology. And endowments, we’d like to give seed it’s incredibly cross-disciplinary; Sikora: The staff is really great. funds to people who have brilliant this is an area that can always have a They’re quite dedicated, and they will new ideas that cannot immediately major impact on the world. Caltech answer pleas from people who can’t get federal grants. We are starting alumni are welcome to tour the facili- These research images were created using the Kavli Nanoscience Institute’s get equipment to work at all hours with a smaller program, the KNI- ties and learn more about what we advanced nanofabrication facility. The and on the weekends. We have good Wheatley Scholarship. We plan to have been doing for Caltech, for edu- scanning electron micrographs in the team spirit! Also, I like that my job is support one junior faculty member cation, for research, and for frontier top image reveal the fine-scale struc- ture responsible for the iridescent quali- different every single day. every year with $25,000 in discretion- endeavors. ties of an Urbanus proteus butterfly ary research funds for new and inno- wing. The middle image is of a photonic Painter: The other thing that’s very vative projects. Then we are hoping to Oskar J. Painter is the John G Braun crystal nanomembrane formed from a silicon-on-insulator. Light is trapped special about the KNI, and I think expand the program so it isn’t limited Professor of Applied Physics and Fletcher within the silicon membrane due to the Caltech in general, is that the stu- to junior faculty. Jones Foundation Co-Director of the nanoscale etched air holes. The bottom dents and postdocs play a vital role. Kavli Nanoscience Institute. Nai- image illustrates nano-pillars. Our pseudo-staff are our students Painter: At a technical institute like Chang Yeh is Professor of Physics and and postdocs that help optimize our own, the most important thing Fletcher Jones Foundation Co-Director fabrication techniques, improve the that comes out of any sort of group of the Kavli Nanoscience Institute. running of the equipment, and invent like the KNI is the science. The areas Mary Sikora is Associate Director of entirely new methods for using our of science that connect to nanosci- Business Operations for the KNI. equipment. They also help teach our ence and the KNI are myriad, ranging

technical staff these new methods and from materials and renewable energy Visit kni.caltech.edu. Answer: 13 Answer:

40 division of engineering & applied science 1200 East California Boulevard, Mail Code 155-44, Pasadena, California 91125