2022 Nanoengineering Award of Excellence: Meghan Shen

Every year, six outstanding undergraduate students who made significant contributions to their academic department and the Jacobs School of Engineering community are celebrated with department Awards of Excellence at the Ring Ceremony event for graduating undergraduates.

The 2022 NanoEngineering Award of Excellence was awarded to Meghan Shen. Learn more about her background and future plans in this Q&A.

What do you enjoy about nanoengineering, or why did you decide to pursue this field?

I think the idea of gaining perspective by seeing things most people don’t get to see is what initially drew me to nanoengineering. After brief stints in a radiology lab and in an optics lab, I joined the Lab for Energy Storage and Conversion. There, I was taught to think critically about world energy issues and to appreciate the natural world around me. Then, I decided I wanted to work in this field.

Were you involved in any activities/groups/clubs/research labs on campus that were impactful during your time at UC San Diego?

I am involved in battery research at the Lab for Energy Storage and Conversion. Being a part of LESC allowed me to meet many mentors who helped me develop organizational and technical skills, and they believed in my potential before I did. Not only was I inspired to pursue materials research, but I was inspired to pursue mentorship and teaching because these people were so inspiring.

I am also involved in Tau Beta Pi where I served as the NanoEngineering Department Representative and the Historian. Planning Nano-events brought me a lot closer to the nanoengineering community at school, enabling me to make some of my best friends. I also got to broaden my horizons by learning about other engineering disciplines through TBP.

Lastly, I worked at the Teaching and Learning Commons leading math supplemental instruction sessions. I liked that I could create this safe space for students, because I personally struggled with asking questions in class and talking to professors when I started college. This experience showed me how much I enjoyed teaching others, because it gave me freedom to try out different learning strategies and games - like linear algebra jeopardy.

Do you have any advice for current or future engineering students?

Over the past year, I struggled with balancing schoolwork, labwork, and deciding what I wanted to pursue after undergrad. I was unsure if I could handle grad school, and I was shying away from opportunities because they seemed too far away or too difficult. During this time, my PI said that our actions should reflect our hopes, not our fears, and I think this sums up the advice I want to give to others. You’re a student. You essentially have unlimited potential, and this is only the beginning. So reach for those opportunities that excite you, even if they scare you.

Any idea what you'll do next year, or what you hope to accomplish with your degree?

This fall, I will be pursuing a PhD in Materials Science at UC Berkeley. I hope to leverage my experience working in the lab to plan thoughtful experiments regarding materials characterization. In my career, I want to be a mentor that encourages students to believe in themselves. I also want to fight for educational equity and make sure everyone gets to learn what they love. 

Anything else that's important to know about your time and experience at the Jacobs School?

When I started college, I was not yet a nanoengineering major. I was not yet a fan of chemistry or physics, and I felt out of place when I took my first programming class. Still, I ended up loving my major, 1. because nanoscale things are super cool, 2. because the people I met within the Nano community have this infectious enthusiasm and kindness that made me feel less alone at UC San Diego.