Last summer, while working as an OSRP Research Assistant, chemical engineering undergraduate Quang Ly faced a problem so challenging he almost gave up. But because the problem was so compelling—with potential major applications for fuel-cell batteries—he persevered.
“It was very frustrating. Sometimes I wanted to give up, but then I would take a rest and get back to it the next day,” he said.
After two months of effort, he made a breakthrough—attaching an -OO group, the first step in attaching OO to the graphene. Frequent conversations with his advisor Ted Yu were a big help in understanding the problem. Ly entered his paper, “Quantum Mechanics Simulation of Fe–N–C,” in the CSULB Student Research Competition, placing second. Then, unexpectedly, he became one of 10 CSULB undergraduate and graduate students selected to compete on the systemwide level April 29-30. Continue reading “Chemical Engineering Student Wins Second in Statewide Contest”