Clean Energy Ambassadors

I’m Vicente Arroyos, a CEI Graduate Fellow and Ph.D. candidate at the University of Washington Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. Beyond the lab coat and research papers, I’m a dedicated advocate for humanizing scientists, sparking enthusiasm for science in young minds, and expanding awareness of STEM academic and career opportunities.

My research in the realm of microrobotics focuses on creating autonomous, battery-free microrobots with applications ranging from environmental monitoring to agricultural optimization. Imagine tiny, intelligent machines that can navigate confined spaces, perform environmental inspections, and contribute to sustainable practices in industries. My journey began during my undergraduate studies in Electrical Engineering, where I delved into interdisciplinary research on bi-stable origami robotics. This paved the way for my Ph.D. pursuits, where I overcame technical challenges to develop groundbreaking micro-robotic systems featured in renowned publications and conferences.

My academic path reflects a commitment to innovation and a desire to bridge the gap in STEM education. As a first-generation college student and former migrant farm worker, my personal experiences drive my dedication to diversity and inclusion in STEM. Beyond academia, I co-founded AVELA: A Vision for Engineering Literacy and Access, a nonprofit fostering STEM education in underserved communities and schools. Looking forward, my career paths extend from academia to entrepreneurship, envisioning roles as a professor, mentor, and entrepreneur dedicated to creating impactful solutions for global challenges.

My name is Anna Okounkova and I am a fourth year PhD student in the physics department at the University of Washington and a Clean Energy Institute Graduate Fellow. I do experimental condensed matter research studying 2D materials in the Yankowitz lab. Throughout my graduate school experience, one of the things I have found the most rewarding is showing students how accessible research is and the incredible things we can achieve in a laboratory setting.

In the lab, I make nanoscale devices by stacking different two-dimensional materials, such as graphene, into specially designed heterostructures. I then use electron beam lithography, chemical etching, and metal vapor deposition to fabricate these stacks into circuits that I can measure. To give an idea of the scale, each device is less than a fifth of the width of the average human hair. I then electronically probe my nanoscale circuit at near zero temperature and with large applied magnetic fields. The design of the structure to drive certain properties in the 2D materials, combined with the extreme environment allows us to experimentally realize incredible exotic phases such as Bose Einstein condensation and superconductivity.

I became interested in my field early on thanks to a passionate 9th grade physics teacher, and I continued to pursue physics in college. Though I enjoyed my classes, it was not until I started doing research in my sophomore year of college that I developed a real love for this field. Physics research in experimental condensed matter is accessible to all undergraduate students; there is a lot that you can accomplish that you will build background knowledge for as you go, and any student can make significant contributions to the research due to the individual nature of fabricating devices. I have dedicated a lot of time in grad school to spreading the word about my research, such as through lab tours to students ranging from middle school to graduate school and mentoring undergraduate students who were interested in doing physics research. Next, I plan to keep focusing on mentorship and outreach while continuing to do research in 2D materials.