Growing up in a city notorious for its air pollution, I am always aware of the importance of preserving our environment and seeking new energy sources. With prior research experience on the correlation between haze and GDP in major Chinese cities, I further realized the difficulties of shifting to renewable energy sources for developing countries. Thus, VIPER would help me to combine the knowledge from Electrical Engineering and Physics to seek out a new solution for my hometown.

Growing up in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, I spent much of my youth immersed in nature. With grand waterfalls an hour east of the city and the most scenic stretch of the Pacific coast an hour to the west, hiking was a common weekend fixture in the Shu household. However, as I learned about the abstract science behind climate change in my classes, I quickly saw the real-world, disastrous impacts that it was having on the landscapes that I love so much. In particular, there was one lake that my family would stop by every year on our way to central Oregon. It was always a tranquil shade of green that heralded a much-needed respite from the long car ride. One year, we were greeted by barren, cracked earth. As it turned out, the area had been struck by its worst drought in decades. Because of my love for nature and my passion for science and engineering, I instantly knew that VIPER was the program for me the moment I found out about it.

The summer before my senior year, I did the Summer STEM program at the Cooper Union and I was introduced to novel ways to harvest human energy, like piezoelectric materials and energy-generating revolving doors. It fascinates me that something as mundane as a door can help power the world, through the ingenuity of scientists and engineers.

Growing up in Saudi Arabia opened my eyes to the untapped potential of solar power. A future where the vast empty deserts are covered with photovoltaics quickly grabbed my interest; however, with that thought comes many limitations, and they are ones which I hope to solve. I was also given the opportunity to conduct research at KAUST on Enhanced Oil Recovery, which gave me a glimpse into the research world. Combining these experiences and my passion for STEM led me to an interest in energy research, making VIPER a seamless fit.