Embracing Undergraduate Research

“I love research so much. The more I learned, and the more experiments I ran, the more my curiosity grew.” – Sanjna Sukumaran 

Why Rutgers? 

I chose Rutgers Engineering for its strong materials science and engineering (MSE) program, industry connections, and plethora of research opportunities. 

Why MSE? 

I love playing field hockey, and I researched the materials science of field hockey sticks for a project in high school and I really liked how there was often an atomic level explanation for large-scale behaviors – so I pursued MSE and research in college. 

Did you have any research experiences? 

Research has been a big part of my MSE career here at Rutgers. It’s allowed me to realize I enjoy studying nanophotonics –the interaction with light on the nanometer scale.  

Have you learned anything about yourself at Rutgers that surprised you? 

Definitely that I love research so much. I got into research because I wanted to pick up some new skills and I really wanted to work with MSE associate professor Laura Fabris. The more I learned, and the more experiments I ran, the more my curiosity grew. I never anticipated I would plan to pursue a Ph.D. post-graduation at the start of my college career, but here I am!  

Where do you see yourself in five years? 

Winning the Nobel Prize in Physics. 

Do you have any advice for incoming students? 

Don’t lose faith in yourself. I was not a good student coming into college. I struggled while adjusting to college and was failing almost all my classes until finals week my first semester. A combination of hard work and a strong support system allowed me to turn it around, and now I’m heading to graduate school. 

What three to five words describe your RU SoE experience? 

Challenging. Exciting. Rewarding.