Darren Lipomi - Podcast Details

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UR Ventures Tech Hustle and BuzzleEpisode 1: Darren Lipomi - Professor and Chair of Chemical Engineering, University of RochesterIn this episode of the UR Ventures Tech Hustle and Buzzle podcast, host Dina Uzri speaks with Professor Darren Lipomi, a leading figure in nanotechnology and entrepreneurship. The conversation explores Darren's journey from a rural upbringing to becoming a prominent academic and entrepreneur. He shares insights into the real-world applications of nanotechnology, the challenges of commercialization, and the importance of integrating business training into scientific education. The discussion also highlights the entrepreneurial culture within research labs and the significance of technology spin-outs. Listeners gain valuable advice on navigating the commercialization landscape and the support needed from universities to foster...2024-11-1840 min

PodCATProf. Darren Lipomi Darren Lipomi is a professor of nanoengineering, chemical engineering, and materials Science at UC San Diego. He is also the Associate Dean for Students and the Faculty Director of the IDEA Engineering Student Center at the Jacobs School of Engineering at UCSD. He is the incoming chair of Chemical Engineering at University of Rochester, scheduled to begin his term in July! Darren earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry with a minor in physics at Boston University, and his PhD in chemistry at Harvard with Prof. George M. Whitesides. He did his Postdoc with Zhenan Bao...2024-04-1651 min

IDEAs in STEM Ed#20 - How to Speak in Public for Technical Professionals: Neil Thompson, Founder of Teach the Geek to SpeakMy guest today is Neil Thompson: author, speaker, engineer, and host of the teach the geek podcast. Neil is an advocate of science and engineering education, a children's author and a educator in the area of improving the speaking skills of technical professionals. In particular, Neil founded the teach the geek to speak platform which contains many helpful materials, including videos and other resources to help you as a technical professional, including scientist and engineer, make your ideas come to life to technical and non-technical audiences alike. I got to know Neil a few months ago when I was a guest...2022-11-2632 min

IDEAs in STEM Ed#19 - Jennifer Swanson: Navy Veteran Turned Children’s Scientific Writer, Speaker, and PodcasterMy guest today is Jennifer Swanson. Jennifer is an author of science books for children as well as a public speaker and podcaster. She got her undergraduate degree in chemistry from the US Naval Academy, and has a masters degree in K thru 8 science education. She is the author of over 40 books, including Save the Crash-Test Dummies and Outdoor School: Rocks, Fossils, and Shells, which won the Kirkus Best Nature Book in 2021. In addition to her writing career, Jennifer is also a middle school science instructor for the Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth. And also co-hosts a weekly po...2022-11-1442 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#75 – Hip Hop Scientist Maynard Okereke: Engineer to Science Communicator, Musician, & Video PersonalityI spoke in this episode with Maynard Okereke. Maynard is a trained civil and environmental engineer who has developed a second career in scientific communication for young people and particularly young people of color. He arrived at this interest from previous careers in engineering and then acting and music. He is also a seasoned entrepreneur, forgive the pun, with his own line of flavoring salt which are vegan and number one selling brand on Amazon. He is the host of hip-hop science as his alter ego, Hip Hop MD. He is a renowned public speaker and advocate for diversity in STEM...2022-11-0945 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#74 – Applying to Grad School: How to write a winning Statement of Purpose & explain a lower GPAIn this video, I discuss how to write an effective and engaging statement of purpose, how to structure your essay, and how to use your writing to compensate for potentially weaker sections of your application. Thanks to the California Forum for Diversity in Graduation Education for the Invitation to give this talk. This work was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation CMMI-2135428. The views expressed are those only of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the sponsor, host, or UC San Diego.2022-11-0833 min

IDEAs in STEM Ed#18 - Hip Hop Science: From Professional Engineer to Science Communicator, Maynard OkerekeIn this episode, host Darren Lipomi sits down with Maynard Okereke, the Hip Hop MD. Maynard is a trained civil and environmental engineer who has developed a second career in scientific communication for young people and particularly young people of color. He arrived at this interest from previous careers in engineering and then acting and music. He is also a seasoned entrepreneur, forgive the pun, with his own line of flavoring salt which are vegan and number one selling brand on Amazon. He is the host of hip-hop science as his alter ego, Hip Hop MD. He is a renowned...2022-11-0645 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#73 – How do you know when you have enough data to publish? Plus, how to manage conflict with co-authorsIn this talk, I discuss strategies for research and writing, how to know how much you should put in a paper, how to manage conflicts with co-authors, and how to respond to reviewers. Darren Lipomi, PhD Professor and Associate Dean for Students Jacobs School of Engineering, UC San Diego lipomigroup.org 2022-11-0649 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#72 - Should humans be modified? How about plants or animals? The Environment? Q&A on bioethicsThis is an unusual episode for me. Rather than responding to questions about graduate school, in this video, I responded to an interviewer performing an ethnographic survey about how researchers in bioengineering and bioengineering-adjacent fields view certain controversial subjects like human modification. 0:50 Would you be in favor of a prenatal treatment such that it would be possible for children to live 200 years? 2:04 What if we could guarantee no inequities, and anyone that would want it could allow their children to live 200 years? 2:36 Why wouldn’t you want to live 200 years? 3:03 Would you accept an intervention that would increase your cognit...2022-11-0420 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#71 - Ask a professor: how to vet applicants, deal w/ criticism, strategy in academia, & research funding0:00 How do you get your research published in high-impact journals? 2:05 Grad students and postdocs are busy. How do you vet undergraduate researchers so that they are productive and not breaking equipment? 3:56 I noticed that you had a mini MBA on your resume. How valuable do you think business training is in academia? 6:25 Can you describe ways in which criticism from your students has landed particularly heavy and changed your approach to teaching and mentoring? 9:58 What is a Venn diagram and how has your Venn diagram showing the overlap of teaching, research, and ser...2022-10-1815 min

IDEAs in STEM Ed#17 - Engineering Professorships & Educational Innovation at Undergraduate STEM InstitutionsIrene Reizman is an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute Indiana. Irene obtained her bachelor’s of engineering degree at the University of Michigan in 2008 and her PhD at MIT in 2015. She has industrial experience at LS9, Whirlpool, and Schott AG. Her research interests include biochemical engineering, including metabolic engineering of microorganisms for renewable chemical production. Her teaching interests largely parallel this focus, with additional interests in chemical process and product design, and biotechnology. Dr. Reizman has many honors and awards, including the German Ministry of Research and Education “Green Talents” Award, and recen...2022-10-1856 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#70 – What I wish I knew before becoming a professor: How to combine research, teaching, and serviceThe pillars of academia--research, teaching, and service--often seem like very separate activities. However, it can be really rewarding to find ways to make connections between these areas to get more out of parts of academic life that may seem mundane. Here are some thoughts I collected and delivered at the Asian American Association for Scientists and Engineers (AAASE) in October, 2022.2022-10-1746 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#69 - How I run my lab: check ins, hiring students, and promoting good culture and climate0:00 What does your group work on? 2:20 How is your work funded? 3:25 Is there one project or grant you’re especially excited about? 4:13 How many students are in your group? 4:25 Is that typical? 4:54 How do you communicate with your lab members? 6:01 The roundtable sounds like great idea, does that work well? 7:44 How long have you been doing the shoutouts? 8:16 How have shoutouts and other cultural elements you have implemented influenced climate in the lab? 9:08 How do you hire new lab members? 10:06 What...2022-09-2819 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#68 - Managing Stress, Burnout, Anxiety, & Metal Health Challenges in Grad School in Academic ResearchIn this episode, I collected my responses to questions I received on a panel discussion hosted by the American Chemical Society. I redacted any names and read the questions myself. Here is the list of topics with timestamps. 0:28 What is your background and how did you become interested in mental health of academic researchers? 2:00 Is there something special about researchers that make them especially susceptible to mental health challenges? 4:39 We often hear that academics are not good at saying no. How do you think about how to say no to people even about opportunities that may be exciting? 6:26 How do you kno...2022-09-2822 min

IDEAs in STEM Ed#16 - Analytics in Music, Innovation and Hiring in Tech, and How to Stand OutIn this episode, I sat down with Shantanu (SK) Sharma, Chief Analytics Officer at Ingrooves Music, a music analytics company working with some of the world’s top artists. Ingrooves was recently acquired by Universal Music Group. Here, SK—who is a computational chemical physicist by training—talks about his unusual trajectory from gifted teenager in an underresourced neighborhood to grad school to finance to investing to engineering entrepreneur. I certainly learned a lot from this conversation and I hope you find it inspiring and helpful.2022-09-2656 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#67 – My appearance on the Teach the Geek Podcast: My Academic Path, Postdocs & Public SpeakingThis episode is a crossover with the Teach the Geek Podcast, hosted by Neil Thompson, engineer, author, podcaster, and speaking coach. Here, we discuss my academic path and approaches to public speaking. You can learn more about Neil at teachthegeek.com and askuncleneilbooks.com.2022-07-1130 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#66 – Darren discusses Code Breaker (Jennifer Doudna, CRISPR)–What Walter Isaacson gets right/wrong on scientific researchThis is a bit of an unusual book review for the book The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race. I'm going to focus on Walter Isaacson's portrayal of how scientific research happens in academic settings and provide some context for the comments he makes on scientists, the scientific method, the role of competition, fundamental science vs. technology, and the philosophy of science. My brief bio: I did my PhD at Harvard in chemistry and postdoc in chemical engineering at Stanford. I have been in the same room with many of t...2022-07-0551 min

IDEAs in STEM Ed#15 - Coping with Mental Health Challenges as a Student or Postdoc ResearcherDr. Wendy Marie Ingram is a molecular biologist, psychiatric epidemiologist and advocate for mental health among academic researchers. She is the Founder and CEO of Dragonfly Mental Health, a nonprofit that develops individualized programs for institutions to address the mental health needs of their researchers. In this conversation, Wendy and I discuss the personal circumstances that led her to found Dragonfly, why researchers are especially prone to poor mental health, the differences between stress, distress, disease, and crisis, resources for students, resources for institutions, and the connection between biology and psychiatric epidemiology.2022-05-2552 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#65 – From the Caribbean to Computation: Chemistry, Engineering, & Nanoscience. Prof. Tod Pascal, UCSDIn this episode, I sat down with my colleague, Prof. Tod A. Pascal, of the Department of NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering at UC San Diego. Tod developed an interest in computational materials science at a young age while growing up on the island of Grenada in the Caribbean. During his schooling, he spent significant time in Houston, New York, Philadelphia, Pasadena, South Korea, Japan, and Berkeley, before starting his lab at UCSD. In our wide-ranging discussion, we talk about how he became a computational materials scientist, what it was like to do research in such varied environments, and how computat...2022-05-2454 min

IDEAs in STEM Ed#14 - From engineer to MD: Roy Arjoon discusses engineering and medical education and life as a cardiologistPlease enjoy this conversation with biomedical engineer turned cardiologist, Roy Arjoon, MD. Roy and I discuss many things, including learning strategies, memorization, studying for difficult exams, and how his undergraduate engineering degree helps him in his daily work as a cardiologist.2022-05-1345 min

Teach the Geek Podcast - public speaking for technical professionalsEP. 201: Nanoengineering professor & podcaster Dr. Darren LipomiNanoengineering professor & podcaster Dr. Darren Lipomi Dr. Darren Lipomi is a professor in nanoengineering, studying the areas of soft electronics for solar cells, biosensors, and artificial touch. He’s also a podcaster and has a YouTube channel, addressing topics related to STEM in academia. We chatted about his journey to becoming a professor, his research, and the ways in which public speaking has benefited his career. __ TEACH THE GEEK teachthegeek.com anchor.fm/teachthegeek youtube.teachthegeek.com ...2022-05-0430 min

IDEAs in STEM Ed#13 - Scientific Writing: Getting Papers Accepted and Grants Funded#13 - Scientific Writing: Getting Papers Accepted and Grants Funded By: Darren Lipomi, PhD, Faculty Director, IDEA Center 2022-04-2355 min

IDEAs in STEM Ed#12 – Brandon Marin: How to explain a jail sentence on your resumeIn this episode, I'm speaking with one of my all-time favorite people, Dr. Brandon Marin. Brandon is a highly decorated engineer in the area of semiconductor packaging at Intel, and someone who has a virtual phonebook of patents to his credit. Those of you who listened to Episode 8 know some of Brandon’s backstory. An addiction to drugs and alcohol that made him homeless and frequently jailed. And then, through hard work and determination, an escape from despair to complete not only his undergraduate degree at USC, but his PhD at UC San Diego. If you haven’t listened to E...2022-04-0646 min

IDEAs in STEM Ed#11 – Tod Pascal: Creating Excitement for Computation in EngineeringIn this episode, I sat down with my colleague, Prof. Tod A. Pascal, of the Department of NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering at UC San Diego. Tod developed an interest in computational materials science at a young age while growing up on the island of Grenada in the Caribbean. During his schooling, he spent significant time in Houston, New York, Philadelphia, Pasadena, South Korea, Japan, and Berkeley, before starting his lab at UCSD. In our wide-ranging discussion, we talk about how he became a computational materials scientist, what it was like to do research in such varied environments, and how...2022-03-3054 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#64 – Is Organic Chem Necessary for Engineering? Chemistry vs. Chemical Eng, Flipped Classrooms & TeachingIn this episode, I cover a range of topics having to do with the role of organic chemistry in chemical and engineering education. I also share my thoughts on flipped classrooms, active learning, peer instruction, and other teaching methodologies.2022-03-1933 min

IDEAs in STEM Ed#10 – Jillian Buriak: Scientific Publishing from the Editor's PerspectiveIn this episode, I sat down with Prof. Jillian Buriak of the University of Alberta and Executive Editor of ACS Nano. Until recently, she was the Editor-in-Chief of Chemistry of Materials. We spoke to each other about her life in chemistry, her journey as an editor, the role of impact factor, inclusion in science, and integrating work and life, especially with children.2022-03-071h 01

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#63 – Mentoring undergraduate researchersStudies show that engagement in undergraduate research is one of the surest predictors of retention and success of students in science and engineering. Unfortunately, graduate students and postdoctoral scholars assigned to mentor these students rarely receive training. In this episode, I discuss strategies you can use to mentor undergraduate researchers effectively. I draw from my own history as an undergraduate researcher, and my experience mentoring undergraduates at Harvard, Stanford, and UC San Diego.2022-03-0146 min

IDEAs in STEM Ed#9 – Mentoring undergraduate researchers: Darren LipomiStudies show that engagement in undergraduate research is one of the surest predictors of retention and success of students in science and engineering. Unfortunately, graduate students and postdoctoral scholars assigned to mentor these students rarely receive training. In this episode, I discuss strategies you can use to mentor undergraduate researchers effectively. I draw from my own history as an undergraduate researcher, and my experience mentoring undergraduates at Harvard, Stanford, and UC San Diego.2022-02-1746 min

IDEAs in STEM Ed#8 – Brandon Marin: From addicted & homeless to PhD & inventor in semiconductor R&D engineeringUC San Diego MS/PhD graduate Brandon Marin shares his harrowing tale of addiction, arrest, and street living and his rise to successful R&D engineer at a leading semiconductor firm.2022-02-051h 09

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#62 – Raychelle Burks: Science of crime investigation, consulting for Hollywood, & inclusive teachingIn this episode, I sat down with Prof. Raychelle Burks of American University to discuss her career as a crime scene investigator, new approaches to field analytics, her side gig as a script consultant for movies, and approaches to inclusive teaching and mentoring. This episode is cross-posted with IDEAs in STEM Ed. Please consider subscribing there also for faster access and exclusive content. Thanks! Darren 2022-01-191h 06

IDEAs in STEM Ed#7 – Rafael Alvarez: Learning Culture & Study Habits and MESA program at San Diego Community CollegeIn this episode, I sat down with Rafael D. Alvarez, science & engineering educator and Director of the MESA Program at San Diego City College. Rafael is the Founder and Director of the Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement program (that is, the MESA program) at San Diego City College. Rafael grew up in the community of Encanto in east San Diego and was a first generation student. He earned his undergraduate degree in engineering at Harvey Mudd College and his MS degree in electrical engineering from USC. He worked as a professional engineer before returning to academia in the 1990s at San D...2022-01-1853 min

IDEAs in STEM Ed#6 – Raychelle Burks: Science of crime investigation, consulting for Hollywood, & inclusive teachingIn this episode, IDEA Center Director Darren Lipomi sat down with Prof. Raychelle Burks of American University to discuss her career as a crime scene investigator, new approaches to field analytics, her side gig as a script consultant for movies, and approaches to inclusive teaching and mentoring.2022-01-081h 06

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#61 – How to ask for letters of recommendation for grad school, research positions, scholarships, & jobsEverything I know about writing, reading, and being asked for letters of recommendation. Excuse the sound quality of this Covid-era recording. I was speaking through a mask to a group of IDEA Scholars at UC San Diego. Learn more at jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/idea.2021-12-0338 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#60 – Harvard Mechanics Prof. Zhigang Suo, master scientific storytellerThis is a bonus episode from my new podcast, IDEAs in STEM Ed. I never charge for any of my content and don't monetize (though YouTube may), so if you've found this useful, please consider subscribing to the "IDEAs in STEM Ed" podcast on Spotify or Apple (https://open.spotify.com/show/6wnj0T4yiFbehk5eTtBF50?si=8080602ae33e4952), and to the IDEA Engineering Student Center on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiY4py9Yhn4dTRzPUO53ItqQ5tRmHN-or Thanks! Darren Zhigang Suo is the Allen E and Marilyn M Puckett Professor of Mechanics and Mate...2021-12-0256 min

IDEAs in STEM Ed#5 – Lilo Pozzo: Engineering Compassion, Overseas Outreach, & Inspiring ResearchersLilo Pozzo is the Boeing-Roundhill Professor for Excellence in Chemical Engineering at the University of Washington. She is also a professor and the Interim Chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. She earned her BS degree in chemical engineering at the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez in 2001 and her PhD in Chemical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in 2006. She obtained her current position at UW after a postdoctoral stint at the National Institute for Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research from 2006 to 2007. Her research concerns the development, measurement and control of self-assembly processes for soft materials over...2021-11-231h 01

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#59 – Eric Mazur: Flipped Classrooms, Peer & Active Learning, Textbooks vs Videos, & Remote EducationMy guest today is Eric Mazur, professor of physics and applied physics at Harvard University. He is also a creator and entrepreneur in the area of technological resources for classroom teaching. He is known for his research in ultrafast optics and condensed matter physics, and also for his extensive work in the teaching methodology known as Peer Instruction. Attending one of his lectures on teaching as a graduate student was one of the formative experiences of my professional life. He is a true pioneer in active learning in science and engineering education, and was practicing and espousing the benefits of “fl...2021-11-1152 min

IDEAs in STEM Ed#4 – Zhigang Suo: Education in China & US, Being an International Student, & Science Across BordersZhigang Suo is the Allen E and Marilyn M Puckett Professor of Mechanics and Materials in the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Professor Suo obtained his BS degree from Xi’an Jiaotan University in 1985 and PhD in mechanical engineering from Harvard University in 1989. He began his independent career at UC Santa Barbara, moved to Princeton in 1997 and to Harvard in 2003. It was during this period that I became aware of Zhigang’s work, when he attended some of our more mechanics-oriented group meeting. Zhigang has been a leader in the thermomechanical reliability of semiconductor devices, and did some of the...2021-11-1156 min

IDEAs in STEM Ed#3 – Eric Mazur: Flipped Classrooms, Peer & Active Learning, Textbooks vs Videos, & Remote EducationMy guest today is Eric Mazur, professor of physics and applied physics at Harvard University. He is also a creator and entrepreneur in the area of technological resources for classroom teaching. He is known for his research in ultrafast optics and condensed matter physics, and also for his extensive work in the teaching methodology known as Peer Instruction. Attending one of his lectures on teaching as a graduate student was one of the formative experiences of my professional life. He is a true pioneer in active learning in science and engineering education, and was practicing and espousing the benefits...2021-11-0352 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#58 – Bonus: Malika Jeffries-EL on being an insider, outsider, and improving access to STEM educationThis is a bonus crossover episode to get some visibility for my new interview podcast, IDEAs in STEM Ed. If you've reached this episode, please do me a big favor and search for "IDEAs in STEM Ed" and subscribe! Everything I put up I do for free, and this will help me a ton. Thanks! Malika Jeffries-EL is a professor of chemistry and Materials Science and Engineering, and associate Dean of the graduate school, at Boston University. She is an organic materials chemist and polymer engineer focusing on organic semiconductors. That is, the type of materials used in o...2021-10-2648 min

IDEAs in STEM Ed#2 – Being an Insider, Outsider, and Increasing Access to Grad Education: Malika Jeffries-EL, Boston UniversityMalika Jeffries-EL is a professor of chemistry and Materials Science and Engineering, and associate Dean of the graduate school, at Boston University. She is an organic materials chemist and polymer engineer focusing on organic semiconductors. That is, the type of materials used in organic light-emitting displays, biosensors, solar cells, and other next-generation thin-film devices. She is well known on social media and in the community for her work on equity in academia and in the sciences. I first got to know Malika through her work on conjugated polymers when I was a graduate student, when one name kept appearing...2021-10-2347 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#57 – Bonus episode: Andrea Armani on Role Models, Effective Teaching, Grad Student Recruiting, & Project SelectionThis is a bonus crossover episode to get some visibility for my new interview podcast, IDEAs in STEM Ed. If you've reached this episode, please do me a big favor and search for "IDEAs in STEM Ed" and subscribe! Everything I put up I do for free, and this will help me a ton. Thanks! In this episode of IDEAs in STEM Ed, Darren Lipomi sits down with Professor Andrea Armani. Andrea is the Ray Irani chair in Engineering and Materials Science and Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Southern California. Her la...2021-10-2057 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#56 – Thinking Like a Nobel Prize Winner: Into the Impossible with physicist Brian KeatingMy guest in this episode--my first ever livestream--is my UCSD colleague, Professor Brian Keating. Brian is a Chancellor’s distinguished professor of physics at UC San Diego, co-director of the Arthur C Clarke Center for the imagination, host of the Into the impossible podcast, YouTuber with 30k subscribers, and writer of the scientific memoir “Losing the Nobel Prize.” Brian is joining me today to discuss his new book, Into the impossible, thinking like a Nobel prize winner. Lessons from Laureates to Stoke Curiosity, Spur Collaboration, and Ignite Imagination in your life and career. The book is a distillation of conver...2021-10-1359 min

IDEAs in STEM Ed#1 – Andrea Armani on Role Models, Effective Teaching, Grad Student Recruiting, & Project SelectionIn this episode of IDEAs in STEM Ed, Darren Lipomi sits down with Professor Andrea Armani. Andrea Armani is the Ray Irani chair in Engineering and Materials Science and Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Southern California. Her laboratory uses a mixture of tools from chemistry, physics, engineering, and biology, and bridges the disciplines of materials science, medical imaging, and nano photonics. Among many awards she has earned over her career, she is the recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2010, and recognized as a World Economic Form Young...2021-10-0455 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#55 – Why do professors travel so much? And, why I am trying to give most of it up (hint: baby and Covid).In this episode, I discuss the reasons why science and engineering professors always seem to be on the road, including the good and bad aspects. For example, the joy and excitement of meeting old friends in new places and sharing scientific discoveries, as well as the sacrifices that one makes in terms of time with one's students and family. I'll also discuss why I believe most of this travel is gratuitous and hard to justify after the birth of a child and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.2021-09-1520 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#54 – Frustrations of scientific publication & peer review & why we do it anyway: 100th paper spectacularThis is a highly personal, idiosyncratic, unrehearsed talk I gave to my own research group on scientific publication and peer review, when I was on the verge of 100 papers. I hesitated a long time in posting this, but I think it accurately represents my thinking on society vs. for-profit journals, the value-add of publishing, the harm done by careless referee reports, alternatives to traditional publication, and some thoughts on patents vs. publications.2021-07-2039 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#53 – Choosing a grad school and a lab + Q&AThis is the full version of my thoughts on choosing a grad school and a PI/lab. I gave this talk for the American Chemical Society East Bay California Section and the American Women in Science virtual seminar series, and the organizer was kind enough to let me repost my side of the presentation, here. The Q&A topics are as follows: 26:56 If the chances of getting a faculty position is only 5%, should I even bother if I don’t get into a top-10 school? 30:49 If we indicate diverse research interest on our personal statement, ar...2021-07-1649 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#52 – My best advice on writing: the "garlic, shallots, and butter" of effective scientific proseIn this episode, I read a short essay I wrote on effective scientific writing, with references to Strunk and White, Steven Pinker, and George Whitesides. The original article was published in Chemistry of Materials, 2021, 33, 11, 3865–3867, original publication date, June 8, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater... This reading was done with permission from the American Chemical Society.2021-06-2214 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#51 – Travel Stories from Hell - "Professor Unscripted" event at UCSDThis is my combination of travel diary plus comedy routine at the Loft at UC San Diego. Warning: this episode contains explicit language. The episode works without the slides, but if you're interested, there is also a YouTube version, located here https://youtu.be/RtLRrp7Gd9w 2021-06-2150 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#50 – Primer on science startups, patents, and financingThis episode is a distillation of everything I learned being close to the founding of a few research-based startups and also my experience from Stanford Ignite (mini MBA program). This is a talk I gave to an undergraduate audience made up of students majoring in nanoengineering, chemical engineering, and bioengineering. I hope it serves as a primer on the language of startups that someone who has never heard of, e.g., "venture capital," can use to learn more.2021-06-0148 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#49 – Teaching, research, and podcasting – My interview on The Soft Matter Show with Amal NarayananThis episode is a cross-posting from The Soft Matter Show, hosted by Amal Narayanan. We covered many topics, including my responses to the following questions: You have worked in the Northeast and West Coast of the United States. Have you ever noticed any differences in the work culture across them? What were some of the deciding factors that inspired you to pursue a career in academia? How did you develop an interest in chemistry/chemical engineering? What was your experience working in Whitesides and Bao research groups? Other than...2021-05-311h 11

The Soft Matter ShowEp #10 - Dr. Darren Lipomi on Haptics, Active Learning, and Molecular PodcastingHello Soft Matter People! Welcome to another episode of The Soft Matter Show. Our today's guest is Dr. Darren Lipomi (https://www.lipomigroup.org/darren-lipomi). Darren is a Professor of Nanoengineering (https://ne.ucsd.edu/) at the University of California, San Diego. In this episode, Darren talked about the origin of the active learning platform he has developed using YouTube. Also, Darren shared his experience on developing his very own podcasting platform - The Molecular Podcasting (https://open.spotify.com/show/7MMkvxJIeNNfnTc3bHNgeE). Which is one of the podcast platforms that inspired me to create The Soft Matter Show...2021-05-291h 12

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#48 – Do I regret going into academia? Financing a lab, and can a lab go bankrupt?Topics covered in this episode: 0:00 The life of a professor sounds really stressful. Knowing what you know now, would you still go into academia? 4:21 Professors spend a lot of time writing grants and doing administration. Do you ever want to go into the lab and do experiments on the bench? 9:30 Where does a public university get its money and how is it distributed? 13:35 How much money does it cost to hire a graduate student, and how does this investment affect who you hire? 20:04 How do you feel about productivity...2021-05-2829 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#47 – What does a professor do? What is nanoscience? Introduction for high-schoolersIn this episode, I address the following questions. For a short video tour, see the accompanying video on YouTube "What does a professor do?" 0:05 What does a professor do? 1:29 Why did I want to be a professor? 2:57 What is a typical day like? 5:51 What is nanoscience? 8:56 What do you need to know to be a nonscientist? 10:12 What do you work on?2021-05-1313 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#46 – Ask a Prof. Anything 5: Public speaking, giving talks, Zoom vs live, and fidget itemsTopics addressed: 0:00 What’s easier, giving talks with slides or talks with no slides? 0:51 What are some strategies for avoiding non-words, like um, like, and so? 4:00 Is it calming to hold onto an object when giving a presentation? 5:42 What’s the best way to prepare for a Q&A session? 9:00 What level of complexity should you prepare your spoken remarks? 12:15 How do you get better at giving talks? 15:06 Is it possible to be too polished in your presentation style? 16:19 Are there strategies for givi...2021-05-1026 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#45 – Ask a Prof Anything 4: Thoughts on Writing and coming up with new ideas in researchIn this episode, I respond to questions related to scientific writing, and coming up with new ideas in scientific research. To what extent should we minimize jargon in scientific writing? Is it acceptable to use literary techniques like metaphor in scientific writing? If I have a lot of data for a single figure, how do I organize it so that the figure isn’t overwhelming? Different readers are expecting to get different things from a paper. How do you or...2021-05-0727 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#44 – Conversation about stretchable polymer electronics and scientific legaciesThis episode is a short conversation between me and my senior PhD student, Andrew Kleinschmidt, who had recently suffered a brain injury. As part of his rehabilitation, one of his assignments was to conduct an interview about science. We covered some pretty existential topics as well, including the question "if you got hit by a bus tomorrow, would you have done enough?"2021-05-0418 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#43 – Ask a Professor Anything III: Research values, advice from George Whitesides & Zhenan Bao, & Should you follow your passion?One of my students interviewed me for a class on leadership. I was honored he chose me for this assignment. Here are some of the topics we covered: What were some formative experiences that influenced your career trajectory? Is it better to seek a range of experiences or to focus in a single area? What are the values that underlie effective leadership in research? Do you have a mentor or role model? What advice would you give to a college undergraduate about to enter the job market, especially during...2021-04-3041 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#42 – Ask a Professor Anything II – Getting letters of rec, choosing a lab, dealing with frustrationIn this episode, I share my thoughts on a variety of topics related to starting out in an undergraduate or graduate research lab. Whom should you ask for a letter of recommendation? How can you spot bad work environments? What are the red flags? How do you identify a positive fit? When do you know if you should drop a bad project? When applying to grad school, should I stay in the same field or try something different? How can you figure out what a lab is working on when you don’t yet “speak the language”? How much agency do underg...2021-04-2924 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#41 – Ching W. Tang, inventor of the first efficient OLED and OPV; reflections on industrial and academic innovation & advice for young researchersI did this introduction and interview with Prof. Ching W. Tang as part of the 2019 Kyoto Prize Symposium at UC San Diego, delayed until 2021 because of COVID-19. It was a real honor to chat with him about industrial research, the invention of the OLED, science in an international context, and advice for rising scientists.2021-04-0615 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#40 – Why I started Molecular Podcasting, its effects on my research, & advice for would-be science podcastersThis is the full-length interview I did for an article in Chemistry World on science podcasts.2021-04-0421 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#39 – JAWS: Providing a platform for the researchers who actually did the workIn this episode, I sat down with Prof. Daniela (Dani) Arias-Rotondo, Dr. Madison Fletcher, and Dr. Craig Fraser (absent: Dr. Monica Gill) on their creation, JAWS: Just Another [Chemistry] Webinar Series (https://jawschem.wixsite.com/home). Dani, Madison, and Craig discuss the origin of JAWS, its name, its mission, and the need for diverse voices to be heard among up-and-coming scientists.2021-03-2853 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#38 – Ask a professor anything: Virtual coffee hour with studentsNanoengineering students peppered me with questions of all types, and I responded with my wisdom, such as it is. Identities of the questioners have been redacted. We covered the following topics. How did you know you wanted to be a scientist? Why chemistry in particular? How are you trying to generate an inclusive community in the classroom during Covid? What aspects of remote work would you keep once life returns to normal? Did you develop any “Covid hobbies”? Are you working from home or remote? You mentioned that you work while taking walks by dictating problem sets into y...2021-02-1138 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#37 – Brandon Marin (II): What do Chemical Engineers and NanoEngineers do at Intel / semiconductor R&DIn his second appearance on the podcast, Brandon Marin (BS, Chemical Engineering, USC; MS/PhD Chemical Engineering & Nanoengineering, UCSD) describes his role as an R&D engineer at Intel. I learned a lot from this very wide ranging interview.2021-01-3151 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#36 – Alex Zaretski: co-founder & CTO of GrollTex on starting a company & quest for a real-life tricorderAliaksandr (Alex) Zaretski, PhD (UC San Diego, Nanoengineering, '16), is the Co-Founder and CTO of GrollTex, Inc., a leading supplier of graphene and other nanomaterials to the R&D market and developer of graphene-based electronic sensors. He has had a fascinating educational trajectory from studying linguistics in Belarus in the early 2000s to biomedical engineering and nanoengineering. He offers his insights here on entrepreneurship in the physical sciences, the importance of business training, how to raise $1 million in startup funding, and building a manufacturing site from scratch.2021-01-2554 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#35 – Materials Science in Haptics (part 2): Panel discussion, Darren Lipomi, Moderator(Part 2) This is a panel discussion on the topic of materials for haptics – technologies that interface with the sense of touch. We touch (pun intended) on a lot of topics, from the philosophy of haptics, the need for interdisciplinary collaboration, and future applications. The moderators are Darren Lipomi (UC San Diego), Benjamin Tee (National University of Singapore), and Yigit Menguc (Facebook). Panelists are Ed Colgate (Northwestern), Tania Moriomoto (UC San Diego), Charles Dhong, Fabrizio Sergi, and Laure Kayser (all of University of Delaware). Part 2 of 2.2021-01-2249 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#34 – My experience as a volunteer in a COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial – Darren Lipomi, PhDIn this episode, I describe my experiences as a participant in the Oxford/AstraZeneca phase III clinical trial for the COVID-19 candidate vaccine, AZD1222. I discuss my motivation for volunteering, the process of enrolling, what it was like at the test site, side effects (not very serious) and issues surrounding blinding (i.e., vaccine vs. placebo) in vaccine trials.2021-01-1835 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#33 – Materials Science in Haptics: Panel discussion part 1 of 2, Darren Lipomi, ModeratorThis is a panel discussion on the topic of materials for haptics – technologies that interface with the sense of touch. We touch (pun intended) on a lot of topics, from the philosophy of haptics, the need for interdisciplinary collaboration, and future applications. The moderators are Darren Lipomi (UC San Diego), Benjamin Tee (National University of Singapore), and Yigit Menguc (Facebook). Panelists are Ed Colgate (Northwestern), Tania Moriomoto (UC San Diego), Charles Dhong, Fabrizio Sergi, and Laure Kayser (all of University of Delaware). Part 1 of 2.2021-01-1553 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#32 – Victoria Fu: Nanoengineer, Chemical Engineer, Entrepreneur, and co-founder of Chemist ConfessionsI sat down for an educational and inspiring conversation with Victoria Fu (UCSD BS in chemical engineering '12, MS in nanoengineering '13). Our wide-ranging conversation covered her upbringing and education, trajectory in the chemical and beautycare industries, the stories behind the founding of Chemist Confessions, and advice for young scientists and engineers headed out into the world on their own.2021-01-0850 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#31 – Olivia Graeve & Carlos Coimbra: Inclusion, Diversity, Excellence, & Achievement (IDEA Center) at UC San DiegoAs part of the 10-year anniversary celebration of the IDEA Center in the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego, I sat down with its current and former Directors, Profs. Olivia Graeve and Carlos Coimbra. We discussed the founding of the center, its role in creating a culture of inclusion, and advice for individuals wishing to create something similar at their institutions. I have the distinct honor of taking over as Director in July of 2021, and thus really enjoyed this discussion! You can learn more about the IDEA Center here: https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/idea/2021-01-0152 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#30 – How to get a paper accepted & some comments on peer reviewThese are my personal reflections on publishing papers, good practices, and the peer-review process in general. These opinions are my own and do not reflect those of UC San Diego or any organization but me. When I list my "career ratio" of reviews done to scientific papers published of 5:1, that is since starting my independent career, since almost half of my scientific output was as a student or postdoc, and I am not counting the reviews I did then.2020-12-2254 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#29 – Chemjobber: The chemical job market, effects of COVID, chemistry blogging, & connecting with an audienceIn this conversation, I sat down with the enigmatic Chemjobber, one of chemistry's most prolific bloggers and commentators. Since 2008, CJ has amplified job postings to his readers and twitter followers, identified trends in the chemical job market, and provided commentary on a range of practical issues of interest to chemists and chemical engineers. He has nearly 30 thousand followers on Twitter and is the first resource to whom all it many of us in chemistry or chemistry-adjacent fields turned when we have found ourselves unemployed or looking for a new position. Since 2017, he has had a monthly column in Chemical and Engi...2020-12-0851 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#28 - Tyler Cowen and I discuss innovation, directionality in history, art, music, touch & textiles, interviewing, and Star TrekI was honored to get to spend an hour chatting with Prof. Tyler Cowen of George Mason University. Tyler is the author of several books on topics ranging from the value of commercial culture to economic stagnation in the US. Tyler is remarkable in his breadth of learning, intense curiosity, and freshness of his ideas. While he does not come from a background in the physical sciences and engineering, I nevertheless think he has a great deal to offer my audience, as I have learned an inestimable amount from his books, podcast episodes, and public appearances. You can learn...2020-11-301h 06

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#27 – Jillian Buriak: Inside scientific editing, publishing, impact factors, data reporting, inclusion, & work-life integrationIn this episode, I sat down with Prof. Jillian Buriak of the University of Alberta and until recently Editor-in-Chief of Chemistry of Materials. We spoke to each other about her life in chemistry, her journey as an editor, the role of impact factor, inclusion in science, and integrating work and life, especially with children.2020-11-2059 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#26 – Marwa ElDiwiny: Creating an international community in robotics & engineering, and the Soft Robotics PodcastIn this episode, I chat with Marwa ElDiwiny, who hosts the IEEE Soft Robotics Podcast, which has paved the way for several podcasts made by scientists, for scientists. We discuss Marwa's journey from Egypt to France and beyond, the story behind her podcasts, her most interesting guests, lab culture, being an outsider, and her interests in communication, visual art, clothing, and food. Enjoy!2020-11-1349 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#25 – Brian Keating: The guts of science podcasting & getting a pop science book publishedIn this episode, I chat with my colleague, Prof. Brian Keating, about his various channels of outreach, including the Into the Impossible podcast, his YouTube channel, and his book, Losing the Nobel Prize. There is a lot of great, practical advice here for scientists who would like to engage with the public, or for people interested in why some scientists are motivated to put themselves in the public eye. Here is where to find more content from Prof. Keating: Book: Losing the Nobel Prize http://amzn.to/2sa5UpA Please join my mailing list...2020-11-0644 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#24 - Laure Kayser: Starting as a new PI, being an outsider, creating an inclusive culture, & the two-body problemIn this episode, I chat with Prof. Laure Kayser of the University of Delaware on her experiences being an outsider, starting a new laboratory as a PI, her values in creating a lab culture, applying for jobs, running an interdisciplinary lab, the two-body problem in academia, and other topics.2020-10-3041 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#23 - Undergraduate Research: Finding a lab & succeeding while you're thereTips and tricks for finding a lab, getting your way in, and success once you arrive. Also motivation for why (or why not) you might want to do undergraduate research in the first place.2020-10-2235 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#22 - How to not write bad: Practical tips for scientific writingMy approach to scientific writing with guidance inspired by Steven Pinker, George Whitesides, and Anne Lamott. I hope you find something in here useful or interesting!2020-10-1638 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#21 – Mental health, anxiety, & impostor syndrome as a student in STEMThis episode is a deeply personal reflection on coping with issues surrounding mental health as a student in STEM, particularly as a PhD student in a research lab. I identify several sources of anxiety and depression which are often felt by students in research laboratories, whether or not the PI is actively promoting a toxic work environment. I then discuss my own struggles with anxiety, which manifested in many physiological forms, some of which required intervention. These included cardiac arrhythmias, temporomandibular joint disorder, hyperhydrosis, and high blood pressure. While I offer some words of encouragement and concrete strategies one...2020-10-0949 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#20 - Graham Sazama: Getting a job & professing at a primarily undergraduate institution (PUI)In this episode, I chat with Prof. Graham Sazama of Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. Graham discusses the process of applying to faculty positions at a primarily undergraduate institution (PUI) and teaching and mentoring once there. We also discuss active learning, remote teaching during COVID-19, and what we would change about the way chemistry is taught.2020-10-0246 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#19 - Making the most of remote learning during Covid-19This is a short talk I gave to entering freshmen at UC San Diego on how to make the most of a bad situation. Namely, trying to learn in college while at home during a pandemic.2020-09-2512 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#18 - Brandon Marin: From addiction, jail, & street living to PhD in chemical engineeringMy former student, Brandon Marin, and his incredible journey from science nerd in East Los Angeles, to addiction, jail, and multiple arrests, to obtaining a PhD in chemical engineering and becoming a prolific inventor in semiconductor processing.2020-09-181h 07

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#17 - ChemBark's Paul Bracher on blogging, teaching, advisor-advisee relationships, and the chemical origin of lifeIn this episode, I sat down with my former labmate, Paul Bracher, now assistant professor of chemistry at St. Louis University, to chat about a variety of topics. Paul is known in the chemistry community as the writer of the ChemBark blog, which had a ubiquitous presence in grad student lounges around the world from the '00s to the early '10s. We discussed his interest in writing and community building, investigative journalism in science, toxic culture in labs, and how to navigate difficult relationships between PIs and graduate students.2020-09-1151 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#16 - Applying & interviewing for faculty positionsExperiences as both an applicant and as a reviewer of faculty job applications.2020-09-0452 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#15 - Tips for first-time TAs & Assistant ProfessorsHints for teaching assistants (and professors). Please consult with your course instructor before adopting any of these suggestions as policies :)2020-08-2849 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#14 - Getting into grad schoolAdvice on getting into graduate school in science and engineering. My take on the importance (or lack thereof) of GPA, GRE, letters of recommendation, personal statement, and fellowships. I hope something here is useful.2020-08-2442 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#13 - Time management as a grad student, postdoc, or researcherHopefully this 50-minute episode pays itself back in time saved.2020-08-1450 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#12 - Promoting your work and working with journalistsMy thoughts on promoting your research, working with journalists, and posting your work on social media. I also cover some controversies I've been involved with.2020-08-0641 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#11 - How to Talk Smart...or, how to give effective presentationsAdvice on giving effective presentations for scientists and engineers.2020-07-3146 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#10 - My scientific influences & soft skills in research - Conversation with Brian KeatingThis is a conversation with my colleague, astrophysicist Dr. Brian Keating, made for the Into the Impossible Podcast and associated YouTube channel. (You should definitely check out and subscribe to his channel, where he interviews people way more famous and interesting than me https://youtu.be/En2wjpzv464.) I cover a lot of previously untrodden ground, including my scientific biography, books that have influenced me, and the importance of soft skills in research.2020-07-2550 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#9 - Soft robotics & interdisciplinary research: Conversation with Marwa ElDiwinyThis is a cross-posting of my conversation with Marwa ElDiwiny on her IEEE RAS Soft Robotics Podcast. If you enjoyed what you heard, please subscribe to the Soft Robotics Podcast. It is the best way to support the great work she is doing. Available on all platforms. https://open.spotify.com/show/3f19OvcbN05f9r9DUY15tk https://soundcloud.com/ieeeras-softrobotics 2020-07-171h 02

Soft Robotics PodcastSoft Robotics With Darren LipomiInteresting discussion with Darren Lipomi, a professor in the Department of NanoEngineering and Programs in Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at UC San Diego. In this episode, we discussed how To Design Smart Materials" How smart materials can be designed to achieve high mechanical performance with fast response time? What kind of nonlinearities we have to keep and remove for better performance? Should we get rid of the viscoelastic behavior in smart materials? Prof.Darren has started his podcast “Molecular Podcasting”, he is also doing informative Youtube videos handling the issues in academia ranging from the funding, handling grant rejections, soft...2020-07-171h 02

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#8 - Soft skills in research, or "How to win friends and influence people"My take on working with people in professional and personal environments with allusions to Dale Carnegie, The Simpsons, Game of Thrones, and Star Wars.2020-07-1447 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#7 - "Unconventional" careers for PhDs in STEMIn this episode, I discuss careers for PhDs in STEM outside of the traditional dichotomy of "industry vs. academia." Topics include jobs in teaching, government, policy, journalism, consulting, and patent law.2020-07-0542 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#6 - Writing competitive grant proposalsIn this episode, I share some general tips on writing grants, along with some specific guidance for proposals submitted to NSF and NIH.2020-07-0235 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#5 - Running a research group: Mission, values, and strategyThis episode contains all of the advice I wish I got before starting my faculty position.2020-06-2923 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#4 - Generating ideas in science & engineeringIn this episode, I discuss the ways in which ideas are generated in science and engineering. My goal is to provide students and early-career researchers some practical approaches to conceiving of interesting, marketable, or fundable projects.2020-06-2645 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#3 - Use of video for remote & active learning and flipped classroomsAn annotated reading of an essay I wrote which appeared in Trends in Chemistry, April 16th, 2019. The original article is located here: https://www.cell.com/trends/chemistry/fulltext/S2589-5974(20)30076-9 2020-06-2314 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#2 - Choosing an Advisor / lab in Grad SchoolMy thoughts on choosing a lab, advisor, and school for a PhD program.2020-06-2219 min

Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi#1 - Dealing with Rejection in AcademiaIn this episode, I describe my personal reflections on getting rejected in academia. It applies mostly to graduate students, postdocs, and assistant professors in the sciences and engineering, or to relatives of those people :)2020-06-2215 min