The Bridge - Issue 2, 2023 - 33

Student Profile
What don't you like about engineering?
There is a fair bit of administrative work that one must do
while being an engineer, such as keeping track of equipment
orders and filling out paperwork. However, I think this also
exists in every job.
What is your dream job?
My dream job is to work on math and science projects every
single day.
Whom do you admire (professionally and/or personally)
and why?
Cody Fan
Iota-Gamma Chapter, Grad Student/
Alumni Advisor
Cody Fan grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and is a proud fan of
the Cincinnati Bengals. He received a Bachelor of Science in
electrical engineering and a Bachelor of Science in physics
at the University of California, Los Angeles, in 2022. He is a
recipient of the NSF-Graduate Research Fellowship and is
pursuing a Ph.D. in electrical engineering under the guidance
of Professor Chee Wei Wong. Currently, his main research
focus is to build quantum transducers between microwave
and optical photons. He also has research interests in
variational quantum algorithms, quantum communications,
RF/microwave electronics, superconducting qubits, and silicon
qubits. Previously, he worked on consensus algorithms for
networks with of non-Gaussian distributions.
Why did you choose to study the engineering field (or the
particular field you are studying)?
I decided to choose quantum information due to its
broad applications in other scientific fields. Quantum
computers promise to speed up discoveries in carbon
sequestration, protein folding, and material science.
Quantum communications will improve the security of our
communication infrastructure. These types of discoveries will
help fight climate change, cure cancer, and create a better
future for humanity. I chose to work on the hardware side of
quantum information because I believe the main bottleneck
in quantum technology lies with the limitations of hardware.
What do you love about engineering?
I love that I get to solve complex problems on a daily
basis, and the challenges that I face every day are different.
Additionally, I also love the fact that the discoveries and
inventions that I am working towards can change the world
for the better.
I admire Michael Faraday, Sir Humphry Davy, and Marie
Curie. Faraday was a self-taught scientist and came up with
discoveries that made electrical engineering possible as a
field (Faraday's Law, among other discoveries). He came
from a less fortunate background and was taken under the
wing of Sir Humphry Davy. I hope to be a mentor like Davey,
and become a scientist like Faraday or Curie. Marie Curie
won the Nobel Prize twice, and used the money to fund her
own research institute. If I had a lot of money, I would also
establish my own research institute to fund the projects of
other scientists and engineers.
In what direction do you think the engineering
and other IEEE fields of interest are headed in the next
10 years?
A lot of money is being poured into the fields of artificial
intelligence and quantum information. I think this trend will
continue due to national security interests. There appears
to be interesting work on both the hardware and software
sides of things for both fields, with a resurgence in the field of
analog IC design and analog computing towards improving AI.
What is the most important thing you've learned in
school?
Learning how to treat people with care and respect is more
important than any technical skill that you can learn. Things
like convex optimization and quantum mechanics can be
learned by reading textbooks and are important (aside: I
recommend Vandenberghe's textbooks for optimization and
Griffiths' quantum mechanics), but soft skills like patience,
clear communication, resilience, and hard work are more
important to gain in comparison.
What advice would you give to other students entering
college and considering studying your major?
If you know you want to do STEM, don't give up. It is okay to
fail, and sometimes that is even a good thing. There is an old
Japanese proverb that says, " Fall seven times, get up eight " .
I think this is important as an engineer since many times,
your first designs and ideas will fail (all of mine have), so it
is important to not give up after the first few attempts (and
often even beyond that!).
Finish this sentence. " If I had more time, I would ... "
Spend more time with family, friends, and loved ones.
HKN.ORG
33
https://hkn.ieee.org/
The Bridge - Issue 2, 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Bridge - Issue 2, 2023
